Pasties and matrimony

It's a loooooong drive through Wisconsin to the U.P. of Michigan. Some things we saw on the way: Gus's Guns. Numerous collapsed barns. A beach with E.Coli. Cows humping. Pastie shops (pronounced like the "a" in "yeah," not to be confused with exotic dancer attire).

Bessie's pasties were the innocent kind

We traversed to Michigan for cousin A's wedding, which was not only the perfect chance to celebrate her and new hubby, but also to see family before moving across the pond.

BW, J-dog and I met my parents and sister, a.k.a. the wombat, in Escanaba, MI; she had flown to Grand Forks a few days earlier from Tacoma and ridden up with them. We camped out at this great little throwback ma-and-pa place called Sunset Lodge and picnicked along the too-beautiful-for-words shore of Lake Michigan for dinner.

J-dog and her pet on the shore of Lake Michigan

The wombat on her perch

The next morning we made it to St. Ignace, where we hung out with rellies and took a ferry to Mackinac Island for some Colonial history. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the island, so aside from feet, bikes and horses are the only modes of transit. The whole place is amazingly preserved from the 19th century and contains copious amounts of fudge shops, much to my waistline's chagrin.

Quaint Mackinac Island

Mom's multi-pack of fuuuuudge

Ferry-goers

The wedding was a lovely pinkyellowgreen affair with lake waves sparkling and fluttering as a backdrop for the ceremony and a party under a lantern-filled tent. A was the quintessential sugar-spun bride, save for purple hair streaks, cowboy boots and a new tattoo, all nods to what her mother calls "her need to always be a little bit different."

How's THAT for a backdrop?

Yeehaw! (A. lives in Texas)

Cousin reunion!

Dad, mom and niece of the beautiful bride

While the weekend was all kinds of fun, the last place I wanted to be this morning was standing in a hotel parking, saying a tearful goodbye to my parents, who we won't see for another entire year. Leaving people we love is definitely the biggest downside.

Miss you guys already...