Lake Superior

Dad, Rachael, and I just returned from a wonderful time in Duluth, MN visiting a friend and enjoying the beauty of Lake Superior.  It was good to have Kathy fly up from school and join us.  The only sad part is that Mom was unable to be with us, but we already have plans to return and take her next time.

I haven't seen all of the Great Lakes, but I have heard and now concur that Lake Superior is the most beautiful of them all.  She is largest fresh water lake, and it was fun to watch the sea-going ships come and go while we were there.

We were spoiled to have a hotel right on the water near the lighthouses and bike path.  It was so relaxing to enjoy God's creation in a peaceful and stress-free environment.

I was excited to take both my camera and bike along for this trip!  Dad, Rachael, and I were able to bike a couple of times along the Lake - a true highlight for me.  We also climbed one of the observation towers in the area which provided some spectacular views of the Lake.  So here are a few pictures from our time away -

Our first evening there, I tested a new setting on my camera for night pictures.

As we were driving in to the city of Duluth on Saturday afternoon, Rachael claimed she saw a moose in one of the remote areas through which we were passing.  I had a little bit of a hard time believing her (though they do have moose there), so it was an inside joke throughout our trip.  That night as we were walking through the city window shopping, Rachael had me take a picture every time she spotted a "moose".  So we had three "moose sightings" to add to her claim. :)  Can you find them in the pictures below?

This was the view right outside our hotel.  Can't get much better than this!

As I mentioned before, we were able to go biking a couple of times, once Sunday late afternoon and the other the very next morning.  Our ride Monday morning was the longest (16 miles or so) and took us away from the noise of the city.  It was gorgeous!

One of my other favorite past times was scanning the horizon for ships and watching them enter or leave the channel.  The event always brought a crowd of tourists.  The ships are huge!  A camera can't do them justice.  We actually saw the ship below both arrive and leave during the time we were there.

On Monday afternoon, we climbed the observation tower.

Here are a few other random pictures.  As you can see, we had a wonderful time and thank the Lord for the safety and refreshing time he gave us!

Chicago Trip

As I mentioned in my last post, Dad, Rachael, and I made a quick trip to Chicago one weekend in May since Dad was on the commission to install the new pastor of the Westminster RP church there.  The installation service was on a Sunday, but we decided to make a little vacation out of it together and go up a day early to enjoy some of the sites in the city.  The top place on our list:  The Chicago Botanic Gardens.  If you have never visited these gardens, then the next time you are in the Windy City, make a point to do so!

A week or so before our trip I continued to ask the Lord to give us favorable weather since most of my ideas involved being outdoors.  As we drove into the city that Saturday, it was pouring down rain, and I began to wonder if we would have to resort to Plan C or D.  Well, by the time we had eaten lunch and unloaded most of our belongings at our hotel, the skies cleared, and it proved to be a beautiful afternoon! What a special gift from the Lord.

It was so very relaxing to stroll through garden after garden and take in the pure loveliness of the environment all around us.  There was the vegetable garden, the English-walled garden, the rose garden, the water garden, the Japanese garden, etc - not to mention all the lakes and fountains and rolling hills.  And the spring flowers and trees were in full bloom - it was so very beautiful!!!

Given that I have a love for photography, this was certainly the place to be.

It proved to be the perfect place to also get some photos together:

Since Rachael's smart phone decided to continually lock up on her while we were away, she resorted to using my phone (I made the mistake of giving her my password...;) )   I did not realize she had made it her mission to keep Kathy and Mom abreast of our whereabouts and activities 24/7, but it turns out she was in possession of my phone more often than me those two days!  This was a common sight and continually brought a smile to my face: 

To add a little more humor, here is Dad checking the weather on his phone (since there was a chance of thunderstorms that afternoon):

But we could have given him the live report if he had just asked... :)

For dinner Saturday night we decided to dine at a restaurant we had never visited before:  The Cheesecake Factory.  And of course, we couldn't leave without savoring their signature dessert!

On Sunday morning, we worshiped with fellow believers at the Westminster RP Church.  The installation service was that afternoon at 3 pm.  Dad was privileged to give the charge to their new pastor, Rev. Steve Rhoda.

Upon the conclusion of the service, we immediately set out for the three hour drive home.  Being the loving father that he is, Dad obliged to fulfill his youngest daughter's request that we take the route through downtown Chicago rather than around the city.  This offered some spectacular views of the famous skyline (though my phone couldn't quite do it justice).

As the sun slipped behind the clouds that evening and we drove the familiar route back home, I thanked the Lord for answering my prayers and giving us a relaxing time away together.  Special memories and a special place.  I hope we can return soon!