We were in Illinois for a family reunion with Jan's sister Judi, Judi's children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The reunion, held on July 10, 2010, in Riverton, Illinois, was a lot of fun. Judi's granddaughter, Mindi, planned the event with a Hawaiian theme. Everyone received a silk flower lei. 
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During our Illinois visit, we visited with long-time friends, John and Kay Stephens and Bill and Delores Hunt, as well as Chad, Jenni and Avery Stephens. It was great to see them all again. And it was also refreshing to swim in Kay and John's pool on a 98 degree day.
We had a great time catching up with all of them.
On July 5, 2010, we traveled to Central Illinois to visit family and friends. First on our stop were friends Vern and Carol Endsley in Taylorville. They invited us to dry camp in their driveway during our Illinois stay.
As always, we had a great time visiting with them. Dry camping at their house is better than any campground in the area. 
On Saturday of the July 4 weekend, we drove down to Buchanan, Michigan, to stay at Bear Cave Resort. Rich in historic tradition, this preserve was built on the site of a former Indian Village. Bear Cave is the only cavern in the Great Lakes area. Beautiful stalactites, flowstone, petrified leaves, and strange shapes, all colored by the metal oxides of native ores, run throughout the cave. Outside, the area surrounding Bear Cave, located on the St. Joseph River, is rich in wooded hills, wildflowers and deep ravines.
We were able to get a shaded site with full hook-ups. Donna drove down to join us. We joke about her car being our toad — it just arrived a few hours later. 
The cave, though small, was delightful. Along the 40 foot winding stairway that leads visitors through the cave are stalactites, petrified leaves, and other peculiar shapes. The metal oxides of native ores color the entire cave. The cave measures 15 feet deep, 4-6 feet wide and 10-15 feet high. 
The cave holds quite a bit of significant history. It played a significant part in the Underground Railroad during the period of slavery. In 1875, the “loot” from an Ohio bank robbery was “deposited” in the cave. This became the inspiration for the 1903 silent film, The Great Train Robbery. The film, now considered a silent film classic, was the precursor of today's thriller movies.
A room in the cave, named The Slave Room, was used to hide the slaves. On our trip, the room had water in the entrance. A little water never stops Donna, so she went down into the room. Inside, the water was up to her waist.
We spent Memorial Day weekend with Donna, Chris, Carl and Luke at Crystal Lake Campground in Scottville, Michigan. Actually, the campground is on Haskett Lake and the lake was anything but crystal, but the water was warm for swimming and Luke had a great time making like the "Creature from the Black Lagoon."
We had a nice shaded site. It was very unlevel and the front wheels were several inches off the ground after we got the levelers set. Donna and Chris set up their tent on the site next to us. 
We used both fire rings to make one tall ring for our site. We enjoyed the nights by the campfire and roasting marshmallows for S'mores. 
Jan and Donna rescued a baby bird that had fallen from its nest. There were so many people and dogs around that the mother bird couldn't get back to her baby. We fed it and watered it until the area quieted down and then returned the bird near to where we found it. We checked later and the baby was gone, so we're guessing the mother was able to return and rescue her young.
Carl and Luke, on the other hand, found some girls and went out in a rowboat with them. Not born yesterday, they managed to have the girls do the rowing and they sat back and enjoyed the ride. 
It was a great kickoff to the summer season. 
