JuliaBlog

In early June 2008, I went to a conference in Traverse City, Michigan. Julia and Grandma came along to keep me company. Before the conference started we took a day-trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Park. Julia got her first Viewmaster.

We took a driving tour of the park. There were some beautiful views. Living in California, you forget how lush and green other parts of the country can be.

Grandma Elaine was so happy to hang out with Julia (and mom).

We took a hike through the dunes, which were formed by glaciers thousands of years ago on the shores of Lake Michigan. Hiking in sand wasn't as easy as it sounded. It took us about three hours to do a 2-mile hike (Julia does like to stop and "smell the roses," plus we had to have sand-ball fights, dig and roll around).


Behind us is a dune that you can climb straight up. But since we were on a loop hike, we didn't go down from here or attempt to climb up it.