Spartan Stadium and Lansing Lugnuts

While Mikel was at work on Sunday, I showed my parents around campus. We decided to see if we could get into Spartan Stadium (although we weren't holding our breath) and after telling us that the building was closed, a maintenance employee changed his mind and gave us a tour.

He was nice enough to take us all the way to the top floor, although he wasn't really supposed to, where all the press sits during the game! We were so sad that Mikel couldn't be there so I was sure to take a bunch of pictures and a quick video so he could see it.

This is the view of the outdoor track and field hockey stadium as well as Munn Field where we hold outdoor soccer classes and other activities. This is the outdoor pool and right behind it Munn Ice Arena where the hockey team plays.
The stadium can hold over 80,000 fans!!


This is the video of the whole scene from the top...


We also went to a Lansing Lugnuts game when they played the Dayton Dragons. They didn't win but it is fun to watch!

This is 'Big Lug' the team's mascot!


A pretty sunset from Oldsmobile Field (where the Lugnuts play).

Grand Ledge

We went back to Grand Ledge with my parents and hiked around. We had been before but it was just as pretty and fun as before.


We also climbed up to the top of the train tressel that Mikel got a good picture of last time.



It is fun to know the area a little bit better and be able to take visitors around and show them things we already know something about!

Traverse City and Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes

Pretty, pretty, pretty!! After we left Chicago we drove around the coast of Lake Michigan and headed up north to Traverse City. Mikel and I had heard a lot about Traverse City and how great it is but hadn't been there yet. It was a beautiful city on the coast of Lake Michigan!

Mikel works with a friend who grew up in Traverse City and asked for a couple suggestions on where to eat in there and he only gave one suggestion- this is us at dinner at the North Peak Brewery and he was right! Delicious!!
From Traverse City we drove to Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes (another place we heard was a "must see").
It was!!

Also on the shore of Lake Michigan it is a HUGE park! These crazy (stupid) people were allowing their little baby play in the sand on the edge of this STEEP slope...
This sign is right next to where these people were sitting...
A lookout...
This is zoomed way way in on our camera and you can see three people WAY down at the bottom. It is soooo steep and the people already looked like they were struggling to get back up. Not a good idea...
An idea of how steep it is.

This is a dune that people are actually encouraged to walk up. If you walk up and over you can eventually make it to Lake Michigan, there was a lot of people walking up and running down this dune (a much better idea than the last people).
There was a little museum in this city/town with some cool boats. The people who settled here were originally in the lumber business but when that fizzled out and they did not want to leave they planted cherry trees and started a new business.
An old dug out canoe found on the shore.


This was definitely a cool town and there were so many hiking trails in Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes that we could come back and make a longer trip of it! FUN FUN FUN!

Unfortunately, on Tuesday we had to get up early and head back to town because school and work couldn't be put on hold forever!

more from Chicago...

There was so much to see and do in Chicago! After getting absolutely dumped on with rain the first morning, we had beautiful weather for the rest of the trip. We went on a architecture boat tour and had a tour guide who didn't stop talking for an hour and a half-- she was amazing! So much information about the history of Chicago and all the buildings!
We took so many pictures and sadly, we both got a little sunburned from an hour and a half in the sun but it was WELL worth it!


We also went to the Museum of Science and Industry which had a lot of cool exhibits...


We drove by Soldier Field where the Bears play...

And went to Millennium Park...




This was a fountain in the park that had these faces projected through glass bricks and then the face would change...
And look like the person was spitting water on the people below. It was definitely a hit with all the kids playing in the water!! Madness!!
A cool building...
A street performer on Miracle Mile...
Wrigley Field...
We didn't see a baseball game but drove down towards Wrigley Field right before a game to see the stadium, the neighborhood, and the craziness before the game.

The buildings surrounding Wrigley Field have decks on their rooftops so people can watch the game without being in the stadium!

We have so many pictures from our trip to Chicago but this is a quick summary! After Chicago we headed up north to Traverse City and then back to Okemos and East Lansing!

views from Chicago

There were so many pretty buildings and views of Chicago to take pictures of. We came home with over 200 pictures on our camera. These are just a couple-- these pictures Mikel took out of our hotel room window the night we got there. Gorgeous!

These next few pictures were the inside of our hotel (obviously). We were lucky enough to be on the top floor and had quite a view-- of the inside and out!!