Exploring Ohio and Michigan

We spent the day on the road following an early start and a delicious breakfast of hotel waffles. Our first stop of the day introduced us to a family from Bedford, Texas. They recognized my Grapevine t-shirt and we struck up a conversation about how we ended up in Ohio. A touch of home brightened my day.

For lunch, Amyrlin requested Noodles and Co. While notherners are likely familiar, my Texas kiddos have never sampled it. A friend of hers from Wisconsin constantly talks about it so she wanted to see what the hype is all about. She located one right along our route so we dropped in. We ordered a variety of items from Japanese udon to spaghetti and meat balls to mac and cheese. The food and service did not disappoint! 

After our meal we realized that we had stopped in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Any college football fan knows what that means . .  . I could not pass up a chance to see that iconic stadium in person. We drove the 3 miles to the Michigan campus and I regaled the (not enthused) kids with stories of college life from my own younger days (at TCU, not Michigan). As we chatted about college life, sororities, cafeterias, and laundry we navigated through the busy campus streets. We wound out way to the stadium and hopped out of the car to peer between the gates at the empty bowl, picturing it on a game day in our heads. We snapped a few quick pictures before returning to the highway and continuing on our journey.

Amyrlin found us an adorable cabin for the night right at the ferry dock for Mackinac Island. We arrived around 8pm courtesy of our (totally worth it) detours during the day. The kids filled with delight when we checked in and learned that the waterpark remained open until 10 pm. Waterpark? Yes, waterpark. Bailey and Troy quickly donned their suits for some fun while Amyrlin relaxed in the lodge. She found a tasty pizza restaurant that delivered dinner right to our door for a simple, easy end to the day.