Summer in Michigan : Beach time!

Not surprisingly, I've once again fallen behind on updating The Blog. I've been a little busy! One of the greatest things about living on the lakeshore is summertime in Michigan. Even though Lake Michigan feels like it's still hovering at the tipping point of freezing, the kids love splashing on the shoreline and playing.

Picnic at the beach. We had homemade pizza pockets!

Playing Sand Soccer is one of our new favorite activities!

Too cold for me, but they loved it!

Building a Sand Fortress with underground tunnels.

This week Chad and I were finally able to go out for a date-night. When one of our favorite local eateries had a long wait, we decided to try the Red Rooster Tavern on Scenic Drive along Lake Michigan. It was a pleasant surprise.

They have mostly bar food: burgers, sandwiches, pasta, appetizers, etc. Chad had a Rooster Burger and I ordered a Hazelnut and Fig Pannini. We both very much enjoyed our meals and plan on going back. Not to mention, there's a little-known public beach across the street that's great for walking and watching the sunset after dinner.

But we didn't do that. We went hiking at the Muskegon State Park—which I think we have done a couple hundred of times since we've moved to the area almost a decade ago. This time, however, we thought we'd go off the beaten path and explore some deer trails.

After hiking a ways off the trail, I spotted something through the woods. In a small clearing, far from the trails, we discovered this impressive shelter:

I would have liked to go inside and explore the shelter a little bit, but the bugs were biting and we were quickly running out of baby-sitting time. We are hoping to take the kids on an Adventure Hike later this year to do some investigating on this "archaeological" find. After we've thoroughly covered ourselves in bug spray.

I hope everyone reading this blog is enjoying their summer! Our little hike at the state park reminded me that there are still new adventures and discoveries to be had in our own backyards. Get out and explore!