From Holland to Mackinaw Island to a place where it is Christmas all year round, Michigan has so much to see and do.

My grandma frequently quoted Ben Franklin, "guest, like fish begin to smell after three days." Taking that in to consideration, I decided to stay 10 days in Illinois! I also accidentally got locked out of the only bathroom with a shower for 3 of those days that my aunt and uncle were on vacation. This only goes to show that grandmas are always right.

I think from the moment I hit the road I went into complete vacation/relaxation mode. The first two days I locked myself out of the place I was staying at and left the house once without my car keys. And as the time went on I never learned my lesson and I locked myself out again! For me Illinois wasn't about sight seeing, it was all about one on one time with family and friends. I visited four friends from college and met up with all my relatives. It was so nice to visit all we wanted and not be rushed. I even got to meet my second cousins for the first time. There was definitely a lot of love and laughter in Illinois.

And of course I visited where I went to college, go Bradley. Lydia is still my home girl!

I've been on the road for 10 days now and everything is going great! I didn't know what to expect while traveling with two dogs, but they are adjusting well. For them as long as they are with me I don't think they care where they are.
This pre-trip entry should have been written a long time ago, but it was hard for me to find the words. I went to Wisconsin back in May when I was originally going to start my trip, but then decided it would be better to leave mid-July. Wisconsin was a good mini trial run for my car. I've always loved driving through Wisconsin; I love all the trees, the hills and the open land. This time it was even more beautiful because I headed up north first to the Apostle Island. Unfortunately my cave tour was cancelled due to bad weather, but the scenic drive was nice and peaceful. Then I headed back down towards Milwaukee for the wedding of the year! I tied hundreds of bows, tried my hand at fondant for decorating a grooms cake, had a blast at the wedding and was either laughing or crying most of the time.
Last fall, a good friend of mine asked me to make the grooms cake for her daughters wedding. Unfortunately, my friend was struggling with cancer and passed away before the wedding. What made this trip so memorable for me was that at each stop when I opened my car door there was a penny on the ground. Her name was Penny and it was like she was watching over me the entire time. I've saved all the pennies and they are traveling with me on the road.