Family Vacation to Michigan

The first week of August we finally got to take a trip to Michigan to explore and see some of the highlights of the lower peninsula. We decided to stay in a hotel in Grand Rapids which we thought was pretty centrally located, and take day trips from there. We stayed mostly on the west coast which is Lake Michigan. It was a lot of driving but we had perfectly beautiful weather, with clear skies and lots of sun.

We were ready for a leg stretch stop just as we crossed into Michigan and luckily ended up stopping at the official welcome center. Brett was in a mood and didn't want to take any family photos with us...

Airzoo

Before we got to our hotel, we made a stop at the Airzoo near Kalamazoo, MI. The ratings were really high and it seemed like it would be a good stop after being in the car for 4 hours or so. It was a cool place, but maybe we're aircrafted out after seeing so many other amazing places like the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum in Virginia, and the National Museum of the US Air Force which were both overwhelmingly amazing with aircraft. Again, Brett wasn't going to get in on our family photo.

There were a few interactive things for the kids to do. Brett enjoyed getting to build a car with a plastic bottle, then go and attach it to a pressure pump and once you press the button to release it, it goes "shooting" down the track.

The rocket one had a lot more power.

The facility also had a few rides that everyone could go on. The first one we did was the hot air balloon ride. I figured it wouldn't be too bad since it was clearly targeted for children, but I'm so glad that I went forward facing or I would have probably gotten sick. After about 10 seconds in, Brett and I were counting down the seconds until it stopped. It got spinning really pretty fast and went up and down.

Our Hotel (Residence Inn - Grand Rapids Airport)

After that, we made it to our hotel and got set up for the week. It was a pet friendly hotel (which I didn't realize meant that all rooms could be "contaminated", so we had to do everything we could to minimize the allergies for Brett and I. Even the trollies to bring all your luggage up were covered in pet hair, so we had to carry all our stuff in by hand. We brought a lot of food so that took quite a while. Once we got all moved in, it was a pretty nice place. It had a full kitchen and 2 bedrooms/bathrooms. The stove door wouldn't shut all the way which was a pain, but Chris suggested we pull out the drawer right next to it, and it kept it shut which we were cooking. The TV watching area was not really laid out right, but the boys said the shower was the best shower EVER.

Windmill Island Gardens

On our second day we went to Holland and explored the beautiful grounds of the Windmill Island Gardens. Blake was so excited to bring his big camera (my old digital SLR) and he took about 3 pictures before the things just died. I felt so bad for him. I know it was old, but he took quite a few photos at home and it was just fine. We got to go up in an old windmill that was 7 stories high and was relocated from the Netherlands. I'm sure the grounds are incredible when the tulips bloom, which is their main attraction, but it was still really pretty even in August.

They have a huge organ that plays music and it happened to be playing right when we arrived.

A racing game where 4 people have to walk together.

The famous windmill.

Up on the platform.

They even had a whole row of buildings that were with the theme. The gift shop sells wooden clogs which I hear are a big seller.

Blake got to ride the carousel. He was the first rider of the day and had the whole thing to himself, haha.

Just a few of the beautiful flowers.

Pere Marquette Beach

We were going to go one other place in Holland, but Brett was having the "worst time ever" so we decided to go straight to the beach. We drove up to Muskegon because they had a lighthouse right near the beach and we could do both while we were there. It wasn't super hot when we arrived and we didn't realize how strong the sun would be so we got our sunscreen on late and Chris ended up getting a bit too much sun. I also got a little burnt on my shoulders, but I at least have a base so it wasn't too bad.

You can see the lighthouse in the distance.

The boys' first goal was the sift the sand to find treasure (seashells I think). Sadly there weren't very many shells and the water was so cold that my ankles locked up when a tiny amount of water touched them.

We settled on making sand castles after that, and Brett could've stayed here all day.

Muskegon South Pierhead Lighthouse

After we felt sufficiently burnt, we packed up and headed over to the lighthouse. It was about a half mile walk there and back to the parking lot. The breeze off the water was incredible and I could've stayed there all day.

The Muskegon Channel has quite a bit of water traffic. We saw a huge concrete tanker come through and a ferry boat from Milwaukee.

