Day 33: Sunset at dinner

Since we were staying south of downtown, we got one final glimpse of Chicago on our way out of the city toward my grandparents' house near Grand Haven, Michigan. Thankfully it waited to rain until we were leaving, and none of the dreary drizzling of this particular morning affected our previous days' activities. We made a mercifully short drive around the lake and through Indiana into Michigan before finally arriving at West Olive, where my grandmother, Connie, came out of the house to greet us.

My grandfather, Richard, was in the hospital at the time after having some heart troubles a few days prior, so once we had unpacked, relaxed, and talked with my grandmother for a bit, we headed over to the hospital to visit my grandfather. He looked remarkably well in spite of the incident and eager to get out of the hospital. We spent a while talking and catching up, which was very welcome since it had been over ten years since I had last seen my grandparents in person. Eventually we left to let Grandfather rest and to get some dinner along with a quick tour of Grand Haven.

The city of Grand Haven is extremely small, and mostly consists of shops and restaurants along the channel that flows from Lake Michigan to a smaller lake further inland. As we made our rounds the sun was beginning to lower in the sky, and we had an excellent view of it right above the channel from Snug Harbor restaurant where we had dinner. I had a heaping plate of delicious seafood nachos that I tried my best to finish, but couldn't quite make it.

Once we were finished with dinner we made a quick drive out to the pier to catch the incredible sunset over Lake Michigan. Geries and I walked out to the end of the pier where we could more clearly see the horizon. A soft orange streak across the sky faded into a rich purple just where the lake met the sky, reflecting back the muted, but gorgeous, colors of the setting sun. Even after the other places we had watched the sun set, it was hard to beat the brilliant display which smoothly transformed as the sun sunk deeper below the horizon.

Weary from our travels, and helped along by our full stomachs, Geries and I rested for a little while when we got back before finally getting to sleep.