Muskegon, Michigan for New Year's Eve 2025

I like to spend every New Year's Eve somewhere new. This year we chose Muskegon!

We went in two cars - Gage, his kids and Charlotte's fiancé Will, and Kris, our boys, and me. A solid 11 of us makes a party wherever you go! 

We drove straight from home to Lake Michigan, because I love the lake in the winter, and Will had never been there. We set our GPS to Pere Marquette Park, just 110 miles from home. 

Dear reader, it was a miserable. The wind was blowing so incredibly hard and it was bone-chillingly cold - 17 degrees. Evelyn and Jude didn't even get out of the car, and I didn't blame them. I had imagined (like so many times in the past), strolling along the water, enjoying a beautiful winter day. Instead, we walked to the water as the wind whipped sand into our eyes and teeth. We looked at the wild waves that looked like they would swallow you up. There was, not surprisingly since this is Michigan and we are outside no matter what, what looked like a father and son there, and I asked them to take a picture of us. I could tell he was reluctant to take off his glove to do it, but he did. 

It was obvious we weren't going to be able to spend any time there, so we quick headed back to our cars. I mean, Will was only in a sweatshirt!

We had already decided we wanted to go to Unruly Brewing Company, because they had a whole Irish day planned. First, we watched The Mona Shore fiddlers, and after they left we were able to get a table for all of us together! You could order food from the cashier anytime, so some people had pizza and burgers. We then watched Irish dancers and then a full Irish band. There were also lots of people wearing kilts. 

Gage commented, "They sound so Michigan!" as in their Michigan accent. When I didn't live here I would also notice this, but of course I don't any more. The woman announcing the dancers said at one point that the girl had "earned her sparkles," and that was delightful. Apparently you work up from plain costumes to fancy ones!

I loved all of it - they even had a live stream from Dublin on the TV, since they were going to celebrate New Year's Eve for them - 7:00 p.m. for us! We didn't stay there for that, though. At about 4:00 p.m., we left to go check into our houses.

Both of our houses were nice and affordable and owned by a man named Evan. Gage's house was closer to downtown and was incredible! It was old and had huge, tall windows and doorways, but he also decorated it in the style of old, including furniture and books, so it was really cool. We went over to his house, and Kris pulled out the microphones he had just given me for our (24th!) anniversary.

Then followed one of my best moments of 2025. We all sang karaoke! Cole and Ty started off, and let me tell you - if you know me, you know that I love singing and theatre and music and everything that goes along with it. The fact that I was spending New Year's Eve with my family that will happily sing just made my night. And my year. They sang a duet (This Love), Max and I sang a duet (Die with a Smile), and then Kris started a duet for us (More than Words), which we used to sing together. This was particularly meaningful since Kris had vocal cord surgery in 2025, and before that he couldn't sing for a long time, and the fact that he once again could is just so wonderful. My heart! Gage sang a song I love to hear him sing (Wondering Why), Max and Ian sang a duet (Hotel California), and then - Gage suggested Charlotte sing. Oh, what will she sing? He suggested At Last by Etta James. I wondered if she even knew that song. Then she started, and I couldn't help crying. She PERFORMED it. She had obviously sung it a million times and she had such a beautiful voice! I hadn't heard her sing a solo before, and I couldn't help but cry. Will took a video of her, and he was all heart eyes at her, and it was just a perfect, beautiful moment brought to you by karaoke. Thanks family!

We played some games including spoons and golf, and then we headed downtown to eat dinner. Gage's house was just a couple of blocks from downtown. We had no trouble getting into a place and finding two tables. We chose Carlisle's Restaurant, which is attached to a hockey rink. It was a happening place, and really good! A woman walked by with two LED balloons. I had only become aware of them earlier that day, because my friend Aimee was making them at her NYE celebration. I asked the woman if I could take a picture of it, and she said, "Here, you can have one!" I was delighted.

