Vacation

Need I say more? Of course.

Here's a summary of the trip Up North, with more photos to come.

The good:

• Didn't go near an airplane, except to watch sea planes take off and land in Duluth and Madeline Island. The old Accord got 32mpg, so everybody's happy.

• Perfect weather for each day's planned activity. Walk along the lake to the Duluth harbor and maritime museum? Breezy with whitecaps and wispy clouds. Day at a Lake Superior beach? Warm and sunny. Unless you happened to be a mile away, where it was foggy and cold. We didn't care, but love that Midwestern weather.

• Excellent accommodations and dinner conversation, thanks to my aunt and uncle.

• Walked the Lake Walk to our destination once or twice a day in Duluth. So much better than driving.

• Saw the beautiful rose garden still blooming. Have been up there in October the past few times.

• Checked three more Wisconsin state parks off our list. These were enjoyable visits, not drive-throughs.

• The "water park" hotel in Ashland was much cheaper than the Dells, and the five-year-old had a blast.

• Everyone behaved.

The bad? Nothing really. If there was, I've forgotten it.