Mackinaw Road: The Quarterly 02

It’s difficult to believe that summer is almost over. Summer is my favorite season and I am never quite ready to give it up to fall. And yet, quite predictably, autumn starts to sneak in. That said, we had a wonderful summer and I hope that you did too. Below is a quick quarterly synopsis of travel, projects, plants, good reads & watches, and things that caught my eye.

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Travel

As you may have seen in this post, we traveled from Boston to Maine and back again in 5 days. It was a whirlwind trip but I am so glad that we were able to see all that we saw. I just updated the Boston-Maine blog post with our hotel information in case you are also planning a trip.

On our way back to Michigan from Chicago (we flew in and out of O’Hare), we asked the kids to list their Top 3 things from the trip. In turns out that their love for Chicago runs deep (just like R & me) and they both had 1-2 Chicago items. While I can’t remember their exact “likes” for Chicago, highlights for all of us included: sailing on Lake Michigan, scootering around Lincoln Park/Old Town/Magnificent Mile, dinner in Old Town at Orso’s (which has quite literally stood the test of time), swimming in the beautiful pool (and staying) at this hotel, and of course waiting in line and shopping at Brandy Melville (our daughter) and visiting a huge Bass Pro Shop in the suburbs (our son).

Projects

We wrapped up our bathroom project and I am so pleased with how it turned out. It felt as though it needed one final touch and it turned out to be missing this beautiful, very affordable rug!

As it goes, we tend to have one Beach Cabin project that stretches across the entire summer. For the summer of 2024, it was the planters and privacy trees. I am happy to report that with the help of four adults, a car jack, 4 supportive children, and sheer force of will, the hydrangea trees are IN the planters.

On the docket for the fall… putting up curtains in the living room (you may know I get super nervous drilling into our plaster) and a new stair runner for the main staircase. And, maybe planning for our primary bathroom refresh. (It feels even more necessary now that the kids have such a nice space.)

Plants

The hydrangea trees took up all of our energy- lol. But, I have found that when at home, I really miss being surrounded by the hydrangeas and begonias from the Beach Cabin. It often feels like a private garden to me. By the time we get settled back into our home routines in mid-August, most of the big leaf hydrangeas are starting to fade away. I bought a panicle hydrangea called Little Hottie to try out so that we can come home to blooming flowers at least until Labor Day.

Good Reads & Watches

Quite fittingly with our rediscovered love for Chicago, R and I have been watching The Bear on Hulu. It’s a little anxiety producing, but the character development is top notch and the storyline of revamping a restaurant in River North is addicting. There is a lot of unnecessary swearing so it’s definitely a “watch after the kids go to bed” kind of show.

I have been taking my time and savoring this book. It takes the best of The New York Times Home Section stories and combines them into this wonderful collection and photo gallery. The houses and stories are unique and intriguing. It is so interesting to see how different people live and design their homes in ways that are the most meaningful to them.