Every summer my wife, daughter, son and I pack some lunches, a cooler of punch and venture off to Michigan’s west coast. The rules are simple… 3 state parks, IN the water at each one, lunch at the second stop, dinner in Saugatuck and watch the sunset before venturing back to Potterville.
We begin at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon, then off to Grand Haven State Park and finally to Holland State Park. One park sticker, three beaches, and an absolute wonderful family day. There is rarely a month that goes by without one of us commenting on how soon we get to do it all again. It all evolved quite simply on a weekend trip to ONE beach and it turned into THREE beaches before we were done. We affectionately refer to it and the Annual McCune Family 3 Beach Tour. We’re working on year five in 2008.
The drive is a breeze, given our state’s highway system. The scenery is gorgeous and the air thins out and freshens as we drive closer to Lake Michigan. Depending on the month we choose to travel, the roadsides are filled with fruit stands; strawberries, peaches, cherries, cantaloupe and if we travel in late June, the obligatory fireworks! We always stop, shop and add the local fruit to our menu of the day.
Once at the beach, we take it all in. The majesty of Lake Michigan and the surrounding forestry. The sky sprinkled with the whitest cloud puffs looking like cotton balls against the blue background. Now, out of the car and on toward the shoreline. The sand, hot beneath our feet, gives us pause to think about how wonderful the water will feel once we leap in. The water, cold and refreshing, cools us and causes laughter and frolicking. The sun wraps its warmth around us as we dry off and prepare for the next leg of our journey. Even as I write this, I cannot suppress a smile from the memories of our “tours”.
We’ve all seen beaches; we’ve all seen sunsets; we’ve all seen water. But after you’ve seen these gems in the State of Michigan, and see them reflected in your children’s eyes, you’ll never see them the same again.
We travel again in just eight short months.
