We had a wonderful trip to Mackinac Island this year.   27 au pairs from 11 countries were part of our awesome group.   The weather was amazing with clear blue skies and mild temperatures.   On Sunday, most of the group opted to see Michigan’s famous Tahquamenon Falls,  located in the Upper Penninsula.   The au pairs enjoyed driving across the Mackinac Bridge and also had a chance to see some early Fall colors.    One group of 6 au pairs rented a row boat and paddled out into one of the calm areas of the Lower Falls.    Here are the first batch of group photos:

In front of the Clarion Hotel before we walked to dinner on Friday night

At the Grand Hotel’s  famous porch ( 88O feet long) — after we ate a delicious lunch on Saturday

While we were waiting for the carriages:

At Tahquamenon Falls (Upper Falls)

After a fabulous lunch at the Grand Hotel, relaxing for a little bit in their lovely Cupola Room:

Riding bikes around Mackinac Island is a great way to enjoy the island:

At Tahquamenon Falls, the beauty of nature surrounded us…

Our 6 adventurous au pairs at the Lower Falls rented a row boat!

Marshmallow Fly and Fry, an annual end-of-summer event at Heritage Park in Farmington Hills,  was a huge success this year, with a huge crowd of over 1,000 participating.   Besides the fun of running to pick up marshmallows “dropped from the sky”,  the children had an opportunity to meet au pairs from various countries such as South Africa, Germany, Bolivia, Australia and Namibia.     Roasting marshmallows in the large fire pit was the highlight for some while others enjoyed Au Pair in America’s arts and crafts table.   The children colored placements from 5 continents and were given their own passport book they could fill with flag stickers from many countries.