We ate there and walked back to the house, then watched a little of the coverage on TV, played some more games, and went downtown for the band and ball drop. It was still really, really cold. Like, I wore snowpants. They blocked off the whole downtown but oddly, it wasn't plowed, so you were standing on stamped-down snow. The band was good and we danced around and had a good time. Then they started talking, and there was a lot of swearing...I thought, were they billed as family-friendly? Then, the speakers just kept talking, introducing people on stage, thanking people, and we were like, "Uh, it's 11:59 p.m., shouldn't they start the countdown?" Happily, the person dropping the ball (literally not figuratively) started lowering the giant, color-changing ball, and we started the countdown. Midnight! We sang the new year in, then watched fireworks! We walked home to Gage's, collected our stuff, and drove to our own Airbnb.

The next morning, Gage and I planned to do a polar plunge into Lake Michigan. We did it first at Bald Head Island in 2008, and let me tell you it's easier to do it in NC than MI. This time, we were about five miles from the lake, and the logistics of getting there and getting back seemed cold and daunting. Gage suggested we just plunge into Motz Park, and I loved that idea. Turns out that was also frozen, so we ended up rolling in snow in our bathing suits, then jumping in my parents' hot tub. 

A great end to a great year! 

Detroit at Thanksgiving

We have really come to love Detroit. It feels kind of familiar now, but on this trip we saw new places!

Thursday

The Lions are on a streak - they've been playing every Thanksgiving since 1945! So I was super excited when we got tickets to go. I quickly ran a Turkey Trot with friends in St Johns, and we were out the door by 9:15 a.m. We parked in a lot and walked around the stadium.

I absolutely loved the atmosphere. People were so excited. There was a buzz in the air. The crowd was really festive - lots of turkey hats, and amazing custom Lions gear. The women went for sparkly, and the men were wearing jerseys and jackets that were one of a kind. There was a beautiful tree people posed in front of for pictures. It was a fun walk.

We found our way to our seats. Cole wanted to walk again to get vouchers, and I went with him. Now, it was too crowded. A totally different feel! There were bottlenecks and tons of people. It was better to get there early, for sure.

The game started. I love the start of a game, since there's so much pomp and circumstance and everyone is so excited about the possibilities of the game. Gospel singer and Detroit native CeCe Winans sang the national anthem, and no wonder she's famous. The game started, and the Lions played well.

We were looking forward to seeing Jack White play at halftime, and I thought everyone would stand...and they didn't. Then Eminem popped out of the stage and everyone JUMPED to their feet in excitement and stayed standing the rest of the time, including through Seven Nation Army, which is weirdly a sports anthem played at every game we attend, ever. It was so incredibly exciting! A little concert with a surprise guest right in the middle of a game on a holiday with my family all together?! YES! 

The Lions did not win, but our spirits were not damped, because due to our long history of being fans, we don't expect them to win. We rushed to a restaurant for dinner because...we had another game to watch! MSU was playing basketball against UNC. And MSU killed them! This also seemed unusual, because I have watched MSU lose a lot to them.

There was still a lot of day left, so after we checked into our hotel (Hilton Garden) Kris and I walked down to see the Christmas tree. Beautiful holiday.

Friday

I got up and ran along the riverfront, which is always pretty. I saw a cool park with artistic animal structures.

We walked to Woodward and shopped, then went to a few parts of the city I hadn’t seen – Corktown and Midtown. We walked around Nike, Alo, Third Man Records, Carhartt, Shinola, Timberland, etc. There were lots of people out and it was festive. We got coffee at The Roasting Plant and checked out the Christmas indoor booths at Campus Maritus.

We went to Corktown Taphouse, because they offered a lot of games! They’re the kind of place where you get a bracelet and every charge just goes on your bracelet so you could spend so much money if you don’t pay attention. Bowling was full, so we did darts, which were real darts with projector games. Really fun!

We checked into our new hotel (The Athenium) and went to the gym. Then we walked to The Brakeman, which was awesome because it had shuffleboard, foosball, and ping pong! We played them all (and ate good food) – mostly shuffleboard. They had a lot of TVs and we watched the Pistons narrowly lose.

Saturday

I ran to William G. Milliken park, which was so pretty – it even has a lighthouse! So fun to go to a new part of Detroit. I also ran on the Dequindre Cut, which is a greenway through the city.

I had floated the idea of going ice skating to the boys, and they all were up for it. We got our rental skates and headed out onto the ice. Kris got a coffee and watched us from the side. It was magical. The Christmas music playing, the beautiful tree, our boys here, gliding around the ice, laughing, people happy, meeting smile after smile…you get the point! I love, loved this.

