Vicarious Rocky

Midwestern Resort towns hold a special place in my heart. They're about B- fun with an A for effort experience. Tacky, often old fashioned, amazing friendly, and relaxed. Rich people abound and yet there's no "class" anywhere. Between a smattering of the WalMarts and Wendys you have all these original and unique tourist businesses. Some of them amaze, some downright depress, but they all add to the ambiance and bustle. No need to ask, "Where can I get some fudge in this town?" when you're at a Midwestern vacation spot. I mean, where can't you get some fudge?

Alright, enough talk. Here's the pictures:

Chilling at the South Beach Resort. The cabins are an awesome place for families. Great view of the lake and the pools were much appreciated during our 90 degree + week.




Then we went out for a Sailboat Charter. Indy loved it and Capt. Ron let Poppie drive.




We went to the Lighthouse, of course. Oh look! It's very small.



We had to check out Mystery Hill and the Prehistoric Forest as it is it's last year. Glad we did. Mystery Hill was impressive and the forest was a trip through a vacation time machine.




Then we went to Put-in-Bay. The Ferry horn was loud. So was the town, but we had fun. Went shopping, to lunch, Perry's Cave and the Remote control raceway.

Evangola State Park is on the NY State budget's chopping block. It's one of those places that inspires and depresses you all at the same time. I get a sense that it might have been a tourist destination at one point, but now no one bothers to pay the $6 a person to access a remote, somewhat rocky beach that is exactly an hour away from everywhere you may have heard of in Western NY.

That said, we LOVED it! Because, well, we Lewis' and our adopted international Au pair are easy going, glass-half-full summer folk.

Here we are doing the old fashioned thing where you pose next to the adored vehicle. And the party van is much adored:



Here is my son playing near the frightening, gorgeous, raw surf. It was 5 days after this that a 5-yr-old boy drown in similar waves at a Lake Huron beach. That child, like mine, was picking up rocks and throwing them in. But the boy that died ventured in up to his knees. I am thankful for my cautious boy.



For contrast, the next day it was completely still water as seen here. I can see why this is not a developed tourist area if only because the beaches are so exposed to the treachery of lake Erie -- no bays or sandbars in sight.



This is Holly and I doing what we do best together -- laughing.



And here are my boys looking gorgeous.