The best family trips are all about family. The trip is just an excuse to be together.
One of the greatest attributes of summer is the slower pace and slackening of schedules that enables families to spend time together. Our family usually takes one big trip each summer. Many have involved exciting destinations and activities. We’ve surfed off the coast of Mexico, gasped at the beauty of Big Sur, and enjoyed the sites of San Francisco. We’ve cruised the Mediterranean, scaled the Eiffel Tower and wake boarded in the English Channel together.
As spectacular as those trips were, our favorite vacation by far is to our cottage on Paw Paw Lake in Southwest Michigan. Perhaps it is because it is so quaint and different than south Florida. Not much changes from year to year---the fruit stands are brimming with flowers and farm produce with unattended money jars, and the movie theater, the Loma, still gives free soda and popcorn with each movie ticket. Maybe it’s the cool breezes and giant sand dunes that frame the dramatic sunsets over Lake Michigan.
My theory is it’s the combination of all of the above with lots of family and no site-seeing pressures. We play games---my son Jameson and I won the billiard tournament this year---watch movies, fish, read and nap on the pier, ski and catch fireflies at dusk. We get to know one another again while braiding hair, cleaning spider webs from window corners and husking corn. We share memories from summers past over late dinners at the outdoor picnic table that usually include a gridiron griller specialty.
This summer was no exception. I made the Sweet Baby-Backer Ribs I mentioned last time I wrote and they were a huge hit. It is a great summer recipe because most of the cooking is done inside and unattended. I only finished them off on the grill for 15 minutes before serving and they were finger-licking, tongue-tingling delicious! While they were baking, we skied and tubed until we were exhausted and then crawled up the hill and gorged ourselves on ribs and just-from-the-farm sweet corn.
Look for the Sweet Baby-Backer Ribs recipe in September’s article of Hot-off-the-Grill. Found in your local south Florida newspapers and magazines (SoBeFIT, South Florida Social, Ft. Lauderdale News, to name a few) It is a great tailgating recipe, as you can bake them at home and finish them off at the stadium before the game (pre-season is upon us!). Just be sure to bring the family and lots of paper towel!