We got ready and headed to meet our friends at Harry’s Detroit Bar and Grill. We ate there before the game and talked to all of them, and then walked to Ford Field for the MSU game!

The crowd was completely different than it was for the Lions game, which was interesting being in the same spot for a different game.

Once again, a festive atmosphere, and then…a really good game! Michigan State won! None of us expected it, and it was a delightful ending to our sports weekend.

We walked back to our hotel and it was really snowing. It was the kind of floaty, pretty snow that people write songs about. People like Eminem.  

Spring in Michigan

I love living in Michigan, and this spring has taken me to some great places - some old, some new!

Holland

I went to the Tulip Festival once in college, so Kate and I made plans to go. She'd never been to Holland, let alone the Tulip Festival! I looked at the site the night before and it said that although many of the tulips in town were done, we should buy tickets to the Immersion Garden. We did, and I'm so glad! For $12, we walked around and admired gorgeous raised beds of tulips, and they had giant displays about the history of tulips. So enjoyable AND educational! 

After seeing that, we walked to Windmill Island to see the street organ (fascinating and old!), and we walked up into the windmill. This was a first for me, and when you walk outside on the balcony, it really feels like it's going to hit you in the head. You can stand RIGHT next to it as it whips by! We loved this - and the view. There's a lot of historical information to read in there, too.

We walked around town and then went to eat downtown, and we both had lamb burgers. Totally worth going to the Tulip Festival - next time I'll try to time it when all the tulips are in bloom!

Detroit

Kris and I went with his work event to a Tigers game. Now with the new rules, games get out at such a reasonable time! It started at 6:40 p.m. and was over by 9:15 p.m. We walked around the city, going in and out of places that were open. There were so many people out. We stopped in Astoria Pastry Shop and ended the night at The Old Shillelagh. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, which is walking distance from the Tigers stadium and Ford Field, and a nice hotel. 

Birmingham

I'd never been to Birmingham. I went to visit my friend Andie, and she took me on a four-mile walk on trails through the woods, through neighborhoods, by ponds - all so nice. We walked to downtown from her house to get coffee and eat lunch. The downtown had an upscale feel, and I wondered why I've never been here before?! I'll definitely go back.

Higgins Lake, Mid-Michigan College, Lake George

I went to Higgins Lake with my friend Rondi and her family, who had a place on it. It never disappoints. Clear, full of fish, and nice people around it.

My mom suggested we go on trails at the Mid Michigan College campus, and it was great. Elevation, 10+ miles of trails, through the woods! They are also bike trails, so you have to watch out, but totally worth a drive.

I had no service in Lake George. The big X! We went to the public beach (very small) and had ice cream (very big) at The Depot. It's amazing how many lakes Michigan has like this one...the internet tells me Michigan has 11,037 that are over five acres. 

Mount Pleasant

This weekend, 11 friends and I went kayaking on the Chippewa with Chippewa River Outfitters. It was a lovely 2-3 hour jaunt with lots of laughing. It was $25 per kayak - seemed totally reasonable. We then ate at The Cabin, where they treated us so nicely and even gave us a pizza they made on accident!

And more to come!

Traverse City for New Year's Eve

I make a huge deal about New Year's Eve, and my goal is to spend each one in a different place. It got really difficult traveling over the holidays in the last few years, and I don't like leaving my kids during Christmas break, so now we're going to different places closer to home. This year, I searched for ball drops in Michigan, and came up with Traverse City! Home of the Cherry Festival, they have a cherry drop. Sounded like fun to me! My brother and his family, plus other friends wanted to get together for NYE too.

Airbnb

Airbnbs on Lake Michigan in the winter are very reasonable, because they're beach towns and people would rather be there in the summer! I love Lake Michigan any time. We got a house for two families across the street from Lake Michigan, close to Pathfinder School. We could walk across the street and 1/4 mile down the road to the beach, and easily drive to Traverse City. It was a busy road, but good location.

