I’ve been a little behind on leeniespace these past few weeks. I know summer is going to happen. It looms all year long. Then we’re finally in it, and it’s like I don’t know what hit me. Or us, as a family. Following the last week of school and a blur of sweet send-offs, we haven’t quite found our summer rhythm yet. But it’s coming. I can tell.

One of the best things about summer and a break from routine is the Spontaneous Day Trip. I loved taking them as a kid; facing rear in the way back of my dad’s station wagon, surrounded by games and junk food. The best. We’ve just started doing them with our girls. Tim picked our first one of the season: Three Oaks, Michigan, with a brief stop in nearby Sawyer. Both are about 1.5 hours from Chicago and our Evanston hometown, which is great since we didn’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn or anything like that. We ate a nice breakfast. Then set out late morning and still made a full day of it, ending with dinner at a local pizza place. I’d love to return, even before summer ends (a friend mentioned blueberry picking in Three Oaks — how fun would that be!) The short list from the day: antiques, local food, flea markets, breweries, ice cream, and lazy walks along each town’s main street.