Camping / /Richardson's Grove Edition

Just recently I spent 3 days camping with my father at a local site called Richardson's Grove in a national park.  I've been to this particular campground quite a few times and it's really nice.  Most of the campsites are within walking distance of a really warm river. Plus there are a few nice hikes around.  The river was actually nice and warm and I felt super good about completing a hike while I was there.

Redwoods are just so majestic. I'm so lucky to live in such a rare environment.

This is the hike we took.  It was only a mile long and thankfully we decided to take the steep trail first.  Always do the hard part first.

Studying for the ACT around a fire is much nicer than in my room.

A Beautiful Mess always has the greatest recipes and I finally got to try one out, Cajun Hobo Packets, they were really good.

Finally, the best thing about having a fire, being able to burn whatever you want.  We had an incomplete deck of cards with us and decided to burn them.  I found this in the ashes the next morning.

Camping is always a fun experience.  Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in another trip before the school year starts! What do you want to fit into your last month of summer?

Local Sand Sculpture Festival

This past weekend I went to the annual local Sand Sculpture Festival with my parents.  I went in the early afternoon and was amazed by both the sculptures and the amount of people who showed up.  In my town, you're lucky if 10 people show up to an event, there were at least twenty times that number on the beach for the festival.  It was very shocking.  Usually one has the beach to themselves. However, it was a nice change. Here are my favorite sculptures! Beware, picture heavy.

Bathing Beauties

Some sort of Hippo? I have no idea but I love it.

Turtle

Creepy face but cute toddler.  It's really easy to take pictures of children that aren't yours....now I sound creepy

Huge Octopus.  There were actually a few of these but this one was by far the largest.

Amazing Catfish

Non-native Caterpillar.  All the plants used for decoration are invasive species.  

This was my dad's favorite. A dwarf in the side of a mountain

Just a sun chillin'

This one was HUGE! To me it looks like a cross between a rat and a whale but apparently it's a sturgeon.

This was the only sandcastle so it stands to reason that it is the most intricate and impressive sandcastle I've ever seen.

I can't wait to visit again next year and see all the new creations.  It may have taken us a few years to attend this event, but I'm really glad we stopped by this year.  If you know of a sculpture festival in your area, definitely try to check it out for a good dose of culture, think of it like an art show!

Marshall, Michigan

I recently visited my family's hometown of Marshall, Michigan.  It's an old town and the architecture is fabulous!  According to Wiki, in Marshall there are 850 buildings labeled as National Historic Landmarks in only 6.40 square miles! That's just insane. I just thought I'd share some pictures with you from around town.

Honolulu House. Built to resemble similar houses in Honolulu

My great-grandpa's old house

It was really cool to see all the old buildings and the stories my family has attached to them. My family is so anal about all the stories and the family lineage, I've heard all the stories ten times before, but know I have a background for them.  I wish we could have stayed longer and experience all the little shops but we had a lake to swim in!  Ah well, I'm sure I'll be back.

My cousins and I watching the water.

Summer To-Do List

I can't do anything successfully without a plan.  Therefore I have made a list of what I want to accomplish this summer.  While I'm already almost 4 weeks into my summer, it's never too late to start.  So without further ado, here is my summer to-do list!

• scavenger hunt
• picnic
• camp
• go on a hike
• blanket fort
• baseball game
• all Harry Potter movies in 24 hours
• concert
• sunrise and sunset
• water fight
• hula hoop
• fern canyon
• beach bonfire
• learn to make sushi well
• bake a pie
• learn to make good mexican rice
• make a jar of lucky stars
• play pattle tennis with my grandmother
• finish painting my room
• continue to take pictures most days
• visit the zoo
• throw even more things away
• tie-dye some clothes
• drink a virgin margarita
• get a tan
• learn a new skill
• make new friends
• do something i'd never do
• hunt ghosts
• skinny dip
• play ulitmate frisbee
• take the dogs on walks
• no caffeine

Look like a solid summer to me. Wish me luck!