Local Gem.

Sometimes, I find that we travel other places for relaxation and vacation, while overlooking some of the gems that are right in our own local area. Such is the case with Millenium Park, where we spent our day today. The park is less than 15 miles from our home, and I have heard about it several times before. But today was the first time we actually drove over there to check it out. And we were not disappointed! The park is basically a man-made lake/beach, splash pad, playground, and fishing ponds, along with a rope playground, trails, concession stand, lots of pavillions, and several other attractions.

For my kids, the favorite was the splashpad. There were lots of fun sprayers, fountains, and, of course, buckets of water to be dumped over heads.....very, very fun.

Here are Kennedy, Hayden, and Samantha (my niece) enjoying a huge twisty popsicle after lunch...MMMMM.
Several times throughout the day, it appeared as if we would be rained out. But all in all, it was a sunny day and, while a bit chilly in the shade, a great day for the park. We will certainly be visiting again before school starts. Thanks, Meegan and Samantha, for the invitation and for such a fun day!
So today, I challenge you to find a "gem" in your local area and check it out. If you are in the GR area, be sure to check out Millenium Park. It's cheap ($5.00 admission for all three of us total), it wasn't too busy, and there was lots of fun to be had for all ages.