Southward Return

We've made it back home from our vacation. A little tanner. A little thicker. Take a look at the pics. What follows are a few memories that weren't documented by film.

Disc golf at Hickory Hills is the most awesomest thing ever. Well, maybe the next most awesomest thing after Strongbad. Hickory Hills Disc Golf Course, which has difficulty hiding the fact that it is a ski resort, sprawls over hilly terrain dotted with strings of ski lifts. The 24 hole course, 7712 ft. (1.5 miles), begins the front 9 in a thick wooded area, making you work up a steep incline. At the top, you work your way down and back up various ski slopes. There is an amazing par 5 that begins with a breath-taking view of entire Traverse Bay Area and ends down a more than 500 ft drop-off. There are also a few short 3 pars that appear to be extremely easy until your disc rolls down into one of the ravines that encircle the cage. I ended up getting a 6 on one of these baddies. Amy ended up winning by 2 strokes, using a handy-cap of 1 stroke for every hole. It was neck-and-neck the whole way, neither one of us getting any greater than a 3 stroke lead. Next up, the monster course at Hudson Mills.

Downtown Traverse City, in the past, has always been a disappointment. The standard fare shops are nic-nac gift shops that primarily sell miniture lighthouses, old lady clothing boutiques, and antique stores. We were happily suprised to find that things are changing for the better. A surge in hip new shops like Cool Waves, Shag Snazzy Stuff, and Rue 101 are making the scene much younger and trendier. It seems there is staying power in these shops since the sales people are extremely friendly and really enjoy their jobs. I love it!

One final note. Never take a boat that has a hole in it out on the lake, no matter how much your Sister Sara says that it's the most awesomest thing ever. Don't let this siren's beautiful voice and charming good looks fool you into drowning like we almost did.