We booked our camping trip back over the winter figuring two nights was the perfect amount of time for our first attempt. I knew I wanted to be somewhere off of Lake Michigan so a friend of mine recommended PJ Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon. We packed up the van and drove out to Muskegon on Tuesday, August 1st in the morning. It was very shocking seeing how much stuff we actually had to bring considering we would only be gone for two nights. But we made it all fit in the van. Despite the 3pm check-in time, we made the decision to go into Muskegon early to have lunch at a restaurant called The Deck that another friend of mine recommended and to let the kids play on the beach at Pere Marquette Beach before checking in to our campsite. It was a beautiful day and Lake Michigan was absolutely stunning.
After the kids cooled off in the lake and got out some energy, we drove over to the campsite and got to work setting up. Our site was #74, which was a big spot around a curve that led to the beach. We were also pretty close to the bathroom, which was nice. We didn't have any neighbors on our right the entire time, but we had a family in an RV to our left with two small kids. It took about an hour and a half to set everything up and get situated, especially since it was our first time and we weren't sure how the items in the van needed to be positioned.
Nobody was overly hungry for dinner, so we decided to go down to the beach to check it out and we brought a few snacks just in case. I wanted to stay for the sunset, but the kids were ready to go back and make a fire by 8pm, so we just started to see the sun going down as we were leaving. The beach was really nice and the kids enjoyed running up the small dunes and playing over by the stream.
Scott got the fire going and we made some hot dogs over the fire for a late dinner. The boys sat around the fire for a few minutes and then it was time for bed. It was pretty late for them and we weren't sure what to expect with how they'd sleep overnight in tent. I was pleasantly surprised with how quiet and respectful everyone was by 10:30-11pm. You could hear the crackle of the fires nearby and the crickets.
The boys slept great overnight! We were all up and moving around 8am. The boys had cereal for breakfast with some mini cinnamon rolls and fruit. Scott cooked a breakfast stew and hashbrowns over the charcoal grill we brought up. It was actually just as good as at home on the gas stove!
We tested out the showers and got ready to drive over to the Visitor Center and go to the dunes overlook. There was a nice exhibit to walk through at the Visitor Center teaching the boys about the animals, bugs, and birds that are native to Western Michigan and Lake Michigan. The climb to the dunes was underwhelming. We were pretty far from the beach and the views were blocked by a lot of trees. Not sure it was worth it, but at least it gave us something to do in the morning!
We drove back the campsite, made the boys a simple lunch of PB&J sandwiches, packed up all our beach stuff and went back to the beach. Note to self: invest in a good wagon that is meant for carrying things to the beach.
By late afternoon we were ready for a change of pace and scenery, so we drove into Grand Haven to check out their downtown. There was a Coast Guard Festival going on with a fair so it was pretty fun to walk around and explore. Since we were taking the boys to the fair up north in two weeks we didn't let them do rides or games, but we stopped in a candy shop for some treats and got some ice cream too. They each picked out a small toy at a toy shop downtown that was really cute. It was a nice afternoon!
We came back to the campsite and used the charcoal grill to make some italian sausages with peppers and onions. I made a pasta salad back home that I brought and we had some fruit and veggies. The boys wanted to walk over to the playground at the campground, but that didn't last too long since the bigger kids were playing tag and it was a bit intimidating for the boys. We made another campfire, thanks to the wood we bought in town, and roasted s'mores. The boys were in bed by 9:30 tonight and I was hoping to do some stargazing, but it was a cloudy night.
The boys slept well again and we had to pack up in the morning. The boys opted for cereal again with the last of the fruit and cinnamon rolls. Scott and I made some scrambled eggs and sausage over the charcoal grill. And then it was time to start the pack-up process. The temperature dropped a lot overnight and it was going to rain in the afternoon so we figured it would just make sense to head home. The boys watched Moana on the iPad while we packed up and then we decided to take one last trip to the beach in our pajamas. There was a sign up warning about biting flies and the red flag was out, so the beach was pretty empty. It was actually nice despite all that!
We made great time driving and stopped in Lansing for Chick-Fil-A and gas. It was a really nice getaway, although it was a lot of work! The boys decided they wanted to camp once a summer in different places so I'll be researching our next destination for next year. I think we'll stick with another State Park since I was impressed with how clean the bathrooms were and how great all the campers were with their volume at night. Camping trip #1 is in the books!
We came back to the campsite and used the charcoal grill to make some italian sausages with peppers and onions. I made a pasta salad back home that I brought and we had some fruit and veggies. The boys wanted to walk over to the playground at the campground, but that didn't last too long since the bigger kids were playing tag and it was a bit intimidating for the boys. We made another campfire, thanks to the wood we bought in town, and roasted s'mores. The boys were in bed by 9:30 tonight and I was hoping to do some stargazing, but it was a cloudy night.
The boys slept well again and we had to pack up in the morning. The boys opted for cereal again with the last of the fruit and cinnamon rolls. Scott and I made some scrambled eggs and sausage over the charcoal grill. And then it was time to start the pack-up process. The temperature dropped a lot overnight and it was going to rain in the afternoon so we figured it would just make sense to head home. The boys watched Moana on the iPad while we packed up and then we decided to take one last trip to the beach in our pajamas. There was a sign up warning about biting flies and the red flag was out, so the beach was pretty empty. It was actually nice despite all that!
We made great time driving and stopped in Lansing for Chick-Fil-A and gas. It was a really nice getaway, although it was a lot of work! The boys decided they wanted to camp once a summer in different places so I'll be researching our next destination for next year. I think we'll stick with another State Park since I was impressed with how clean the bathrooms were and how great all the campers were with their volume at night. Camping trip #1 is in the books!
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