Yesterday Hailey and I had a whole afternoon and evening to do whatever we wanted. In trying to think of something fun, kind of active and not too expensive - I remembered how much I used to love walking the Grand Haven boardwalk back in my teenage days. I don't think I have walked (or hung out in Grand Haven for that matter) in years.
It was sunny when we left and as we got to the boardwalk a weird weather front was coming through. It almost seemed like it was going to rain. I checked my weather app and it looked clear so we soldiered on.
The walk was not crowded at all. This is the calm before the storm that will hit in the next few weeks during the Coast Guard festival.
As we kept walking it was getting more and more foggy. We could barely even see the end of the pier or the lighthouse.
Hailey thought the pier was pretty awesome with the cat walk. It was very windy and the waves in the channel were pretty big. Some were even splashing onto the pier. We stayed well away from the channel side.
We made it out to the lighthouse with no problem, but I was a little bummed that we couldn't walk around to the front of it. As I said, the waves and wind were pretty strong and I didn't think it would be wise to risk going out front. (There were a bunch of others out there, but since kids learn by what they see - I wanted her to think twice when faced with a similar situation down the road.)
I found out today that yesterday just after we left (we were probably walking on the non pier part of the boardwalk) a twelve year old boy fell off into the channel. I guess a fisherman directed him to a ladder and he was fine but how scary!
As we headed back the sun came out and like POOF! the fog was gone. Very weird weather.
Since she had been a trooper and not complained one bit during the over three miles that we walked, she earned a trip to the Pump House. She said she would walk it again anytime for a trip there!
The best thing about having one child with you is how you get to say yes to so much more. A Pump House stop with all of us would break the bank but Hailey and me - not so much. Mini golf with the whole family is costly and takes forever. With the two of us - cheap and quick. It makes you feel like the world's greatest mom because you get to do a bunch of special things with your one child for the day. I love that.
She was so excited after the Pump House when I told her that I had one more surprise and it was mini golf. She did pretty well too - she even hit me right in the face with her metal club on her back swing. Yep. Back swing in mini golf. She told me that is how Daddy tells her to do it. Good thing I had sun glasses on or she probably would have taken my eye out.
It was a fun day that we will both remember for a long time!
