Kris' parents have started a tradition of getting a house on Lake Michigan and having our family and Kris' sisters' family come and stay. It makes 12 of us! This year we went to Holland.
Airbnb
We stayed at a place right on Lakeshore Ave, which was close to a everything. We kicked off the trip by eating at Captain Sundae, because we got there before check-in time, so why not? Funny thing - we had almost no service in Holland unless we were on wi-fi. We have AT&T, so it's not some unknown carrier, but honestly - nice to disconnect.
It was a mile from the house to a little beach called Riley Beach. It was small, but the closest, had a great, steep sand dune, and we watched the sunset here each night.
Holland State Park
I suggested we go to the Holland State Park beach because I'd been there before and I like going to the pier. (Ty did tricks off, and the rest of us egged him on.) Lovely sand, fun swimming. It's a long walk from the parking lot if you're carrying/encouraging toddlers like Meghan was, but overall nice.
Kouw Beach
This was suggested by a local, and it began with a nice playground we used, then went down stairs to a nice beach. There were huge waves that day, and not many people there.
Tunnel Beach
This was my favorite! You enter through - you guessed it - a tunnel, and then it was backed by little sand dunes to run down, a Michigan favorite. This beach was a county park, so it had more trash, but still the best one we visited. (We also parked where you didn't have to pay. Always a bonus.)
Downtown
Downtown Holland is like a lot of lakeside tourist towns. Lots to see, lots to look at, and lots of places to go! As people were walking around, I ducked into Peachwave for a little ice cream, and we went to Holland Brewing Company and Big Lake Brewing, both good.
Outdoors
We hiked up Mount Pisgah and all around, which was hilly and fun. We also went running in Riley Park on the trails, and they were well maintained and you could go really far.
The best part was being with Kris' family, which was great. Nice background, Holland!
I left from there to go to...
South Manitou Island
I once came here with my class as a college freshman, but I couldn't remember it exactly.
We went to Leland to ride the ferry. We had to buy tickets online ahead of time. It was super busy and no parking was open, so I called them and the woman told me I could just drop my bags outside and park at the high school a few blocks away. No cost, no parking pass! I already liked it. We had to check in and they didn't even ask to see our tickets. $10 for a campsite and we loaded onto the ferry!
We rushed to sit in the open air on top because some of our friends get seasick. It wasn't choppy, but I'd always prefer the outside when it's nice out.
We unloaded everyone's stuff off the boat, assembly-line style, while I tried to run to the best campsite - the ones on the bluff above the water. The ranger called me back and said we had to listen to his orientation, which lasted like five minutes. Then we rushed off to get the best spot while some stayed back to register our tag.
It didn't matter - the ones on the water had been taken by people there that morning or days before, since people stay many days. We got a great one with nice lake access, without other people around. We immediately swam, and it seemed like we were the only people on the island. You can't hear anyone, hear any traffic, or anything. It was clear water and so peaceful.
We put up our tents and left to hike. We went to the inland lake, shipwreck, and our favorite - the old growth cedars. This was many miles, so we went back and went to the shared campfire to eat our sandwiches. (They do have water and a toilet at the dock, but we went to Weather Station, which is about 1.5 miles from there.) Since there are no single campfires, another group joined us, and we laughed and talked until late, the moon shining brightly on the water.
We slept in our tents (it was so dry and warm! So different from some camping trips!) and did a run/walk of the other campgrounds, the cemetery, and the schoolhouse. In my opinion, the other campground is just as good. It's not on a bluff, but it's right on the water. I don't think you can go wrong here.
We waded in the water as we waited for the ferry, went back, and explored Fishtown on the way out. It was all of our first time there, and they had old fishing shacks that have been turned into little shops. The word for it is - charming.
I came home and read from my journal about my trip when I was 18. "Ferry was choppy and I listened to people puke" - "came home a total greaseball" - and "we were all hilarious". Fun then, fun now!
If staying overnight seems too much, you can just go for the day, which I think would also be great. The entire island is only 10 miles around, and I think you could fit it all in.
Thank you to Emmie, Suzie, Rondi, and Betsy for making the trip happen!
Oh, last but not least. I went to a gas station - the Middle Branch Country Store on 115 where I got this for $5.62.
What a vacation!
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