Lake Michigan Vacation

June 26, 2013

June 9-16th we had a wonderful vacation at a house with a private beach on Lake Michigan. We went with Curt's parents and Curt's sister Molly and husband Tim (Abby, Katie, & Brady). I've always wanted to stay at a house that was right on the beach. The house had a long narrow lot. It sat near the back and had lots of privacy. We had a little bit of a walk down the long driveway to get to the beach, but it really wasn't that far at all. They had even just added a sand volleyball court and my niece Abby was excited to use that! The weather was mainly in the 70's, which can feel cool down by the lake, but we still enjoyed the beach and had a good time.

All loaded up. I was happy that we were able to fit everything and still ride comfortably. I am a horrible over-packer and it was hard to know what clothes we needed. We ended up needing everything from swimsuits/shorts to sweatshirts/jeans.

This is a view by the top of the stairs. This deck was ours to use for the week.

These are the stairs we took down to the private beach.

The beach was beautiful & empty! It may be hard to go back to the public beach. :)

Lucy enjoyed the beach, even on chilly days.

Ben liked playing in the sand.

Lucy and Aunt Molly

Tim spent a lot of time doing this...I don't think he found any treasures.

SAUGATUCK, MI

Curt and I took the kids to explore downtown Saugatuck one of afternoons. Ben liked looking at the big boats.

We found a little park to help get some wiggles out.

Me, Ben, and our new friend

Enjoying some mint chocolate chip ice cream.

DUTCH VILLAGE

HOLLAND,MI

After a few days at the beach, we decided to head somewhere different with the kids. Holland was only about a 20 minute drive, so we decided to go to the Dutch Village. I haven't been there since I was little. It was a lot more compact than I remember, but there were so many fun things for the kids to do and see. It was a great way to spend the day.

I remember riding these swings as a child. I didn't think Ben would try it, but he was sitting next to his cousin Abby and I think that helped him to be brave. This is just the start of the ride and they get quite a bit higher/faster.

Lucy liked meeting the goats.

Ben on a "pumper" car.

Watching a Dutch dance.

Ben and Brady

Lucy with her Papa

Ben watched his cousin Katie on the zip line and wanted to give it a try. I was really surprised about that! Curt had to help him get in the right position.

There he goes!

The day wore Lucy right out. She fell asleep on the way home.

Someone else was worn out too. :)

The house had a really nice side yard with a fire pit. Lucy loved being outside. There were lots of "dangers" to keep her away from so that was a little tiring.