Restaurants

We went to 7 Monks Taproom to watch the MSU basketball game, and it was great. Busy but not too busy, wonderful food. We tried to watch the Lions game that night at a few different places, but they were packed, so we ended up at North Peak Brewing Company, which we also liked. (Bonus - we could get in there!) On New Year's Eve morning, Kris contacted a couple of restaurants and asked if we could have a reservation for 22 people. Amazingly, West End Tavern, which is right on the water, and about a mile from our Airbnb...said YES! It wasn't even a crazy expensive place, and we had our own room! That was wonderful. It turned out Kate had friends in common with our server, and he even remembered going to her parents' house...anyway, it was a nice place, and I'm glad they had room for us.

Things to Do

We hiked one of my favorite Michigan hikes - Empire Bluffs Trail. It's just a little 1.5 mile walk, and it has a huge payoff. You're high above the water, you're on a cliff, and you can see the shoreline which reminds me of Hawaii. Our family and the Uptons went, and the boys entertained us by doing backflips, front flips, and box jumps. They always make hikes even more exciting! I've been on this hike twice, and I asked the boys if they remembered it, and they didn't. I looked it up and I took them 10 years ago, when the twins were 6 and Max was 3. Of course they didn't remember it! We've been on a million hikes since then.

Downtown Traverse City - We walked around the downtown and visited Wilson's Antique Downtown, which is a four-story antique store! I'm not even really into antiques, and I still loved it. We walked around to other shops around there, and then down to the beach and out on the pier. A lovely walk and town.

Cherry Drop - This was one of my favorite moments of the weekend. It had just started to snow an hour or two earlier, so there were beautiful snowflakes drifting down. We parked along the street a few blocks away and all located each other in front of the stage. The lit up cherry was high above the street. There was a DJ playing music, and everyone danced and slid around in the snow. There was no food, no drink, just dancing, singing, and waiting until midnight. People on the second story along the street, all dressed up at parties in sequined dresses waved at us. It was the same atmosphere as before a race - everyone in a good mood and having fun! We counted down the cherry as it dropped and celebrated at midnight.

Lake Michigan - Since Lake Michigan was right across the road, I went to it in the morning, afternoon, and night! The colors were so great, as usual. Then, on New Year's Day morning, as is our tradition, we did a polar plunge. For this one, we drove to Gage's hotel - Sugar Beach Resort Hotel, because it had a hot tub! Right from his room, we ran down to the lake across the sand, plunged in, and then scampered off to the hot tub. It's such a fun way to kick off the year! This year wasn't even that cold - some years it's been windy and frigid.

Where will we kick of 2025? We have time to plan!

Detroit on Thanksgiving

The boys' marching band performed in the Detroit Thanksgiving Day parade. Since we were going to watch, the band teacher offered that Max could go, even though he's not in high school band yet. The last time I went to the Detroit Thanksgiving Day parade...I was in it, also in the high school band! MSU scheduled to play there the next day, so we made a weekend of it.

Thursday, Thanksgiving Day

The boys had to be at the school really early - 4:30 a.m., and we left separately shortly afterward. There was no traffic until we got right to the end, because the 14,000-participant turkey trot was happening right on our street! We stayed at the Fort Pontchartrain hotel, which is right in the middle of it all. We parked valet there, because we were staying for two nights. This is the first year in a long time I haven't run a turkey trot, but since we couldn't check in yet I didn't figure out how I could do that and be warm again to watch the parade. Next time! 

We walked around and got coffee and cookies at Roasting Plant Detroit, which is a good-smelling and pretty place. We made our way down to the parade route. There were chairs and tables set up for just normal hanging out, and we joined everyone in moving them four feet away along the street for the parade. So convenient!

Tons of people were there! I was streaming the parade on my phone, since the band was hitting the tv spot right before they came to us. I saw all three of my kids on the TV - and a closeup on Ty - and then we got a bunch of texts from people saying they saw it. Ha! 

A note here - my friend Michelle is the flag director and one of the chaperones. I asked her to take a picture of the boys if she saw them, and she came through in flying colors. Individuals, action shots, and a group picture of my three boys. Seeing Max in a marching band uniform for the first time - and seeing all three of them together - was so cool!

The floats in the parade were giant and interesting, and we also loved the giant balloons. Then along came our band! Very exciting to see them all. We followed them to the bus, where we collected our children and headed to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner of cheeseburgers and the Lions game. We chose Firebird Tavern Detroit, because it was reasonably priced, they had seating, it was a great location, and they had lots of TVs for the game. Plus, it was open!

