Traverse City Weekend

The whole week prior to leaving for Traverse City, I was teaching Dawson to say “Bobbie”. My big sister needed a proper greeting from her little nephew! Now he says it ALL THE TIME.

Well, for being about a 6 hour drive, Dawson was stupendous! He had a few minor breakdowns which were appeased with a snack. (He gets that from me). When we arrived and found our hotel we couldn’t check in because we’re too early so we decided to take a walk along the beach. It was pretty windy and chilly when we got there so we didn’t stay outside long. We went and checked in to our hotel and we sat on our bed and watched cable. We had cable! Oh it was heaven.. Dirty Jobs, Myth Busters, Food Network, SurvivorMan! (He was no for 3 episodes in a row) I had never seen survivorman before and he was worth the stay. He ate seal. That grossed me out. But nothing like catching fresh poo from a cow’s behind like on dirty jobs.. Anyway,

We stayed and watched cable because we were going to meet with Bobbie and David but Bobbie was out shopping with some friends. Cable was the next best thing. Later that evening we met them at their hotel called The Great Wolf Lodge. We arrive at the lodge and by the end of our time in Traverse City Jason had coined the name for the lodge as “The Great Bobbie Lodge” because Dawson pointed at everything in there and called it a Bobbie. AT the front of the lodge where you enter, they have this display of animals that come to life and talk and sing and Dawson was down on the floor in front of them dancing. We were laughing do hard we were snorting. Then he was down on all fours doing this little frog jig. If only I had gotten it on tape! They also have an indoor water park. We’ll get to that in a minute. Four our first night there, we at dinner with B&D (like that abbreviation? I’m just too good) at La Seniorita. Where Dawson had gas all night because he kept begging for my beans.

Me, Jason and Dawson did some driving up to the old mission light house. 

It’s at the tip of the peninsula. We did this when we first got there before we got addicted to cable.

The weird thing was that when I was here about 10 years ago or so, the water from lake Michigan came all the way up to the beach. It has gone down so much it’s about a football field out there. Or something like that in terms of measurement which I flunked in school. 

The next day, Saturday was a big day! We got up early for some shopping downtown. They have cherry everything there. Cherry wine, cherry candy, cherry books, cherry split. I don’t’ really care for cherries. But the cherry orchards are pretty. Anyway, in most of the shops you go into it’s all dedicated to the love of the cherry. Other shops have clothes and such. We didn’t buy much. We were reserving our time for something much more exciting to take place later that afternoon.. the water park!

So we got back to the lodge to go to the water park.

 See that big bucket at the top? It fills with water and then all the kids coming running when they hear a bell and the buck dumps 1,000 gallons of water on them. We didn’t do that to Dawson his baby thong would have come off.

 Later Saturday night was the weigh-in for the fishing tournament. B&D really had nothing to do with the tournament itself although they have in the past. This year they were there to help out with the simulator. This charity event was for a place in Ft Wayne called Lifeline which helps at risk children. People pay a certain amount of money to fish with a pro fisherman and the pro fisherman will donate his time and take them out to catch fish. I had never been to a weigh-in before and it was fun. I felt famous. The guys who weigh the fish should be paid double. The get splashed on and fish are slippery. Slippery splashing fish.

David parking the boats.

This picture is a of a fish they call the big ugly. It’s a pike (really, I should go pro, shouldn’t I?) They were actually fishing for bass. Jason wanted to have me weighted for the big ugly but I told him no.

 While they were preparing for the big weigh-in festivities, the 3 of us took a ride in the simulator.

 In case you’re clueless about what a simulator is (hey, not everyone can go pro) it’s a ride they have created to simulate what it’s like to ride in a boat. You get in the boat and they have a projector in front of you that projects where you are going (kind’ve like a video game) and you steer with the steering wheel and it’s quite fun except when Dawson drives. He needs to get his boater’s license.

 When the night was over, B&D had to go to the banquet being put on by Lifeline so the “Wilkins” went eat at a place called The Bowery. Where, Dawson had a breakdown and I got mean stares from wealthy women with no children. So I spit in their cherry wine. It was all ended by a wonderful evening with cable.

Dawson taking a ride on the luggage cart.

The next morning we met B&D for breakfast at the great Bobbie lodge. Yummy. I love food. And we said sad good-byes after Dawson gave us his phenomenal display of his dancing technique with the singing animals. We decided to take the long scenic drive home along the coast.

 We stopped at a scenic overlook and Jason took these pictures.

 What is it with toddlers and glasses? I can’t see without them!

The thinking thumb sucker…

What a good trip. We didn’t want to come home.