Vacation: Grand Haven, Michigan

Last week we vacationed up in Grand Haven , Michigan, with my husband's brother and his family. Coming from the southwest part of Ohio and Kentucky, I was kind of oblivious to just how cool of a state Michigan really is. Now that we've been living up in the northwest part of Ohio, we are so close to Michigan and have had more opportunities to discover this beautiful state! Neither our family nor my in-laws had ever been to Grand Haven. We just knew that we wanted to take a vacation (on a budget) together. My SIL did the research and suggested Grand Haven. We all kind of took a chance, not really knowing what to expect, but it definitely didn't disappoint! 

My only regret is that we didn't have longer to spend there. It's really hard for us to get away on the weekends with ministry things, so we drive down Monday night and left Saturday morning, giving us four full days...which were blissful, but definitely not enough time in my opinion! 

I'll start with the beach pictures and then I'll talk about some of our favorite things! We used a windy evening to take some family pictures on the beach. Despite having four young kids (two which are four month old babies!), we were able to get some good shots. 

Jade's headband

Brian and I honestly had no expectations for what this vacation would be like. If anything, we knew it would be nice to get away, relax, and be with family. We shared a house and did a fair share of relaxing, sleeping in, and playing games in our pjs. Has anyone ever played the game, Ticket to Ride? We played it for the first time on this trip and loved it! 

 pajamas: Victoria's Secret (on sale!)

We also got to get out and enjoy this cute little beach town. Our house was within walking distance of downtown where there are tons of ice cream shops, cafes, toy stores, and restaurants. The first night we ate at The Kirby House. My SIL and I split the fish tacos and the salmon BLT. The fish tacos were yummy, but the salmon BLT was to die for! I wish I had a picture of it because it was HUGE...definitely worth splitting. 

A little bit farther than downtown is the pier that you can walk down. We took an entire day just to walk down the pier and explore. It was fun to see so many people riding their bikes down the pier, chilling in their hammocks, and jumping into the lake. Next time we go I want to bring a hammock, like an eno or a bear butt, that we can hang on the bridge! 

After we explored the pier, we went back to the downtown strip. Because we were out all day long, we had the chance to try lots of yummy drinks. Pictured here is strawberry basil lemonade and orange lavender lemonade from The Toasted Pickle.  My SIL and I love to each order something we both want to try and then split them so we can try more things! So these lemonades were yummy to sip on while we went into the cute shops on the downtown strip. But the BEST lemonade, the best latte, and the best soft pretzels (my husband, SIL, and I all agreed that these were the best soft pretzels we have ever had!) came from a bakery called, The Baker's Wife. This bakery in Grand Haven is the sister store to a bakery called The Village Baker, located in Spring Lake, which is a nearby town. I was in line at The Baker's Wife to order us some drinks when the girl in front of me ordered a strawberry lavender lemonade and raved about how good it was. I decided to try it and I am now obsessed with this flavor combination! I am already scheming on how I can make lavender and strawberry syrups here at home. 

Strawberry lavender lemonade and macarons from The Baker's Wife. Can you tell we ate a lot?! This picture was actually taken on our way home from vacation...we just had to stop at this place one more time!

Strawberry lavender lattes after a long day at the beach. 

Speaking of the beach, my idea of a vacation always includes the beach. Growing up, we never really filled up our vacations with schedules...we were content to just go to the beach every day. I still feel the same way. :) 

The babies napping in their little tent. 

JadyBug sticking her toes in the sand (swimsuit found here). 

Something else I can't forget to mention is the musical fountain show that they have every night at 10:00. There's a big fountain on the pier that lights up to different songs. It's so cute! We had a wonderful few days. This vacation was the perfect blend of relaxing and adventuring. I honestly feel like we just scratched the surface to discovering Grand Haven. We hope to go back again to experience this cute little beach town and become more acquainted with it. If anyone has ever been and has any tips, definitely let me know! 

Thanks so much for reading!!

xx,

Court