After halftime we were able to check into our hotel, where we watched the Lions lose, and then watched the MSU basketball team lose. We took advantage of the hotel's workout room, pool, hot tub, and sauna. We decided to walk around Detroit and find something to eat. However, nothing was open. I realize it was a national holiday, but I really thought something like a pizza place or walk up would be open. Nope! Not even in the big city! No big deal - I'd brought pretzels from home. We walked all around the city, and the giant Christmas tree and skating rink was my favorite part. So many people out skating, of all ages and abilities, it was so pretty, and everyone was happy. Just a beautiful sight. We got back to the hotel and the Wizard of Oz was on tv, and my children had never seen it. They thought it was creepy, which I appreciated, because that creepiness is timeless.

Black Friday

I ran along the Detroit River, and then we all went to see the city. We walked all along the riverfront, which is big and pretty, with a great view of Canada. We saw the Monument to Joe Louis, the Transcending Monument, the Spirit of Detroit, and went through the Renaissance Center, which had super cool cars in it. We ate at an iHop, and we walked farther into the city and happened upon Black Friday shopping. Some stores had few people in it, and some had a lot - like the Nike store, which had really good deals. We spent a long time going in and out of stores and seeing the sights. 

At one point we rode the QLine, which is a free trolley that goes up and down Woodward Ave. It was really convenient and nice, though we were surprised we were the only non-homeless people riding it on our stretch. It was warmer than the outside!

We went to the Z Deck Garage, which is a 10-story parking garage with a mural at every stop, and a great view of the city from the top.

As we were headed to the hotel to get warmer clothes for tailgating, a Direct TV van hailed us over and offered sliders, fries, and hot cocoa from a food truck in exchange for scanning a QR code. This was a fantastic promotion, because the sliders were REALLY good, the hot cocoa was a great non-burning temperature, and we were all hungry! The promoters took pictures of us, asking us to toast with our hot cocoa and pose as we ate. Kris whispered, "Did you tell them we just changed to Dish?" I said, "We had Direct TV for years before that!" 

We got warmer clothes and met our friends in a parking lot right in front of Comerica Park to tailgate for the MSU football game. A lot of people came, and it was really fun. The boys played football for a long time, and then they were gone with a friend to walk around for a long time. The other mom and I wondered where they were for so long...when they came back, they showed us they had gotten their picture taken with Santa and an elf. The pictures were so great, and we laughed so hard.

Then it was MSU vs. Penn State at Ford Field! I love the idea of having one of our football games here, because Ford Field is just exciting. We didn't expect our team to win, and they didn't. We distracted ourselves from the game with the marching band, venue, our kids, and our friends! Unfortunately at some point in here I dropped my ear covering that I've loved and owned for longer than we have been married. I'm getting over it, I promise.

It's all so close! We walked back to our hotel, admiring the Christmas tree and the skaters one more time. 

Saturday

I ran along the riverfront one more time, admiring the cold, sunny view, made even more cold by the fact my ears were uncovered. It didn't matter - I was still thankful that weekend for a fun, pretty city.

Giant Slide - Belle Isle, Michigan

 

We've gone to a lot of great places in Michigan this summer, but this was New York Times article-worthy!

Suzie has been working on a project in Belle Isle for two years, and this was her 50th site visit. Her project is the Iron Belle Trail, which starts in Belle Isle and goes all the way to Ironwood, through the entire state of Michigan. (The site says it's 70% done.) She worked on the trailhead and trail through the park. She needed to check on some things and of course wanted to go on the slide that has garnered so much attention. (There are so many videos, news stories, posts, and even a rap song about it...just over the last week.) Gmac Cash's lyrics include: 

"It's like jumping off a roof. Man, you could lose a tooth. Man, you can break your back (on the giant slide), you can even break your neck (on the giant slide), you can even bump your head (on the giant slide), man even watch your arms and legs (on the giant slide)."

Doesn't that make everyone want to ride it?!

We got to the slide 20 minutes before it opened, and there was a line, but there were as many media people as people waiting to ride the slide! There was a news helicopter circling, multiple people interviewing riders in line, people taking live videos, several news stations...and us. We knew we were in the right place.

