Twelve Mile, IN – 2014

This is one of my favorite traditions as a married couple.  Every year since 2009 during the week of the Fourth of July we pack the car and make the trek up to Twelve Mile with a group of our friends.  The group of people who come with us varies slightly each year but it’s always a great time had by all. 

Kyle and I drove up on Monday night and got to spend a full day there with just his mom and Paul which was lovely.  It’s normally so hectic with so many people so I really enjoyed having a low key first day.  I am also glad we got a chance to help them finish getting ready for the rest of the crew to arrive.  Rob came in Wednesday morning and as soon as he set foot on the farm we all piled into the truck with the canoes.  We did a three hour canoe trip on the Eel River and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The weather was warm but not too hot and there was a mild breeze.  We got the sturdier canoe which was appreciated since Kyle, Rob, and I are pretty novice when it comes to canoeing skills.  We basked in the sunlight, learned a river song, sang some Disney tunes, talked about life, watched the birds/wildlife, and relaxed on the river.  It wasn’t until the last 10-15 minutes we were all feeling it in our arms and were ready for lunch.  Molly and Richard arrived that afternoon.  Paul made his famous fajitas and after dinner we spent the rest of the night out by the bonfire. 

On Thursday the last of our crew arrived, Blair and Jenna (and their pup Scout).  After sleeping off the car ride for a while we started working on our parade float, soaked in the hot tub, and even played a little bocce ball.  Then we got cleaned up and went on our now annual pub crawl in Logansport.  Pascaneli’s is one of my favorites because they have oversized Jenga!  Then we spent the rest of the evening at our absolute favorite Amelio’s.  The food and company were great and it was such a fun evening. 

Friday was the Fourth of July and is a big day in Twelve Mile.  We started with community breakfast at the town hall.  Afterwards we lined up for the parade.  It’s always fun to get be part of a parade and hand out candy to kids.  The parade ends in the ball field where the Twelve Mile 500 Lawn Mower Races take place.  They really are a sight to see.  They take building their mowers very seriously and racers have to pre-qualify so it’s quite the competition.  The lawn mowers are built to get up to 30 – 60 mph depending on which of the three races they enter.  It’s a really fun event and something we look forward to each year.  That night we had our own fireworks show by the bonfire and I loved playing with my new camera and the extended shutter release. 

Our final day was very low key and relaxing.  We went to Fletcher’s Lake, player shuffleboard at the Fulton pub, and spent the evening in watching movies and eating pizza.  It was a great trip and a very nice break from our hectic lives in Atlanta.  I am already looking forward to next year! 

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this year: