We left Chesterton, Indiana for the next stop on our Great Lakes Vacation: Traverse City, Michigan. While it's not on the lake, it was the closest campground we could find to Sleeping Bear Dunes! On our drive, we stopped for lunch in Holland, Michigan, and we decided to take our food to Holland State Park. We didn't realize there'd be a beach there! The cost was $9 for a non-resident day pass, and it came with access to bathrooms, showers, and changing rooms. The picnic tables were shaded and readily available. We ate our "picnic" there (Wendy's), and then walked along the beach and the pier. The beach was a popular destination for families and sunbathers. The shoreline was full of colorful umbrellas and towels. Our kids wanted to swim, but we just didn't have the ... read more

It's hard to believe that two weeks have passed. Today's our last day in London. Although I'm eager to get home to Andrew and the kids, I'm also sad for this trip to end. I've gotten to see and do so much. It's been incredible, and it's hard to have such an amazing experience come to a close. Today, we were on our own for the day. I think some people were excited to have the whole day to themselves, but I'd been dreading it for a while. We're supposed to stay in pairs, which means I have to find someone to tag along with. I'd passed along the message that I'd wait in the lobby at 9:30am for anyone who wanted to go out. At first, it appeared no one was coming. But then, thankfully, ... read more

This morning, after a class meeting, we took a private coach to Down House, the home of Charles Darwin. We arrived right when they opened at 10am, and the people working at the museum were kind enough to let us bump our tour time up from 11. An enthusiastic volunteer took us through the main level of the home, where Darwin lived with his wife, Emma, who was an accomplished pianist and really ran the household, and their ten children. The guide showed us the family dining room, their drawing room, Darwin's old study, and Darwin's billiards room. There were many family portraits on the wall, but also those of other scientists, including his friends Charles Lyell and Joseph Dalton Hooker. We stopped by the staircase and learned that was occasionally converted to a slide for ... read more

Our group met up early this morning at 7:45 to head to Cambridge. A few of the undergrads were tired from a restless night. Gusts of wind knocked their shutters around last night, and I guess they didn't sleep well. We went by train and got to see some beautiful parts of England on the way. When we arrived, we walked a little over a mile to the Eagle Pub. We got there right at 11am when they were supposed to open. A few workers stood outside, questioning the window above us that was closed. We wanted to go in and sit down, but, unfortunately, they had a late delivery (Possibly due to an angry ghost! Cue creepy music.). They had to postpone opening until noon. So, we wandered around the area. A few of us ... read more

Today was one of my favorite days yet. The museums from yesterday were hard to beat, but my professors have done a great job planning a lot of different sites that appeal to everybody's interests (in addition to the history of science stuff). We started out our day with a bit of a trip out to Kew Gardens. We had about an hour and a half to explore on our own. I practically ran through them, there was so much I wanted to see! I was going to head to the treetop walkway with a small group, but when we got close, Rachel and Max decided they were cold and headed off to a greenhouse. I decided I really wanted to explore the gardens myself anyway. Before climbing up all the stairs to the treetop walkway, ... read more