Shenandoah

Grandma and Grandpa Brooks came for a visit in mid-July. We visited the Baltimore Aquarium where Louis learned the word “dolphin” after watching a dolphin show. The next day we drove to Luray, Virginia, a small town near Shenandoah National Park. Because of the 90+ degree heat, our first stop was the Luray Caverns where it was nice and cool.

The next day we went hiking in Shenandoah National Park.
On our drive through the park we saw three black bears.
In the evenings we relaxed in a “warm” tub while looking at the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The next day, on the way out of town, we stopped by the small Luray zoo.
They had an interesting collection of animals including a tiger, monkeys, and a kookaburra (videos below).

Of course, the highlight was the petting zoo.

July 4th

We traveled to Cleveland over the 4th of July. We spent a night in Grandma and Grandpa Russell’s cottage on Chippewa Lake, along with Aunt Katie. We had a great time swimming, playing in the sand, and paddling kayaks.

Louis got to play with several cousins close to his age including Tyler (who is 10 days older than Louis) and his big sister Elise (pictured in the wagon below).

We also got to see a parade, featuring lots of trucks and candy and ice pops for the spectators as well as a ski show featuring Matt’s cousin Morgan at the top of a pyramid (on the left).

Possibly the highlight for Louis was being able to ride a toy tractor, generously shared by his cousin Cameron. In this first clip you can hear Louis say “tractor”. 

A neighboring cottage had a trampoline, which was also a huge hit. In these videos Louis is bouncing with Cameron and Carly.