As usual most of our adventures involve the grandsons (the lads I like to call them)....and it's fun to look for new things to do when we have the chance to be together. Saturday June 13, 2009....this is an adventure day that we will all remember. To begin with I had did more planning than a travel agency for a world wide tour in the 1880s. I like to research things. Beginning point would be Grand Rapids...and there was this National Scenic Byway from Grand Rapids to Effie MN
http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2455/. http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2455/stories/47169
Well I studied this tour up and down and if you need anyone to be well versed on the stopping points, fauna, logging history and or possible animal sightings...I still have my planner. Then I noticed, quite by accident one night that the Town of Bigfork was having Edge of the Wilderness Days. http://www.cityofbigfork.com/celebration_news.htm with Jaws of Life Presentation at Noon, 2PM and 3PM. I thought to myself...what kid would not want to see a Jaws of Life Presentation. We meet the kids at 11AM in Grand Rapids and headed up the Edge byway and it was very clear that if we were going to make the noon presentation there would be no stopping. 11:53 we pulled into town, parked and ran to the fire department...ahhh the equipment was not working but they demonstrated removing a windshield with an axe, breaking a window with a special tool and so on and so on. So with promises to come back at 2:00 we headed out to check out Wilderness Days. I have never meet so many nice people, so thoughtful and just enjoyable. Everything was "small" no grand anything and it was PERFECT. Just enough of everything to make it fun...not enough to make the day overwhelming.
Now only I would be fascinated by this...but water runs north here and I spent a fair amount of time watching this. At 2 we were back...doors came off, more windows smashed....a very good demonstration by the Big Form fire department. Then they had a fire extinguisher clinic...and look at the lads now!
Can you imagine the patience of this man...for every kid and or adult who wanted to try he was there. What a highlight! Even Harry stepped up....
Then it was off for a quick visit to Scenic State Park which we will have to visit again. It was very nice...here we are at the beach...first just looking for rocks...then all of the sudden...swimming...then we saw the geese with little ducklings...so for about half hour we relaxed then we headed back to Grand Rapids. All in all a great day...and well a few ideas of what to do on our next visit...way up north.
