This summer, for our second annual camping trip with my brother Dirk in his family, we
traveled to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on the southern bank of Lake Superior.
It is just an amazingly beautiful and peaceful place, at least it was until we showed up.
This is the story of our trip to the Pictured Rocks, on the shore of the Kitschgemee.
So where are we going Molly?
How are we going to get there? A boat. A boat? Do you like riding on boats? Yeah.
We are waiting for the ferry to come so it's okay. Mommy! That's so cool. It reminds me of Yellowstone.
Yeah, old faithful. We should make a giant rock about the bridge. I like the way you think.
Hello, Wendeland. Hi, this is beautiful. Hello, Alida. Hi, Daddy. Don't look at the camera. Keep it moving.
How do I get over there? The third Henry. Which I'm getting, Henry. There you go.
Oh, it's just water. It's because this is an iron. No cars can get over here because of water.
Hello, Alida. What do you think?
Oh, I think it's a little smaller than mine. All right, this is Alida. Everybody say hi, Alida. Hi, Alida.
You can hear that thump sound. That means you did a great job. And I'll give a round of applause. Yay! You did it.
Oh, very cool. Best thing to hit for Mackinaw.
That's just because the right ball is that good.
All in all, day one was a big success. The kids did amazingly well biking 8.1 miles around the island on M185, which turns out to be the only state highway in the country that does not allow cars.
I was most surprised by how much the kids enjoyed Fort Mackinaw, even the museum in the fort. The day on Mackinaw Island was particularly cool for us because we learned once we got there that Mackinaw Island was the country's second national park established by Congress in 1875, just three years after Yellowstone, where we all camped together last year.
Let's see it.
You're a silly girl.
Hello, Liam.
What's Willem? Hey, Willem, can you take Henry?
What is it?
It's our campground. Oh, it's our campground. I see our tent on there.
What is it?
It's our campground.
It's our campground.
It's our campground.
It's our campground.
Alright, Will, it's your birthday. Hi. Who's making your birthday dinner? Me. Making it for everybody? Yeah. What are we having? Run down the menu for me.
We are having chips and chicken. What kind of chicken? Coca-Cola chicken. Coca-Cola chicken? What are we having for dessert?
Orange soda, copper.
Yep, perfect.
I'm not going to have it.
Oh, yum.
Do that look like it?
Come on, we're going to stop.
Peaches and oranges and some cinnamon in there. Then we're going to stir it all up with the spoon.
Then you're going to put some orange soda in it.
What makes the cobbler part, the bready part?
This cake mix.
What do you got there, Lida? What is it, honey? A bat.
A bat? That's perfect for camping night, isn't it?
What are you drawing there, honey? Oh, a hula dancer. Nice.
What do you have, Liam? I got this.
You got that? Yes.
What does it do? It's a bat.
Ready? Alright, lift it up. Let's see.
Alright, this is...
Straight up. Careful not to touch your leg against it.
Nope, he's a little longer. Put it back down.
Can I put it back down?
Alright.
You need a spoon. No, it's okay.
You need a spoon for your apple sauce.
It's okay.
One, two, three.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
And many more.
Now blow out the fire, Will.
Blow out the fire.
That's what I was going to say.
Okay, one, two, three, blow.
All right, let's have some cobbler, everybody.
Come over to the table.
Thank you.
Good morning, Gwendolyn. Good morning.
How's it going so far today? Bad.
Good. Rain and little raining.
But good.
Tastes better.
Uncle Belle, can I start?
Sure.
How's it going, Maureen? Great.
Give us your assessment so far.
I think it'll be better once we have this coffee and a little sugar.
Oh, there's no sugar yet? I didn't realize that, no.
Maybe it's supposed to be after Henry.
All right, who wants to see the biscuits?
Here, do you want to suck the glass of water?
Go suck it between Maven and Molly.
No, I'm not.
Orange juice in the rain?
Yeah.
How's the water feeling, Molly?
Is it cold?
Yeah.
Don't squeeze it too hard.
Can I take him home, Daddy?
No, I can't.
He needs to go back out to the wild.
He was a good little swimmer, though.
He can only do that one eye.
Ready?
Whoa.
Emily, that's where you should watch out.
No.
Nice one.
Actually, it fell down to the orange.
Three points.
Daddy.
Is that your daddy's stick?
No.