We told the boys we would video them, and they could video us. They were spraying it down with water after each ride to make it less slippery, but we still saw some epic falls - some on accident, some on purpose, with 20 cameras at the bottom catching everything. 

The boys went down fine, and then it was time for Suzie and me. When I got to the top, I was nervous because I just saw a grandma and her little grandson bite it and hit their heads. But they were back in line, so it couldn't have been that bad, I figured.

We hopped into our burlap sacks, and we were off! I got a little speed, but managed to not fall in front of the many cameras. 

All the boys went one more time, and Cole leaned way back to get speed and some air. Josh lost his hat, and Ty grabbed it on his way down to much audience applause. One of the live video guys yelled, "That's how we do it in the D!"

A photographer approached us and got our numbers, and shortly after that the New York Times reporter called to get quotes. Ha! 

Suzie gave us a tour around the island, pointing out popular beaches and parks, the aquarium, the tower,  the abandoned zoo, and how you can see Canada across the water. There were lots of people out, and she said that every time she's been there, there were always lots of people enjoying the park.

We walked to a graffiti bridge on a road closed to traffic, and it was strangely striking. 

The best part was Suzie showed us her project, and toured us around the signs, the artistic map, the art on the trailhead, and the trail itself. It's always fun to see a friend doing work she loves, and if there's a semi-dangerous slide there, all the better! 

Videos here:

Carla & Suzie

Max

Cole, Josh, Max

Ty gets Josh's hat

Summer in Michigan

I love summer in Michigan. Not only did I go to Lake Michigan an unprecedented five weekends in a row, but there are so many other great places! There's so much to see and do in my little state. This summer I hit up:

Saugatuck

My favorite beach used to be Oval Beach. It was always white sand, empty, beautiful. It cost $10 dollars to park there, and I felt like that cut down on the crowds. Well, no longer! We came here twice this summer and it was super packed the first time, and even more packed the second time. Both weekdays! 

This is what I love about Oval Beach - you can park right in between giant dunes and the beach, and you can easily go back to your car anytime you want, so you're not walking a mile to get sunscreen or food. 

We also climbed up Mount Baldhead, which is a series of many steps that leads to an outlook. Always a good time. We always also eat at Dairy Daze, where they give you giant - I'm not joking, giant - portions of ice cream. 

Luther, Pine River & Silver Creek State Forest Campground

We did something new this year, and we joined our friends in a big group on their annual canoe trip. They've been going for 20-some years, and so they had everything planned so perfectly! They camp at Silver State campground. They rent from a place they like, and they know just how to figure the cars so that there are the right amount at the end of the 7-hour trip! 

Along the way we saw cliffs, we climbed a giant dune, and we enjoyed the company of our friends. This was canoeing, different than kayaking for me, because it's so much less stable. It also was a more challenging river than just floating. It was awesome.

Old Mission Peninsula

We visited Kris' cousin Melissa and her husband Tom, and they have the good sense to live in Traverse City on Old Mission Peninsula, right on Lake Michigan. In fact, the road between their house and the lake is closed right now, because part of it is crumbling into the lake. It made it even nicer for walking and running, though obviously the residents aren't thrilled - not the ones that live in the middle of it, anyway.

We walked up to a high point and could see vineyards all around us. There's just something about the ordered rows of a vineyard that I find incredibly beautiful. 

Tom and Melissa took us on their boat across the lake to Elk Rapids, where we ate lunch. We spent the rest of the time kayaking and paddleboarding and hanging out by the water. Nice area to visit!

South Haven

Right when we got to South Haven, we went to South Beach and were delighted with how empty it was! We noticed a lot of police, looked it up, and saw that a guy had just shot two people on the pier and then himself. South Beach is NOT like this, but then the next morning we got the paper at our Airbnb and it talked about a shooting at a party. I went to run and Kris was like ... be careful. But it was not like that at all ... just another nice beach town, but sad events, for sure.

We went here with Kris' family for a vacation weekend all together! Since it was Kris' sister, her husband, their two kids, and Kris' parents, plus us five, we got an Airbnb house that was a mile from the beach. It was fantastic. It was at 914 Phoenix Street, and not only was it giant, with a great backyard, she also had TOYS for us. A beach tent, bodyboards, bikes, scooters, wagon, beach toys - it was amazing.

