More Yorktown, VA

The water was full of jellyfish so the girls (and co-opted young man) captured and returned the sloppy, tentacled things to the outer bay.

Communal frisbee games abandoned when I twice hit the same family's picnic rug, with them on it! Restored all egos with B&J's choc chip cookie dough and lemon sherbet waffle cones.

Blueberries, Chesterfield

Our last, first time for picking blueberries. It was still and hot in the groves but the fruit was sweet and it was such a gentle gang. We're working on a blueberry smoothie after some experimental disasters but the muffins c/o M were fab.

Maymont, Richmond

Re-entered Richmond life at our favourite spot with one of our favourite friends. Things got very wet at the waterfall and very gloopy by the pond, after a fishing trial with long sticks and black algae.

Oscar and Me-Me

Introducing our first family pets, all the way from Maryland and their rescuers. They are a bonded pair of guinea pigs who were looking for a forever family and it seems we are it.

Things are still a bit territorial and anxious all round but we'll get into this.

Marina City, Chicago

The skyscraper winner is this 1960s concrete gem - a city within a city - and its own marina. The word scallop has a new concrete poetry ring.

Mies van der Rohe and Durrell Stone all feature on this inner strip, though not necessarily at their best. Not to forget the more recent Trump Towers. What a city!

Museum Campus, Chicago

The view is awesome Mr City Planner.

I took on the fading Field Museum and 'The Wonders of the 1893 World's Fair' (first use of alternating current, Wrigley's juicy fruit gum and Weetabix!) and the girls did The Shedd Aquarium with its belugas, dolphins, penguins and an anaconda.

Then hopped on a water taxi and headed out across the bay...

Berger Park, Chicago

The kites were born on the other side of the lake at the Ludington Beach House c/o an Air Fun Kites workshop but shared here in our temporarily local park, with it's beach bar and kids' theatre camp shows.

L-Train, Randolph/Wabash

So there is always a movie location... While You were Sleeping and the lovely Sandra Bullock as Lucy, the ticket collector at the Randolph and Wabash L-train stop.

We walked the platform and were grateful for the summer sun and not the festive snow of the movie scene.

Cloud Gate, Millennium Square

The end of the day's sights and we're weary and wondering how to get back home...

Try the underground at rush hour with 3 bikes, then shift to the busses and find the front-carrier is faulty, shift to the next bus and P attaches two bikes under clock pressure and we're off crawling north, through downtown Chicago while he cycles back into the wind along the shoreline.

What a day! What a trip!

Lurie Gardens, Chicago

This is prairie planting gone mad and fabulous and then a Renzo Piano pavilion (Art Institute of Chicago) to overlook, just for good measure. The Frank Gehry structure is actually secondary.

Wow the Lurie Gardens on Millennium Square and its rill... The feature of choice this week as a friend wins gold at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park.

North Avenue Beach, Chicago

After a sangria, a pineapple sorbet in the frozen fruit and a coconut one in the shell, it's time for picnic with the destination in sight.

Girl beach volley ball tournament to the left and sand-blower man to the right.

Lake Shore Bike Trail, Chicago

Heading down along the 8 mile Lake Shore Bike Path into Chicago there were marinas and play parks and wild meadows and beach bars and amazing views.

Express Ferry, Muskegan to Milwaukee

It was windy on the sun deck of the high speed express ferry crossing 89 miles westward on Lake Michigan. In the enclosed cabin we had bagels and coffee, and outside was the best view of the great expanse of water. Exhilarating!

The Lookout, Ludington State Park

Really there is a lot of dune... The girls put up some resistance but a great view wins out after an immensely steep wooden staircase-climb.

Campsite #213, Beechwood

So this is proper camping... space, shade and silence at night, if you embrace the neighbour's dawn fishing trip with boat and reversing truck.

Over the rise, an inland lake that we actually got to sit down and paint, though not without resistance from M.

Just one garter snake and loads of chipmunks.

Lake Hamlin, Ludington State Park

Kayaking through water lillies, under board-walks and past ducks and out onto the open lake and our own private island. M tubed behind us and all was shallow and calm and glorious.

Ludington Dunes, Part II

Chasing P and then cycling home at sunset... we saw a deer family and the hike-in campsites.

Sable Points Lighthouse, Ludington

The final destination.

Ludington Dunes, Part I

We love a  dune or two and more... these stretched along the shore of Lake Michigan, deserted, almost and not really for climbing, if we'd paid attention to the dune-preservation signs.

Mini Golf, Pentwater

The best 18 hole course ever with a water wheel challenge and a tall ship with cannon smoke. We had a brilliant time, fuelled by Dari-Creme's crazy flavours - peanut butter cookie dough and Boy Scout choc-mint surprise...

Charles Mears State Park Campground, Michigan

Well a campground of great friendliness and RV-living that felt to us, in our lone tent, like a supermarket car park on the beach plus loud in the night thanks to neighbours' air-conditioning and flushers...

The kids could bike and the beach was easy and there was a giant dune sand-slide slope... The breakfast triumph of the holiday was P's french toast and ketchup. No cinnamon sugar this time.