We went through the UP of Michigan instead of down through Chicago because I hadn't been back there in years and the route covered ground that neither Chris nor I had been. I introduced the girls (and Chris) to pasties and their family history, and I discovered pasty nuggets, which the girls loved. We also stopped in Norway, Michigan where my grandparents, great uncle and aunt, and great grandparents are buried. We stopped by the house that my mother visited in the summer that my great grandmother, Philomena lived in (second two pictures). I took the girl's picture in front of the bowling alley in town where we had my grandmother's funeral gathering. We also drove through Helltown, the neighborhood in Norway where my grandmother grew up. We got a lot of funny stares as we drove through the very narrow and steep streets in that neighborhood so we didn't stick around long. Finally, we visited the cemetery. We tried to find some flowers to take with us, but all the flower shops were closed due to COVID. I don't think Addi had any real concept of where we were, but I think Alexia understood. Hopefully it helps them feel more connected to their family history someday.
Michigan has A LOT of trees, and since we spent a little while in Norway, we didn't make it too far down the road on Day 2. We camped along the shore of Lake Michigan that evening not too far from the Mackinac bridge. We cooked dinner and the girls danced on the beach as we watched the sunset. It was a pretty beautiful evening.
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