Katie's Camping Trip

This past weekend I (Jul) drove up to the Indiana Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan to meet up with some Gieser cousins/sisters/sisters in-law for a one night camping trip in honor of Katie's upcoming wedding - just over 2 months to go! Six others drove in together from the Chicago area. And though it was a four hour drive for me, it was a really good time!!

The weather was perfect for early autumn - warm and sunny but with colors on the trees and a coolness at night. Cool enough to make a fire and sit around it for hours chatting into the night and chowing on homemade goodies. Well, "chatting and chowing" pretty much describes the entire time.


The campsites are located on a strip on the other side of massive dunes fronting the lake, so Saturday afternoon we took a short "hike" up and over the dunes - schlepping up and then running down, down the dunes!! - and it was blissful to just sit in the sand for a couple of hours, enjoying the lake (and the distant view of the Chicago skyline) and each other. (Okay so it wasn't the Atlantic Ocean or a Capetonian beach but it felt Really Good to be on the sand and near water.)



Susie slaving over the fire to make our delicious dinner, the most delicious pork tenderloin and roasted vegetables! Just behind her is the big tent that Wendy brought and which we all slept in!

Katie looking cute

And here we are (top left to bottom left): Wendy, Susie, Ruth, Katie, me, Melanie and Susie.

*thanks to Mel for the photos... some good ones.