No.
What are you girls doing over here?
Playing what?
You are?
What's your bunny's name, Molly?
Um, Flower.
Flower?
There, I see it.
What's your bunny's name, Alida?
Bun.
My name is Flower.
You did it, Henry.
That was my first time to do it.
That was your first time getting points.
There they are.
The youngest player.
Oh, that was close.
Oh, close, Henry.
You have age and beauty, Dirk.
Oh.
Let's see this one.
Henry's treasure box.
What do you got, Henry?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
So what are these on there?
Yes, yes, yes.
What are they?
Yes.
Go on, so what are they?
Where did you find them?
Tell me about them.
At the beach.
You found all these rocks at the beach?
Not yesterday, today.
Today you found them all at the beach.
Let's see.
What are you going to do with those when you get home, Henry?
Put them in my feasting.
Do you think your fish will like them?
Yeah.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
That was pretty good.
What do we got here, Chef Leon?
We have le toco de superior.
It's called toco superior.
It's an old recipe you learned where?
I learned it from a piece of paper
sitting next to the bank of the Lake Superior.
Are you ready?
Le toco superior.
It's called superior.
It's good.
Smell your hands for you?
Strap.
Henry, I see you.
Okay, Henry, you can come too.
Where are you going, honey?
Do you even know where baby Teddy is?
No.
Oh, is he back there?
All right, Flynn, let's see you drive.
You don't even have a seatbelt on.
Faster.
One, two, three.
Cheese, Henry.
You guys are crazy.
Go slowly.
Go slowly.
Look at it, Leon, a frog.
Look at that.
You're looking like a little frog, isn't it?
What do you think, Henry?
I'm going to go get a lighter real quick.
How do you like camping so far?
I like camping.
You like camping?
What's your favorite part?
What about you, Molly?
I got here.
Really, why?
Because of all those yummy, yummy snacks.
Even those cookies.
What are you guys doing there?
What's wrong?
You guys got an inchworm?
Henry, Henry, get your hands off it, bud.
You guys are fighting like brothers.
It's not a bad thing.
Oh, thanks.
I was filming your kids, you jerk.
That evening, while the gang finished dinner
and prepared to wind down for the day,
I grabbed a lighter and a glass of wine and headed down to the beach.
As the name suggests, the 12-mile beach campground
at the Pictured Rock National Lakeshore
sits on the edge of a 12-mile-long beach
shared by only 36 campsites.
Sitting in the sand alone with a lighter,
taking pictures and watching the sunset
was one of my favorite moments from the trip.
Then, just a few minutes before the sun hit the horizon,
the rest of the family made their way down to us.
As we watched the kids wade into the shallow surf
and throw rocks into the lake,
Dirk Maureen Gwen and I realized
that this was why we'd come.
Planning our final day together,
we decided to stay right here, at the beach,
soaking up as much as we could.
What are you making, Maeve?
Pancakes.
Don't be afraid.
Make sure all of your friends watch along.
There I sat.
Mickey Mouse Pancake.
There's no children
There's no road
Nor you.
That one is on the jerk to the potty.
Are you going to climb down in that hole?
I'm going to count on you.
But I'm going back to my dream.
I'm going back to my life after all.
There where I was born.
There is no case.
I'm going in secret.
Awesome.
Nice one, Flynn.
It looks a little black in there, Gwen.
It looks a little black in there, Gwen.
It looks a little black in there, Gwen.
It looks a little black in there, Gwen.
There where I was born.
There is no war.
It looks a little black in there, Gwen.
It looks a little black in there, Gwen.
It looks a little black in there, Gwen.
Walk with me down to the beach, honey.
It looks a little black in there, Gwen.
I love the view from up here.
Warm sun and wind in my ear will watch.
The world from above as it turns to the rhythm of love.
We may only have tonight.
But till the morning sun in your mind.
All mine.
Play the music low and sway to the rhythm of love.
My heart beats like a drum.
A guitar string to the strum.
A beautiful song to be sung.
She's got blue eyes deep like the sea.
They roll back when she's laughing at me.
She rises up like the tide.
The moment her lips meet mine.
We may only have tonight.
But till the morning sun in your mind.
All mine.
Play the music low and sway to the rhythm of love.
When the moon is low.
We can dance in slow motion.
And all your tears will subside.
And all your tears will dry.
