Mardi Gras in July!

Just returned from a fabulous time at Midwest GeoBash 2013!  Spent time with 2500+ of my closest geocaching friends in Wauseon, OH.  This year's theme was Mardi Gras and bird is the peacock.

Steve and I reached our milestones! 2,000 and 3,000!

On the way down we visited the grave of the author of.... Nancy Drew!

Met up with the Da Finns family

You never know what you will find on the road...

Fort Meig under a blue sky

Out grabbing the oldest cache in Ohio, Ancient Lake

Found at the 577 Conservancy

Hunka, hunka.... man?

Team Free Range Lobsters completing a challenge

Sisters visiting an Old Ohio Bell

Our campsite won Honorary Mention!  And then blew away in a storm!

Fields next to the fairgrounds - full of caches

We have to walk all the way over there?

Steve at the 9/11 Memorial

Space Cowboy - Gangster of Love - Maurice at the Big Easy

Doggone fabulous cache!

Team FRL waiting for the Adventure Maze

Had to bring the family back for this one!

Sunset on our last night there.....

I couldn't date a man that took himself too seriously

TaGeez on the Wabash Cannonball Trail

Having a good time on our way home

Wildflowers everywhere!

Gorgeous day out!

This is a webcam cache - see us in yellow?

Meeting friends at Tony Packo's!

Lots of historic cemeteries on our journey

Saw a double rainbow on the way home!

Thank you for sharing my adventures!

Neil Gaiman and Virtuals in Ann Arbor

One of our many adventures this summer was a trip to Ann Arbor to meet Neil Gaiman!  My sister and brother-in-law introduced me to his books, starting with Good Omens.  As a result, this was my selection as my book for World Book Night this year!

Lorna bought tickets for the signing at the Michigan Theater.  We left early so we wouldn't miss a thing!  We started by walking around the U of M Union Building (to see where John F. Kennedy announced the Peace Corp).  Then off to dinner, passing Graffiti Alley.  And finally, the Michigan Theatre.

Lorna at the Peace Corp benchmark

Plague on The Union wall

Close-up of the benchmark

Lorna and Corey at The Union

Graffiti Alley

Me and the Sandman

Although we arrived early, Neil was very late.  His flight had been delayed by the Asiana flight that had crashed in San Francisco.  I've worked bookstore "signing events" for years, but I've never seen a more relaxed and excited crowd then this group of 1700 fans sitting in a hot theater, in close quarters for over 2 hours.  Neil arrived gracious and apologetic - he went right into his reading.  It was SO worth it.

Michigan Theatre

1700 fans waiting in good spirits

#NeilHimself

Several hours later, we finally had our autographs.  When I reached Neil, I welcomed him to Michigan and said that I had hoped we had treated them well.  He enclosed my hand in his warm, big ones and said he was so grateful for such a warm Michigan welcome and that he couldn't believe how that we all waited so patiently.

Lining up for the signing

Orderly and excited

Signing Ocean at the End of the Lane

If you have never experienced a Neil Gaiman book, it is particularly enjoyable read by the author.  Here is a free link to Neil reading Chivalry (the same story he read in person at the signing).  Enjoy!

The Tawas Adventure

Growing up, my family used to take our vacation along these shores.  We would swim, visit downtown, play putt putt, and eat ice cream at Marion's.  So, for the last few years, my family has made an annual pilgrimage to Tawas City for a day out, re-living our best experiences.  Yes, 500 miles round trip for a few hours of summer fun!

Our first geocache of the day

WikidKriket, SnakeyLicks and Mama Tree after finding another cache

Lunch at Mr Jack'ss - formerly a cool bookstore

Tawas City Pier

Another view of the pier - lots of yachts and kites that day!

I was, however, under the pier. Can you see the cache?

Next, a round of golf at Hubie's!

Corey waiting his turn

Dad is a golf shark!

The family that golfs together....

 

Ice Cream at Marion's

Can't leave Tawas without dipping our toes!

Robyin looking really relaxed!

This is why we keep coming back!

Sun is going down and the beach has emptied

Look, at turtle (tattoo) in the sand!

As per our custom, we generally pick a day around Independence Day so we can enjoy the holiday spirit.  It's really cool, on the way home, to see all the fireworks displays as we drive south of I-75!  These are the best seats!

Happy summer!