Farewell Summer 2017
/"Lake Michigan: salt water and shark free for thousands of years!", or so the popular (around here) bumper sticker reads. If you're not familiar with our Great Lakes, you'll be surprised to know that 1.) you CAN'T see across to the other side, 2.) They have waves, beaches, and tides similar to the ocean, and 3.) they are so large that they, in fact, create their own weather system. So while the coasts battle threats of hurricanes and tsunamis, we Midwesterners enjoy the safety, convenience, and beauty of our landlocked "ocean". That said, if you want to experience a Lake Michigan beach, it's best to go to the Michigan side, where the aeolian winds create pristine sand dunes and beaches. Fortunately, our favorite harbor town of South Haven, MI is just over 2 hours away from Chicago, and more fortunately, it was a perfect-weather weekend to officially bid "Adieu!' to summer. There are more hotels, inns, and rental homes than one can keep track of, but we like the rustic camping comfort of "Lazy Bob", our trusty travel trailer, so named by my youngest because for the first several months of ownership, it just sat in our driveway "doing nothing". Most people who know me are surprised that I'm much of a "camper". The truth is that it did take me a while to get over what some perceive- at times deservedly- as a camping "stigma", but I would be remiss if I failed to mention that I had a few stipulations if I was going to throw a bone to my all-male household in the camping department: fully sealed and enclosed (i.e. no "pop-ups"), fully heated and air-conditioned, and full bathroom on board (cable-TV-ready was an added bonus). Once these demands were met, I officially embraced camping....and it has been a wonderful ride ever since. The kids can't get enough of the outdoors, and I know we are building life-long memories together. And traveling this way is of course ridiculously affordable.
Our Saturday culminated with sunset on the beach, followed by a family tradition of dinner at Clementines and dessert at Sherman's Dairy Bar, possibly the best local ice cream I've ever had. The next morning was spent picking apples and eating donuts at Jollay Orchards before heading home. What a great way to end summer...and usher in fall. Here's hoping your summer was just as memorable!
Enjoying our last bit of beach time and a beautiful lake michigan sunset. until next summer...