A week in Muskegon...

Jeff and I spent the week between Christmas and New Years in Muskegon with his family. For those of you who don’t know where Muskegon is, I’ve posted a “handy” (I’m a funny man today) homemade map below. Oh those Michiganders…they are quite clever!

Like most winter visits in the U.S. that aren’t to Florida, Hawaii, or a mountain ski town, our visit was spent mostly indoors. The weather was cold, but not freezing cold. Some rain, but nothing like we left behind in SF. And one shot of harmless overnight snow to give me some photo variety.

The weather provided us with plenty of quality time with the family--particularly Jeff’s young niece and nephews. Since we only visit Michigan every six months, the kids seem to grow up ultra-fast. But boy does Christmas feel different with kids around. (I know…I think I’m the LAST person to figure this out :)

Food a-plenty, of course, since Jeff’s mom loves to cook for crowded tables. Two fun additions this Christmas. My mother sent us sweet potato biscuits and country ham from Edwards of Surrey, VA. (My grandmother “discovered” these last Christmas, and they are AMAZING.) And one afternoon, while we were out, Jeff’s dad introduced me to the “G&L Greek Chili Dog”—YUM!

I did get out and walk a bit with my camera in tow. Lake Muskegon was partially frozen, so I got a few nice shots of the ice and gray-ness of it all.

We watched several movies (quality down time). We actually went to a theatre to see the Narnia flick—this was the first time Jeff and I had been in a movie theatre in two years…I think we may just stick to Netflix. On DVD, we watched Madagascar, some Ab Fab episodes, Polar Express (the youngest nephew’s favorite), and Christmas Vacation (my perennial favorite Christmas movie).

We managed to find time for a bit of culture amidst our pop culture. We visited the Hackley and Hume historic homes, which were decorated in a style typical of their era. These homes were built by two business partners around the turn of the century and are little gems. Jeff’s dad took me to see an Edward Weston photography exhibit at the Hackley Art Museum. (Look for this fantastic retrospective to come to your town…99-pictures…well worth the price of admission, which was only $4 in Muskegon.) Next door, we visited the Hackley Library (another grand historic building).

All in all, a wonderful family visit and a VERY nice Christmas.