Michigan Family Vacation

Father's Day weekend Eric and I loaded up the camper and the kids and headed north for our first official family vacation! We knew we wanted to start taking the kids with us on trips and to hit up states we hadn't been to together yet, and knew we needed to start small, so we decided that a short trip to Michigan would be the perfect place to start. 

We left that Friday morning and headed north, first to northern Indiana. Michigan might not be that far of a drive for adults to make in one day, but we knew our kids wouldn't make it that long. We stopped at Lost Pines Resort in Knox, Indiana and set up camp for the night. 

It wasn't long before the kids were causing mischief, riding their bikes around the campground and hitting up the playground to play. 

We enjoyed s'mores by the campfire, and took in the ambiance of our awning lights- a perfect addition requested by Brayden. The kids fell asleep to a movie in the camper, and Eric and I enjoyed a little one on one time by the fire. 

The kids were up bright and early the next day, and after a yummy breakfast, we hit up the playground again so Eric could pack up the camper. We didn't need to leave until lunch time, so Eric suggested we drive around and look for another playground to check out. He found the perfect place for the kids to explore- and bonus- a Kona Ice truck!

Snow-cones were a welcome addition as a mid morning snack. Brayden and Ashley both had to get rainbow colors- which meant they needed every flavor the truck had. They were a little disappointed when they reached the bottom and the colors had all mixed together, but I think we'd all agree that we would hit up another snow-cone truck if we found one.

After a quick lunch it was on to Lake Michigan and our next campground- PJ Hoffmaster State Park in Norton Shores, Michigan. We had the perfect spot on the end of a row, super close to the bathroom/shower house and the trail to get to the playground and the beach! 

The kids and I walked to the playground for a bit while Eric set up camp (it's so much easier setting up the pop-up without the distraction of the kids!). As soon as he said everything was ready, we headed back to change into our swimsuits and walk down to the beach! 

It was a little bit of a trek, but I don't remember any of the kids ever complaining. Me on the other hand- ha! As we got closer and closer to the beach the ground was turning to sand, and you could sense the kids excitement. We finally got close to the top of the hill and you could see the water and hear the "woah!" from Brayden and Ashley. I think they ran down the hill to see the water.

They were a little hesitant at first to get too close to the water. We all dipped our toes in- the water was so cold! And it wasn't long before Brayden, Ashley, and Katie were running down the shoreline splashing in the tide and exploring the beach. 

We didn't bring the beach toys this time, so no sand castles were built, but everyone still had so much fun. The kids even found a giant hole that someone else had dug to play in for a while. 

Before long it was time for dinner, so it was back to the camper to wash off and grab some food, and of course some s'mores. The next day was Father's Day, and the kids were excited to give the cards we had made at home to Eric. One thing I really wanted to do while we were on this trip was a sand dune ride. Eric and I tossed around the idea of doing it Sunday morning or Monday morning before we left. Sunday after waking up (around 8:30- the kids really slept in this day!), Eric decided we should go that morning to do the dune rides. So after breakfast we loaded up the car and headed north to do Mac Woods Dune Rides. The farther north we drove, the darker and darker it got. We probably should have checked the weather, because it wasn't long before it started to rain. We pulled into the parking lot for the dune rides and the rain did not appear to be stopping. We watched as people exited the ticket center, got in their cars, and left. And after checking the radar, it didn't look like the rain was going to stop any time soon. When we told the kids that we wouldn't be able to do the sand dune rides that day, Ashley started crying, which was exactly how I felt about the situation too. We promised that we would come back the next day and try again. So essentially we drove an hour to get McDonald's for lunch haha. 

Luckily once we got back to our campground, the rain was over and we decided to hit up the beach again. We brought all the things this time, and it didn't take long for the kids to start digging in the sand and trying to build a sand castle. 

It also didn't take long for the flies to start biting us. I had noticed it the night before a little bit, but we stayed really close to the water that day, whereas this day we had set up camp a little farther from the water and closer to the treeline. I was getting bit so bad just sitting there that I almost told Eric I was going to go back to the camper. We saw there was a big group of people farther down the beach, so I had Eric and Ashley go check it out. That part of the beach was farther from the treeline, which definitely helped with the flies, and we put our towel and chair a little closer to the shoreline, which also helped. We stayed there for about 3 hours playing and relaxing in the sun. 

Eric decided it would be easier to cook dinner without us all at the campsite, so I took the kids for an ice cream treat so he could get everything ready. 

It was back to the camper for dinner and s'mores before bedtime. Eric even made him and I campfire apple pie for dessert once the kids were in bed. I know I'm supposed to be the one spoiling him on Father's Day, but he definitely spoils me.

The next morning it was back to the playground so Eric could pack up the camper. The kids were sad to leave from their fun, but I quickly reminded them that we were going to go back for the sand dune rides and they cheered up.

I don't think the smiles left their faces from the moment we got there. They didn't even know what to expect, but I think our excitement about it and building it up really helped them get in the mood. I was little nervous that Katie would be scared going down the hills, but after that very first hill she looked at me and said "more, more", so I knew we were in for a fun time.

I think Brayden thought that each hill we went up would result in us going down the other side, but he didn't seem too disappointed when they sometimes just leveled off at the top. Ashley kept telling me that her tummy was doing flips when we went down the hills- same girl. And Katie just smiled and took it all in. 

We got to stop one last time at the lake and snagged a few pics of us enjoying the water one last time. 

Then it was back to the car for the drive back down to northern Indiana for our last stop of the trip- Tippecanoe River State Park. I was thankful that the hottest day of our trip was spent mostly in the car, because once we got to our last campground, we quickly realized how miserable it was to be outside. We spent the majority of our time that afternoon and evening in the camper. I ran to town to try to download a movie on our phone for the kids to watch since there was no internet service in the park (and was ultimately unsuccessful). So I grabbed some pizza and coloring books and crayons to help us make it through the night while Eric took the kids to one of the playgrounds to play a bit.

Eric made s'mores on our stove, and we busted out all the cookies and fruit snacks we had left to try to occupy the kids.

They discovered that I had packed some new books that we hadn't read before, so we spent a lot of time enjoying our new books and seeing what they were all about. 

The next morning we made breakfast in the camper and ended up packing up in the rain- no internet means no way to check the weather! It was a pretty quiet ride back home, we didn't even really stop for lunch because all the kids were still napping off and on. Boy we were all excited to finally be home, but I think it's safe to say that we all really did enjoy our time together on our first vacation. It was the perfect way to get in some quality family time before adding another little one to our crazy mix. Brayden and Ashley both said that playing on the beach and the sand dune ride were their favorite part of the vacation, and Katie quickly mimicked "sand dune rides", which I'm sure was one of her favorite parts too. 

Eric and I counted this vacation as a win, so now it's time to plan our next family vacation for next summer!