Presidents and Grandsons

Life on the road in the times of Covid are a balancing act.  It is very easy to shut off the outside world and follow the open road.  The problem is, once you stop you have a few new extra steps that are a constant reminder that these times, although sometimes they feel normal, are not normal at all.  To get out of the car first you put on your mask, then you assess the situation.  Are there too many people between you and your goal?  If so, move on.  If not, get out of the car and head to your goal (usually the bathroom).  Be sure to try your best not to touch any surfaces with your hands, if you must, make a mental note to keep your hand far away from your face!  Once your goal has been achieved, wash your hands like you are doing surgery on your favorite person, dry them, keep a paper towel in your hand to open the door if needed and proceed cautiously to your cabin of safety, aka your car.  Yes, life on the road is not as glamorous as it may look in my pictures but it is still proving to be better than melting away in Houston while we long for our beloved Nova Scotia.  

We left Houston almost 3 weeks ago.  TJ researched hot spots for Covid and spots of low infection rates.  We chose to stay in the low infection spots and it turns out the two stops on our way to Madison, Wisconsin were presidential birthplaces.  We stayed in Hope, Arkansas, birthplace of Bill Clinton and Springfield, Illinois, birthplace of Lincoln.  We were able to drive by Clinton's house in Hope and fully explore Lincoln land.  Turns out the best time to visit downtown Springfield is on a Sunday morning at 8:30 in the middle of a pandemic.  We were the only people walking around the capital, the Lincoln Museum and the Lincoln Library.  None of them were open but the statues were lovely and the buildings were even more beautiful!

We were here in Hope, Arkansas

Illinois State Capital

The Old State Capital

The only other bodies out that day were inanimate.

Sunday morning and not a soul on the streets.

We made it safely to Madison on our third day and were greeted with open arms, with masks on our faces and heads turned away we hugged our grandsons!   The day after we arrived we all packed up and drove 3 more hours to one of the cutest areas I have ever visited.  Door County is between Green Bay and Lake Michigan on a peninsula.  We rented the perfect house for a week.  I could have moved there for the rest of the summer and been perfectly happy.  The cherries were in season, the water was surprisingly blue and clear, the air was crisp and clear and I truly felt like we had escaped.  The grandsons took it on as their job to swim at as many different beaches as possible in 6 days.  Turns out they still had a few more beaches to visit!

A nice place to get away from reality!

Pebble Beach, aptly named.  They could have kept throwing
until there were no more rocks on that beach!

Cherry season!

Two boys cliff jumping with Grampy!

3 heads pop up...whew!

We played many Clue games, rode bikes, went for long walks along Lake Michigan, explored a different beach every day, had a couple of bonfires complete with s'mores, and enjoyed out time together.  You have not lived until you have played five consecutive Clue games with the Lee boys...or one particular Lee boy!   John, age 7, was a Clue master.  He would play any time, any day!  I made the mistake once of letting him set the game up while I made some tea in the kitchen.  We began our game and it was over in one turn with John nailing the culprit, weapon and location.  Hmmmm, might he have set me up?  I was a bit more cautious after that.  He loves that game and we loved playing it with him.  We also got to spend time with TJ's brother and his family who have a place up there, thus the attraction to visiting Door County.   I think we all needed some fresh air and a change of scenery.  It is amazing how those two things can affect your psyche.  We went back to Madison refreshed and ready for the second half of summer 2020 as we know it.

Had lunch on the way home outside Lambeau Field in Green Bay

Christopher wanted to jump into one more body of water...

And I went on my bi-annual boat ride....

It was time to move on after a little more than a week.  We were revived and maybe a bit exhausted from all of the fun but in a good way.  Mister Green, with the wrench in the Conservatory!