A walk in the woods

Happy New Year.

No big celebrations here, no drunken parties or assorted debauchery as in the old days. Jayne and I stayed up to watch the ball in Times Square drop -- I was saddened by time's ravages on Dick Clark. Then I went to bed and Jayne did a little computer work.

Today, I took advantage of the "warm" weather (upper 30s) and gray skies and took the girls for a hike in the dunes. We went to Sanctuary Woods on 66th Street just south of 32nd Street in Laketown Township. It's an easy hike, though the many stairs to the top of the dunes is a challenge, especially for an kids 8 and 6.

The girls sang songs from the cartoon "The Backyardigans" as we marched along the trail ("In to the thick of it. ..." and "We've got the whole wide world in our yard to enjoy ...). The view of Lake Macatawa and the channel are breathtaking. We didn't make it all the way to Lake Michigan because the little legs were tiring fast.

Back at the trailhead I showed the girls the old railway path and bridge for the Interurban railway. The train used to run to the resorts and the lakeshore before World War II.

It's always an enjoyable hike and a change for the girls. I usually take them to the Saugatuck Township park with the trail along the Kalamazoo River. It's scenic and easy walking, but I felt the need to see the lake.

Not-so-fast food

After our walk, I was persuaded (by whining) to stop at the Saugatuck Burger King. Heck, the girls deserved a snack after more than an hour of nature walking. I should have known better. This is the world's slowest fast food place.

It doesn't matter what time of day or how busy it appears, the darn place is sloooooow and disorganized. I think it took us 25 minutes to get two kids meals -- that was after we ordered.

Thought: Would you like an apple pie with that?