I am now one step closer to dying happy

So here it is: the hotel I've been waiting to stay in since 1970-something.

This is the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MI.

It's all old and fancy and stuff, with eccentricities and a dress code.

It's so fancy, even your luggage gets to ride in a carriage from the dock to the hotel.

Even the retired ashtrays are fancy.

There's plenty to do - you can kick back on the world's longest porch.

Or splash around in a pool that was once used by Esther Williams.

You can engage in civilized sports, like croquet and bocce.

If you have lots of time, you can try to count how many geraniums are planted at the hotel.

You can play "spot-the-geraniums" everywhere you go, since they're on everything - posters, napkins, hand soap, even the furniture.

Not pictured: Eating a ridiculously expensive breakfast while practicing our best manners and being called "Princess" and "Milady."  Being carded - seriously - to prove we're guests and don't have to pay $10 to enter the hotel.  Listening to the harpist in the lobby while playing Oven Break on the iPod.  Taking the stairs rather than the elevator because we though it looked more elegant.  Trying to refrain from taking ALL of the geranium-scented bath products in our room to send to my mother.  Watching the hotel photographer taking shots each night on the porch, and being glad we raised our own photographer and brought her with us.

Jason was stuck in a conference room all day, but ironically he probably enjoyed more of the hotel amenities (especially breakfast and lunch) than Liza and I did.  We girls spent most of our time out and about, not learning about "lean innovation" and networking over lunch at the Jockey Club.  But everything we did do at the hotel more than lived up to my hopes and expectations. It was fancy, and sorta stuffy, and hilarious, and awesome.  I'd go back again in a heartbeat ... especially if Jason has another conference there someday!

A brief interruption

Because this is the coolest machine ever:

 http://www.fi.edu/learn/sci-tech/automaton/automaton.php?cts=instrumentation

Mackinaw-some! (groan)

When Jason learned he had an opportunity to take a seminar held at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, he realized it was a great chance to learn some stuff while giving me a special treat.  Staying at The Grand, you see, has been a pipe dream of mine since my parents brought me to Mackinac Island as a wee thing.  At something like $400 a night, it was going to stay that way ... until the wonder of corporate training dropped a boon on our doorstep.

Liza wasn't sure how much of a boon it was during the car ride up there, though.

We were doubly lucky to have access to a cabin in Mackinaw City that belong's to Jason's sister's husband's family (that makes them, what? my in-laws-squared?).  While we waited for the family to return to the cabin, we killed some time at the ferry dock checking things out in advance of our voyage.  Meanwhile, Jason made a cool discovery ... you don't see to many DeLoreans sitting in parking lots, even in Cleveland.

That afternoon we met with the Hathaways, and Liza especially enjoyed playing on their Lake Huron beach with the youngest of the grandchildren visiting this week.

One branch of the family brought their pet lizard with them - guess it's hard to find a lizard-sitter for weeks at a time - and it was really friendly to everyone but me.  Apparently I'm evil, as far as lizards are concerned.

After dinner we went out to the cabin the Hathaways loaned us, just in time for the sunset.

Liza wasn't about to let a little thing like fading light keep her from checking out the beach.

Meanwhile I was taking advantage of the view from the living room.

The next morning we did some serious shell-hunting (better selection that at our beach on Lake Erie).

We braved the chilly - but very shallow - and super-clear waters of Lake Michigan.

Liza added onto the existing complex of sand castles and giant beach holes with her walled, moated, humpbacked island of awesomeness.

I supervised.

This is my kind of beach - empty, shallow, and cold enough to wear a sweatshirt over my swimsuit.  Perfect!

By lunchtime we were ready to pack up and head for the island, which I'll have to post about tomorrow, as it's getting to be bedtime now.  In the meantime, thanks again to the Hathaways for their stupendous hospitality to virtual strangers.  You guys rock!

"DC" stands for "Da Capitol"

It was about 900,000F and sunny with a chance of thunderstorms - perfect day to go to Washington, DC with Liza for the first time!

It was nice of the President to hop in his helicopter to fly by and wave to us.

 Strangely enough, while the (air conditioned) museums were busy, the outside attractions weren't packed at all.

They check your camera and won't let you leave the park until you take this shot.

Look, Liza!  There's the Lincoln Memorial, and the reflecting ... er, mud pit.

Best landscaping choice ever: the Department of Agriculture beds are planted with edibles, including okra and purple kale.

Look, Mom!  It's a big version of the one they made on Mythbusters!

Not the best self-portrait ever (how could it be, when I'm not in a bathroom?), but not bad for taking it via the skin of SkyLab.

Orville and Wilbur kind of creeped her out.

"Mom, the planes aren't shiny enough." "That's because we're looking at military planes, and sparkly planes would get shot at."  "Now THIS is a proper plane."

"Look, honey!  That's where they make laws for our country that don't actually fix the problems we have!"

The Hope Diamond has a new (temporary) setting that's just stunning.

Personally, I preferred this heart-shaped cut ... check out the refracted light hearts on the display base.

Psychedelic salt structure.

Coolest. Crystal. Ever.

The METRO is hot, smelly, and not all that cheap ... but at least it looks all cool and futuristic and stuff.

Life's a beach

Last week Jason was out of town, so Liza and I high-tailed it to the East Coast to visit family.  One of the highlights was a trip to Ocean City, Maryland, with my in-laws and two of Liza's cousins.  We hit one of the amusement ride places on the boardwalk, which Liza remembered from her visit last year.

Unfortunately, Liza and Chloe were too tall to ride most of the attractions that were open when we first arrived, so we had some time to kill on the (hot, sweaty) boardwalk before the "big kid" rides opened.

After obligatory stops at the baby rollercoaster, the girls decided to go on the "Freak Out," which is sort of a spinning pendulum thingee.  Liza has been dying to go on a similar ride at Cedar Point, but she's not tall enough, so she was thrilled to be big enough for this version.

Not sure if she'd be so thrilled once the ride was in progress ...

Looks like she survived with her spirit intact.

So intact, in fact, that the girls went on it four more times in a row.

Another favorite was the funhouse, which the girls ran through at top speed while the grownups sat in the shade.

I bought a few tickets so I could go on some of the better rides, but got suckered into using some of them to go through my first mirror maze.  Um, yay?

Liza liked the looping, corkscrewing, then-let's-do-it-again-backwards coaster so much that she rode it a second time (without me, in the front seat).  Can you tell she's just barely tall enough for the ride?

Later in the afternoon we stopped for pizza and sodas with curly straws, which were roundly enjoyed by all.

We made it back to my mother-in-law's house before dark, which was excellent for the photographer in the family.  The mosquitoes even gave me a few minutes' peace before they attacked with a vengeance ...

Meanwhile, the cousins and their matching pajamas found the supply of fancy hats and started making up an elaborate story involving maids and artists and a cartoon monkey.

The next day we headed for the beach, stopping along with every other tourist in the state to see the wild ponies on Chincoteague Island.

Despite really high surf and rip tide warnings (stupid hurricane), the girls managed to get in some "surfing."

Best part of the day?  Taking over the deluxe giant hole that some boys had dug in the beach earlier in the day.  It was the size of a hot tub, complete with seats built into the walls.

All in all, a good time was had by all, and we can't wait to do it again.  Maybe next time we can get the cousins to visit us at our beach and go to our amusement park ...