Summer in the States, 2012

Most Western ex-pat families that live in Abu Dhabi tend to go elsewhere over the summer to avoid the heat. When you don't have a place to go home to, it can be both a challenge and an opportunity. We got creative and visited lots of places that we have been wanting to go.

We start in Chicago, Illinois - a visit with the cousins:

 Champaign, Illinois - the girls took lots of pictures, mostly of each other:

Frankfort, Michigan - about forty family and friends came to visit:

     

John had to rent a convertable, of course:

 

       

The owner of a nice boat invited us out on several rides. Very generous!

More Family Photos:

The trek back up Sleeping Bear Dune:

Or, if you don't want to hike back up the dune, you can just walk along the shore...

...and end up at beautiful North Bar Lake.

It's not officially summer unless you jump off the pier:

Several layers of family and friends returning from watching the sunset:

It's hard to get all five of them to stay still long enough for a family photo:

And then we got on a plane and headed west...

...to one of my favorite places in the world, the property in Santa Rosa, California:

My brother and sister-in-law's goats and geese:

A walk behind the property to my favorite live oak, with views of Taylor Mountain:

Sonoma County Fair:

A trip to the Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park:

We got on a plane again and headed to the Rocky Mountains - near Breckenridge, Colorado:

 Lots of hikes:

Oak Park friends joined us for a day of white water rafting:

 We met up with more Oak Park friends in Boulder:

All in all, another fabulous summer!