• About Me
  • Privacy Policy and Disclosure Policy

Shann Eva's Blog

A peek into my messy life with 3 boys

  • Home
    • My Delivery Story
    • Twin Pregnancy
  • Work with Me!
  • Money-Saving Links
  • Blog
    • Shann’s Favorites
    • Shopping
    • Birthdays
    • Health
    • Micro Preemie Mondays
  • Submit Your Story
    • Share an Update
  • Twin pregnancy
You are here: Home / Blog / Michigan Summer Adventure

Michigan Summer Adventure

June 21, 2016 By Shann 24 Comments

Michigan

Michigan is beautiful this time of year. It is also home to many of our relatives, so last Thursday, we packed up the car and headed on our first road trip of the summer.

Michigan

Logistics

The main reason for the trip was for a family reunion. We decided to drive with my parents, so we rented a minivan. It’s always a better driving (and vacation) situation when the adults outnumber the children. Plus, a minivan is way more comfortable for long trips than any of our cars.

I packed up all the kids, my husband packed up the car, and then we had to head to grandma and grandpa’s house Thursday morning. Not only did we have to pick them up, but we also had to take showers.

Why, you ask? Well, our pipes were clogged (old house, old pipes, lots of tree roots) and water backed up into our basement Wednesday night. Since it happened at night, and right before we left, the plumber wasn’t coming until Monday. So, that meant no running water, no flushing toilets, no washing hands. Ugh. I think this was the only time I was happy the twins were NOT potty trained.

Showered and packed, we headed on the road. It wasn’t until the first rest stop that my oldest pointed out he did not have shoes on. Perfect. At least I had packed sandals in his suitcase!

First Stop

We decided to break up the trip, and make our first stop Saugatuck, Michigan. Saugatuck is located on Lake Michigan, and it is a cute little resort town. There are beautiful beaches, and a really cute downtown area with quaint little shops. There’s also a great art community, and I saw many galleries as we were walking through town.

The day before, it had been in the 90’s, but when we arrived it was cloudy and about 50 degrees. I actually bought my oldest a souvenir sweatshirt because he was so cold.

We ate in the town, and then went back to our hotel to meet up with my brother and his family, who were also heading to Michigan for the reunion. Since it was so cold, we decided that the pool was a better option than the beach. Here’s a shot of my boys all ready to go. I think this is my favorite picture from the whole trip.

silly boys in Michigan

Tired out from the car, the walking, and the swimming, we settled in to watch a little Mickey Mouse before bed.

The Beach

The weather did a complete turn-around, and it was sunny and hot. We piled in the car and headed to Oval beach, which was gorgeous. I had read a little on the visitor’s website, and read that it was a highly ranked beach, and now I know why. It was clean, had plenty of parking, and plenty of space for our group of 13. Did I mention that my brother has 4 daughters? None of the kids are the same age, but they all love playing with each other.

The water was pretty cold, but the twins were super excited to play in the sand. My brother took turns carrying the kids into the water, which they loved, and Grandpa kept them entertained by making his feet disappear in the sand. Plus, there was treasure to be discovered…or at least some really cool looking rocks.

michigan oval beach

Family

It was then time to head to our final destination of St. Johns, Michigan, where my Aunt, my Dad’s sister, my Uncle, my Dad’s brother, and my Cousins live. We try to head there every summer for a reunion. We didn’t make it last summer, so I’m glad we could make it this year.

After visiting for a bit, we headed to my Aunt’s restaurant, Main Street Cafe. Her son also owns the pizza place next door, Main Street Pizza. My Aunt is one of the best cooks ever, and the pizza is just awesome. If you are ever in St. Johns, you need to go check them both out. You won’t be sorry!

It’s also pretty fun to know the owners. We got the whole back room to ourselves, the staff was amazing, and we could eat anything (and everything!) we wanted. Good thing I was already done with the Whole30!!!

Needing to burn off a few calories, we headed to the new Splash/Spray Park. The twins weren’t quite sure what to make of all the spraying water, but Mr. B loved it. Even though the water was a bit cold, it was really hot outside, so it felt good.

michigan family

Mr. B’s lips were turning a bit blue after a while, so we headed back to my Aunt’s house. More food, a few drinks, and time for the kids to settle down with a movie.

Reunion

The official reunion was the next day, Saturday. Before everyone arrived, we took the boys over to look at an old train that we passed by in town. There was even a mailbox slot in one of the cars for Santa Claus, which Mr. B thought was really cool.

michigan train trip

Then, it was reunion time. My Aunt made some delicious Italian beef, my Uncle kept the daiquiris flowing, and the kids ran all day. We looked at old pictures, heard family stories,my Dad got to catch up with his siblings, and we just enjoyed being with family.

At the end of the day, the older kids, including Mr. B, headed over to my Cousin’s house to play on the trampoline. The twins were content to stay at my Aunt’s since their older cousin brought all his old Thomas the Trains for them to play with.

Finally, on Sunday, we ate one more meal at the restaurant, and celebrated Father’s Day. I was really happy that we all could be together, and I hope the boys remember how much fun they had on this trip. Mr. B is already asking if we can take this trip again next summer, so I think that’s a good sign.

michigan father's day

 

 

If you like what you just read please click to send a quick vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs- The best mommy blog directory featuring top mom bloggers

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Aunt, Beach, cousins, Family, father's day, Main Street Cafe, Main Street Pizza, Michigan, Mickey Mouse, Oval beach, pizza, plumber, pool, restaurant, reunion, road trip, Saugatuk, Twins, Uncle

Comments

  1. Alicia says

    June 21, 2016 at 8:17 am

    Looks like fun!! My in-laws live in Michigan, but we haven’t done much outside their little town of Clarkston! We’ll need to plan a Michigan adventure soon πŸ™‚

    Reply
  2. Joules (Pocketful of Joules) says

    June 21, 2016 at 8:51 am

    Looks like you had a wonderful trip. The beach looks so pretty and the sand looks so soft!