We loved the farmers market on Saturday morning, running to the pier, checking out the downtown shops, eating ice cream, and going to Two Blondes for lunch. I loved South Beach and North Beach - North Beach had amazing, wild waves one day, while South Beach remained relatively calm. There was paid parking on the beach - $10 for the day, so it was easy to get to if you're not staying over, too.

One funny thing was the drawbridge. It kept not working. Once we waiting in our Jeep for a long time before deciding to turn and find another route, but one time we were on bikes waiting. We eventually just crossed!

Kris' parents went back for their anniversary two weeks later, so they liked it too! It surpassed Oval Beach as our favorite, but it's just a liiiiiitle farther from home.

Berrien Springs

Kris and I took the boys camping at Shamrock Park when they were not-one and three. Of course, they didn't remember it. This time we went without Kris, because of harvest.

We camped right along the river. Spots 74-79 seem like the best ones. We bought bait at a sketchy store right outside the campground, we fished, we waded in the water, and then we decided to go to Lake Michigan, you know, since we all love it. It was just a 12-mile drive straight west from the campground. We got there and saw it was called Weko Beach, and it was attached to a campground. You have to pay to get it, but the attendant just waved us in because it was 5:00 p.m.

Don't go to Weko Beach. There were dogs running around, and their owners weren't doing anything to control them. We saw a German Shepherd go after a dog that was walking by, and then when we walked by, the dog started chasing Max and barking like crazy. I ran in between them and yelled at him to go away in my meanest voice. The owners did nothing. Nothing. Max ran into the water to get away from the dog and it followed him into the water and bit him! I said, "RUN!" and we four sprinted away down the beach away from that dog and those terrible people. It broke his skin, but not his bathing suit, so I knew there was no dog bacteria in him, but that's not a fun vacation activity.

We got ice cream afterward at Scoops. Max didn't cry or scream and basically acted like he gets bitten by dogs every day. The ice cream helped me, anyway.

Our tent was inexplicably under a mercury light. We tried very hard to light a fire, but since the fire pit was open underneath, we couldn't do it. We went out to the river after dark and shone the flashlight into the river to see lots of creatures. The next morning Cole blocked the bottom of the pit and built a beautiful fire at 5:00 a.m., despite me shushing him.

We went to Warren Dunes State Park and climbed up the giant dune, and we went to the beach for a few minutes, then hit Western Michigan University on the way home to show my kids where I went for undergrad.

St Joseph

Our friends Erin and Jay live in St Joseph on Lake Michigan, and we try to visit them every year. I've lost count of how many times we've been there. We've done a lot of things in St Joseph, but this year we did some new things! For one, their yacht club had a huge party with a live band after a regatta race. There were so many people there, and it was super fun. 

The next day Jay took us to a hike at Grand Mere. I loved the hike. It went through pavement, then woods, then mud, then dunes, then to Lake Michigan! The beach had really steep dunes, and it was beautiful. Then Jay drove us to Three Oak, another new town, and we went to Journeyman Distillery, which is a restaurant in an old stay factory. While you waited for your table, they had an 18-hole putting green! This delighted me, as I've never seen that, and it was so fun to play. Hopefully this will become a commonality at restaurants.  

Mackinac Island

I went to Mackinac Island for a conference, so I despite the countless times I've been here, I did all new things! We stayed at the Grand Hotel (this for sure never would have happened), to social events on the porch, to yoga, and on a behind-the-scenes tour. 

For the first time in my life, I rode in a horse and carriage. We went to the Woods, the back nine of the golf course at the Grand. It was a scramble, and Kris and I had amazing partners. I also made two birdie putts, with one of them being a 30-footer, so they were fooled into thinking I was good, too!

All in all, it was a wonderful summer in Michigan. If you ever have any questions about a location, please don't hesitate to contact me! 

Oval Beach with cousins

Grand Hotel

Secret Garden in front of Grand Hotel

Mackinac Island

Grand Hotel porch

Pine River

Grand Mere hike

Grand Mere trail

Warren Dunes State Park

Lake Michigan, Traverse City

Kayaking on Lake Michigan

With all the Wardins in South Haven

North Beach

Camping