Principal Dispatch: Roughing it is Over and I am back at the Reed Resort

I hope everyone is having a restful summer. My family took advantage of many great attractions that St. Louis has to offer like the zoo, Grant’s Farm, Six Flags, and many parks.

One week we were enticed by the Pure Michigan campaign, and we headed on a spontaneous road trip! We stayed at the beautiful Platte River Campgrounds at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. The highlight of the trip was seeing the view of Lake Michigan from the sand dunes on Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. Although not recommended, we actually descended and climbed a dune that was 450 feet high! We could not adequately capture this image on our camera because it appeared to be an optical illusion. Our picture looks like we are just standing on a regular beach. When in reality, there was a 450 foot drop behind us. The climb was a lot like being on a mountain climb—only it was on sand. It was exhausting but exhilarating at the same time. My son, seeming to be part mountain goat, climbed it once and then begged to climb it again the next day. After a couple of days of camping we retreated to a nearby resort nearby where we enjoyed an adventure course with rock climbing, ropes courses, swimming, and an alpine slide.

I really love the outdoors and could sit by a campfire all day. However, based upon my wife’s recommendation, I’m pretty sure that our next trip will involve a beach towel and relaxing!