The lighthouse is only open 3 days week for tours so we were glad the weather was cooperative. They even had a story time that Brett got to take part in for 30 minutes while Blake and I climbed up to the top of the lighthouse. Brett would've been a little short to make it comfortably, and Chris had flip flops on which would've made it tough.

While we were waiting our turn to climb (Covid regulations allowed only 4 people at a time), 4 jets flew over and put on a show for everyone on the beach. They were so loud and did a few rolls for us. They literally flew right over our heads, it was so cool!

The view from the top of the lighthouse wasn't as spectacular as I expected, but I love a good climb to get a view. Blake and I really enjoyed getting to climb our first lighthouse.

Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitor Center

On our third day (my birthday) we drove up to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which was a good 3 hour drive from our hotel. We knew this would be a big driving day, but there weren't really any places to stay up there that made sense for us. When we arrived at the visitor center, it was insanely crowded. I guess this was just the summer of the national parks. I went in and got our passports stamped because it was so crowded, you could barely walk, and Blake had to come in and help me get our free pass for 4th graders and their families.

Empire Bluff Trail

After getting all our info, we drove out to a trail that sounded like it wouldn't be too overgrown, and that had a beautiful view at the end. Both of those were true, except for the end of the trail got pretty overgrown with poison ivy and there was a big sign at the start of the trail that warned us about the possibility of ticks and got Blake freaking out. In the end, we had a nice shaded hike and the views of the coast at the end were just beautiful!

The first view was about halfway to the end of the trail.

I got to enjoy the views for a while, and Chris took the boys back to the car because they'd had enough nature.

The first vista.

The sandy path to the main lookout.

It was just gorgeous. Too bad it was a bit hazy.

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

After the hike, we went to a scenic drive which looked a lot like the hike we had just done, but in the comfort of our car which I think the boys liked. The drive had quite a few spots were you could pull over and view different things. Most of them were just woods, but there was a stop where you could see the dunes from afar, and a stop where you could see the right next to the water. It was the 9th stop on the drive.

The views away from the water were just as beautiful!

Dune Climb at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

As our last stop, we went to the big Dune Climb. We all climbed up these huge dunes and the boys had a great time.

Once you climb the first one, there are plenty more to go if you choose.

Then they ran down as fast as they could.

Kayak Trip (Lakeshore Kayak Rentals LLC)

On day 4, we drove out to Grand Haven and rented kayaks. The boys had never been on a kayak before and Michigan has so many water sports to enjoy, so we had to do it. I'm glad we settled on kayaks instead of a canoe. Blake decided to get an oar/paddle to help Chris (which may have made it more difficult with extra water flying everywhere) and they eventually got down their rowing rhythm.  I know Chris appreciated the help, because that is hard work! I didn't even ask Brett if he wanted to help because I was fine being in charge of the rowing. After we got out on the water and he realized how peaceful it was, he said "This is way better than I thought it would be, Mom". So he had a great time relaxing in the front of our kayak and looking for turtles and lily pads. We made it almost an hour, and that was the perfect amount of time to wear us out.

Since the boys had such a great time at the beach the first time, we decided to go back for another round. This time we found a beach umbrella which was a huge help because it was much hotter the second time. Also, the water was much less frigid, and I was fine getting in up to my shorts. The main issue was that there was a ton of seaweed and that was just gross, haha. We made a few more sandcastles and found a few more shells to complete our beach fix for a while.

Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation

On our final day, we packed up our hotel and headed east to Detroit. We stopped at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and didn't really know what to expect. I figured there would be mostly cars, but wow I had no idea how many other things would be there. It was an incredible place and I wish we'd had more time to explore it. It also would've been much less painful if we'd had a stroller for Brett who was just exhausted after being away from home for so long. The museum had everything from math puzzles to optical illusions, and generators/engines to furniture and farm equipment through the years. We only visited the museum, but there is a whole campus full of things to explore that looked really cool too.

We made some paper airplanes and had to test them.

They had huge locomotives!

And tons of presidential escort cars.

And of course the Model T.

It was a full and exhausting trip, but we got to see so many amazing things! I'm glad we finally got to go see and experience at least a few of the highlights of Michigan.