Christmas 2011

What a wonderful week this has been! Time spent with family, traveling, and chasing dreams as I enjoyed an extra special Christmas gift from my parents. My gift was a trip to the Upper Peninsula to go dog sledding at Nature’s Kennel near the town of Newberry. The kennel is owned by Ed & Tasha Stielstra; my class has followed Ed for several years as he’s participated in the Iditarod sled dog race. I’ve wanted to go up and visit for a while, but never dreamed I’d be able to go in the winter and dog sled myself!

Monday morning my parents and I took off and drove north to the Upper Peninsula. The weather was perfect for traveling: clear roads and sunny sky. We crossed the bridge around noon, had lunch at one of the few restaurants that were still open, and headed northwest to the Newberry area in search of snow. We finally found a thin covering of snow at the charming inn where we stayed overnight. 

We spent the next morning at Nature’s Kennel, in McMillan, where (thankfully) there was a little more snow. I learned how to harness a small dog team, maneuver a dog sled, and then drive my own team of dogs twelve miles through wooded trails (following a guide).  It was such an incredible experience – and deserves a complete blog post coming soon – I loved every minute! We also got to hold two-week old puppies. 

We took a little detour and stopped at Tahquamenon Falls on our way back to the bridge and then stayed overnight in Mackinaw City. The next morning we made a quick stop to check out the wintery beach near the bridge. This whole area is a lot quieter in the winter than during the busy summer months.

On Wednesday we met my sister and brother-in-law with their kids in Traverse City at the Great Wolf Lodge. They had arrived the previous day, so my niece and nephew showed me all around. The spacious lobby was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We had a great time at the water park going down the water slides, tubing on the lazy river, sitting in the hot tub, and getting splashed when the 1000 gallon bucket tipped over. It was great to spend time relaxing with family.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for such a special gift! What a great way to end the year!