    Reply
  3. Becky @Disney in your Day says

    June 21, 2016 at 11:27 am

    Looks like a fantastic trip! I’ve never been to Michigan. And I love that pic of them in the goggles! It must be so cool to have family that owns a restaurant.

    Reply
  4. Mistle says

    June 21, 2016 at 11:36 am

    What a great trip!!! It looks like everyone had a blast being able to spend time with each other! My family needs to do this soon! It’s been too long.

    Reply
  5. Kimberly Cox says

    June 21, 2016 at 1:13 pm

    Looks like a great trip. Michigan is so pretty and I love going there any season. As a child I grew up on the Indiana Michigan border about a 10 minute drive from Lake Michigan. So pretty out that way. Hope you got the pipes fixed quickly <3

    Reply
  6. Susannah says

    June 21, 2016 at 4:47 pm

    Sounds like a great getaway! I’m glad you were able to do it! <3

    Reply
  7. Heather Gullett Denniston says

    June 21, 2016 at 5:49 pm

    We went to Michigan last summer. LOVED. IT. We got to use a beach house of a friend and it was so great. You have some wonderful photos there!

    Reply
  8. Christie Brown says

    June 21, 2016 at 7:40 pm

    Aww how nice. πŸ™‚ I’m glad you and your family had a good time!
    Your photos are making me wish it was Summer over here rather than disgusting Winter. πŸ™

    Christie’s Take on Life. xx

    Reply
  9. CourtneyLynne Storms says

    June 21, 2016 at 7:40 pm

    Awwwww loving all the pics!!!! Looks like y’all had a fab trip πŸ™‚

    Reply
  10. Kristin Longacre says

    June 21, 2016 at 8:01 pm

    That sounds like a fun little getaway! I love how diverse michigan is!

    Reply
  11. Rachel E. Bledsoe says

    June 21, 2016 at 9:18 pm

    Love how so much of this post revolved around family. The pictures are wonderful! And the fact family owns not one but two restaurants… NICE! The beaches look so pretty there! Thank you for sharing this!

    Reply
  12. Sarah Emily says

    June 21, 2016 at 9:41 pm

    What great memories! Summer adventures are the best!

    Reply
  13. Kusum @sveetesKapes says

    June 22, 2016 at 7:54 am

    Looks like you guys had a great time! The beach looks so inviting, no wonder your kiddos wanted to play in sand in spite of it being cold. So glad you guys were able to enjoy some family time together with your extended family.

    xx, Kusum | http://www.sveeteskapes.com

    Reply
  14. Cara Owens-Kindly Unspoken says

    June 22, 2016 at 7:45 pm

    Your boys are too cute! Looks like such a blast! πŸ™‚

    Reply
  15. KidCongeniality says

    June 22, 2016 at 9:39 pm

    Fun trip. We can’t wait to go visit our friends in Michigan one day! Nothing like a family vacation.

    Reply
  16. The Stay-at-Home Life says

    June 23, 2016 at 12:54 pm

    It looks like you guys had an awesome time! So glad you enjoyed it. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  17. Diane (ThisScatteredLife.com) says

    June 23, 2016 at 3:13 pm

    Very cool – we love Saugatuk! I hope you had a chance to visit Uncle John’s Cider Mill in St John’s – they have fabulous fruity wines and free tastings. πŸ˜€

    Reply
  18. momwithfiveblog says

    June 25, 2016 at 5:53 am

    You had a wonderful time there. And the beach… I wanna go there right now!

    Reply
  19. Jill Robbins says

    June 25, 2016 at 10:20 am

    Looks like you had a great time! My husband is from Michigan and we hope to do a road trip next year.

    Reply
  20. She Joh says

    June 26, 2016 at 12:35 pm

    This sounds like a perfect Summer adventure. I’ve heard great things about the beaches in Michigan, looks like your boys had a fun time in the water!

    Reply
  21. Rachel G says

    June 27, 2016 at 8:48 am

    Sounds like such a great family trip and reunion! I’m from Michigan, but have never actually been to Saugatuck–looks pretty!

    Reply
  22. Shannon @ Lady's Little Loves says

    June 27, 2016 at 8:54 am

    What a fun trip! And yes, knowing the owners definitely has it’s perks!

    Reply
  23. Sandy Mangis says

    June 28, 2016 at 12:03 am

    Sounded like. Great trip considering how it started. You do so good with your troops.

    Reply
  24. Garf says

    June 29, 2016 at 10:08 am

    The kids look like they were having fun. I wanna go to that beach.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Meet Shann

Shann Hi! I'm a mom, writer, and dancer. I love sharing my parenting experiences, my healthy living tips, my money saving ideas, and our travel plans. My passion to help other women inspired this blog. I hope you'll stay a while and come back often.

Need Help Finding Something?

Follow Me

Subscribe to Blog

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

  • Middle Mom: Changes and Challenges February 21, 2023
  • Writing as Therapy May 16, 2022
  • COVID: The (Not) Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Guilt August 20, 2021
  • Healthy Lifestyle: Making Baby Steps Back July 27, 2021
  • 2020 Year In Review: The Highlights December 31, 2020

Facebook

Facebook
MKE Moms Blog
Copyrighted.com Registered & Protected 
M6VU-YLWL-D4JY-XAO4

Copyright © 2023 Β· Blog Design by Quality Websites On A Budget

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking β€œAccept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT