Big Week in Traverse City
Cherry Festival week in Traverse City is always a great time, but this year we packed in a few other events too. The festival began on Saturday July 3rd with an airshow over Grand Traverse Bay featuring the US Navy Blue Angels, seen here doing a stunt over the Great Lakes Maritime Academy ship "Michigan".
We followed up the air show Saturday night with Glen's 50th high school class reunion. One of Glen's classmates hosted the potluck dinner at her home on west Grand Traverse Bay. Most of the 22 people in the 1960 Suttons Bay High School graduating class were able to attend and it was a lovely evening for an outdoor party.
Tuesday is Cherry Festival "Heritage Day" which honors the history of the area. Of course, the Native Americans are a big part of that history and Glen's tribe always holds a demonstration pow wow for tourists and locals. Glen and his family always participate. Here's Devyn, Glen, Parker and Cynthia.
We rest up for a couple of days and then suddenly it's Saturday, the grand finale day. It begins with the Cherry Royale Parade. Not the Rose Parade, or Macy's Thanksgiving Day, but pretty good. This is the Grand Traverse Band American Legion color guard. Glen's cousin Al on the far right. Because of all the health issues Glen has had this year - still not completely recovered from the shingles in his leg, he didn't think he'd make it through the parade route, so he was a spectator with the rest of us.
And the real Grand Finale! After a week of all the junk food you can eat, all the extra crazy drivers in town, you get treated to a pretty good fireworks show.
We followed up the air show Saturday night with Glen's 50th high school class reunion. One of Glen's classmates hosted the potluck dinner at her home on west Grand Traverse Bay. Most of the 22 people in the 1960 Suttons Bay High School graduating class were able to attend and it was a lovely evening for an outdoor party.
Glen visiting with an old classmate.
Glen's sister Gayle and her husband Homer Manzano had invited many members of Homer's huge (@ 20 siblings, I think) family to convene in Peshabestown for a reunion. They weren't all able to attend - most of them live in Florida - but those who did make it had a great time. We attended the barbecue on July 4th, complete with great food, a DJ and Mexican dancing in the back yard.
Tuesday is Cherry Festival "Heritage Day" which honors the history of the area. Of course, the Native Americans are a big part of that history and Glen's tribe always holds a demonstration pow wow for tourists and locals. Glen and his family always participate. Here's Devyn, Glen, Parker and Cynthia.
We rest up for a couple of days and then suddenly it's Saturday, the grand finale day. It begins with the Cherry Royale Parade. Not the Rose Parade, or Macy's Thanksgiving Day, but pretty good. This is the Grand Traverse Band American Legion color guard. Glen's cousin Al on the far right. Because of all the health issues Glen has had this year - still not completely recovered from the shingles in his leg, he didn't think he'd make it through the parade route, so he was a spectator with the rest of us. 
And the real Grand Finale! After a week of all the junk food you can eat, all the extra crazy drivers in town, you get treated to a pretty good fireworks show.
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