Well as a daughter, sister and niece to Coast Guard men, this was a real treat to see their Coast Guard Station. We walked up and down the beautiful boardwalk. We walked all around the station and as bonus we got to see a boat coming back in to harbor. The water was really rough that day, but it doesn’t stop the Coasties. We saw many “walking” groups, dogs, and families. There was a campground right on the beach and we both decided if we were ever camping, that would be the best place.
Can we now talk about the real star of the show….oh my goodness this is by far my favorite light house in MI. Every single light house in MI is gorgeous, but just something about this one captures my eye.
By far my favorite western Michigan city! It has a beautiful boardwalk with shops, an Inn, restaurants, a my favorite coffee shop. We ate at Southaven brew pub. They had a menu labeled with gluten free options, which always makes my life a little easier!
After lunch and exploring the boardwalk, we headed towards the water. The marina is absolutely gorgeous. The park area was filled with people enjoying sunshine and many were having picnics. The entire vibe was so relaxing! At the end of the river they had a splash pad for kids and a shop with tourist shirts and accessories.
We walked up and down the streets and explored every shop. They had several antique stores and we really enjoyed walking through those. It brought up so many fun memories of our childhoods. This city had so much to offer!
That evening we watched the sunset at the lighthouse. Wow i honestly don’t know if i have ever seen a sunset so gorgeous. The beach and pier were packed with families, friends and photographers. I sure am glad i get to explore life with my wonderful husband!
Ok full disclosure this city was way bigger than i expected. Our hotel was located in an area of the city surrounded by many stores and restaurants. We were about 10 minutes from the lake. Our first evening there we went out to eat, at Boatwerks, and then headed to the lighthouse. This is one of the top attractions. The lighthouse is referred to as Big Red and sits at the entrance of the channel connecting Lake Michigan with Lake Macatawa. The beach area is the largest beach we have ever seen. It is surrounded by bike paths, marinas, fishing piers, a playground and many areas to have a picnic. The area is absolutely beautiful!
Today was gorgeous. It was 50° and sunny. Not your typical weather for the end of December in Cleveland Ohio. We of course decided we needed to spend the day outside. After our morning workout we headed to Huron. The public boat launch looked like a summer afternoon! We fished on the pier with our friend, Gene. I was super excited to use my brand new wagon that john got me for Christmas! My dad was doing important year end stuff for work, but during his break they brought Abby for a walk and joined us!!! I was able to take photos while the boys tended to the rods in the lake. I also made lots of four legged friends. We ended up with 2 perch just over 11” each. While John was bleeding out the fish, he also bled himself out 🙄. Thank goodness he married a nanny whose mother is a nurse. We cleaned with some water, put a bandaid on it and then wrapped it with a clean sock! He was good as new, at least enough to get us home. Overall excellent day spent with friends and family.
Thursday morning we woke up and it was cold. It was only 44* out and the forecast said rain was coming. Well that wont stop us from enjoying the day! We started with breakfast at my absolute favorite place. The name of the restaurant is The 45th Parallel Cafe and it was adorable. Inside was a counter to order coffee with a glass case of fresh baked muffins, bagels, scones and cinnamon buns. They only had a few tables inside to sit at. The breakfast was delicious and i wanted to work there 😂. We bought a shirt and hat because how fun that we were halfway between the equator and North Pole!?
After we filled our bellies we headed to the light house. It was a beautiful ride all the way up to the northern part of Michigan! The rain was really starting to come down but we didn’t mind because the scenery was beautiful and we don’t want to miss a second of all there is to see!
The most unique Cedar Tree
Well the rain is continuing to get worse but i was dying to walk around the cute town of Northport that we drove through on the to the lighthouse. It was the smallest and cutest town. It had a restaurant, coffee shop, book store, gas station, gallery, hardware store, market, clothing store, unique gift store, a hallmark type store, an antique store and a bakery. That’s all and all on just two corners. I absolutely loved it. The benches out front were pink. The store owners were so sweet and friendly. The gas station had the old analog pumps. Rich, who owns the antique store, was the kindest old man. We must have stayed and talked to him for an hour. We know all about his story and his family. He now also knows all about ours. He told us we had to go check out Christmas Cove….so we did as soon as we left town!
Christmas Cove was off the beaten path. We passed the cutest farmhouse on the way in. At the end of the road is a beautiful beach and a line of houses. Again I’m pretty sure I’m in a Hallmark movie!
Ok we’ve worked up an appetite and its time for lunch. We went back to Suttons Bay and ate at the G grill. Really cute little rustic joint. The tables were all full so we sat at the bar. It seemed everyone in the place were locals and everyone knew everyone. John had the perch bites and i had house made pita chips with artichoke dip. It was really the healthiest choice on the menu!
After lunch we donated $35 to the casino, but we had fun and we stayed dry!
We returned back to the Inn and i made coffee in the common room to warm us up! We decided to get oncomfy clothes and stay in for the rest of the day. After eating healthy all week we decided to splurge and order some pizza. Small town local pizza is delicious!
Lake Girls Adventures 