Silver Lake. It's in Michigan.

Just a few weeks ago, I was on vacation.
It was sunny, it was warm but not too hot, it was lazy, it was wonderful!
I love vacation.

I was at Silver Lake, MI. This shows Silver Lake with the sand dunes visible in the distance. On the other side of those sand dunes?
Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is so vast, it almost feels like being at the ocean. Sand, blue water and blue skies as far as the eye can see.

Lake Michigan at sunset. It is strange how late the sun sets there. This picture was taken at almost 10 p.m.

One of my lovely travel companions made us a scrumptious brunch. On the menu? Locally available English Muffin Bread french toast topped with locally-grown cherries and Michigan maple syrup, plus cranberry-sage sausage, cheesy scrambled eggs, asparagus, and mimosas. It was absolutely delicious!

The Little Sable Point Lighthouse is a nearby landmark. True fact, I love lighthouses. They are so nautical and preppy and iconic. They tell the story of a bygone era of seafaring even as the beacons of safety are replaced by more modern navigational tools.

 

 

 

 

MacWood's Dune Rides is a must-do attraction. See our optimal seats on the back row of the dune buggy? Total ninja maneuvers to get those seats! We rock.

A view of the dunes at sunset during the dune ride. That is Lake Michigan on the horizon.

The Silver Lake experience is not complete without at least one trip to the Whippy Dip. Quick tip: calories don't count on vacation!

Great trip! Great friends!
 
P.S. All pictures were taken with my smartphone, try not to be jealous of my photography skills.

Road Trip Recap: What we ate

My trip to Chicago included the obligatory foods Chicago is famous for: deep dish pizza and hot dogs!

We were all excited to try deep dish pizza. The crust is thick and the cheese and toppings are on the bottom while the red sauce is on top. The result is very cheesy and delicious!

We decided our deep dish pizza research was not complete without a trip to Geno's East. Lucky for us, there was a Geno's East just next door to our digs at the Hotel Affinia.

Picture courtesy of my friend! Thanks, K!

Geno's East pizza was slightly different thanks to their unique "golden crust" that is reminiscent of cornbread but not as dry and crumbly as cornbread. I preferred the red sauce used by Geno's East, but I liked the crust of the first deep dish pizza we sampled better.

Portillo's Hot Dogs was another stop on our eating tour of Chicago. I ordered the chili cheese dog and the hot dog "with everything" that included mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, pickle, and peppers. Both were yummy and the poppy seed hot dog buns were a fun change.

Another important stop was at Sprinkles Cupcakes. We are not lucky enough to have one of these in OKC, and as a cupcake connoisseur, I had to try it out! It was the perfect snack. I heart cupcakes.

Mmmmmm. Lemon blueberry. I only wish I had bought a dozen few extra to bring back to OKC!

These were the big highlights. I did eat a little salad, a few vegetables, and there was definitely more than one trip to Starbucks.

Road Trip Recap: What we saw

Sorry for the blogging hiatus. June ended on a high note with a road trip to Chicago! My friend invited me to travel with her family to explore the Windy City while her husband attended a conference.

We had a fabulous time and the weather was a welcome break from the extreme Oklahoma heat.

Here's a quick recap in photos of where we went (all taken with my cell phone).

We toured the Field Museum of Natural History, home of Sue, the world's largest and most complete T-Rex:

We explored Navy Pier and the nearby beaches of Lake Michigan:

We did a lot of walking and sightseeing, including a special trip to the Harold Washington Public Library:

Check back tomorrow for a post about some of  the delicious food we sampled!