Camping with the Browns

We made plans to head up to Northern Michigan to go camping.  We called ahead and realized that there were only a few camp sites left at D.H. Day campground at Sleeping Bear Dunes, so we left about 6am to get there before they were all taken.

Early morning.  Eating a Tim Horton breakfast on the way.



Are you sure we want to go camping???  No j/k Dan was looking silly so I could take new pics with my new phone.

After we made it to D.H. Day in record time (9:30am), we found that they only had 1 site left and the ranger refused to let all of our party share it.  Poo!

So we ended up calling and driving to Leelenau State Park and camping there.  We liked it there!  And being a State Park, we again were able to have our entrance waved because we bought the recreation pass for our registered vehicle.  (We've definitely saved money by purchasing this!)



Made it in time for lunch!

 Ainsley loved pushing Avery's stroller all around.  She's such a girl!

 It was a little windy and overcast and chilly when we made it to the tip of the peninsula.  Dan was pretty cold dipping his feet in Lake Michigan (our camping backyard!).

 Camping Cousins!

 Miss Ainsley

 We went to the lighthouse right by the campground.  This is a lego replica that took 6 months to make.

 Looking for fossils.  We came home with tons of fossil rocks!

 Trying to skip rocks.

 Lounging while dinner is cooking.

Making s'mores.  While preparing to come to Michigan from Florida, Aidan would say that he was going to go camping to make s'mores.  He was so excited to make these both nights, as were the rest of us kids!



bedtime.



 The campground even had a miniature playground to get more wiggles out.

 We showed the kids how to twist the swing so that you fly in circles.

 The Saginaw Voyagers were going to sail away.

 The 'French' Voyagers were even dressed in period attire while they carried their birch boat to the lake.

 Everyone getting situated.

 Setting off on their journey.

 The sad thing about not having a reservation at this campground was that someone else had claimed our spot (it was supposed to be an unreservable spot but got reserved - go figure) for our second day.   So we all had to relocate to a site on the opposite end of the grounds.  We decided to make it easier and just take the insides out and walk the empty tents to our new spot.

 There were lots of stares, but who cares, it saved us the hassle of setting the tents up again.

 After our relocating, we headed to Sleeping Bear Dunes.  This is the start.  It doesn't look so bad from here.  Steep, but you figure that it's not bad to the top.  Until you get to the top.  It doesn't stop!  I think we climbed over 4 big hills of sand before we stopped. 

 Here's the view from the top of that first climb toward our car.

You also need to understand that it was pretty hot.  The sand was burning hot in spots.  Or rather it felt cool in the shady spots, the rest was burning.

 This was the last hill we were going to climb.  We were able to see Lake Michigan from here but there was still about another mile to climb.  We were tired (I guess mostly really out-of-shape me was tired) and Ross was crying because his feet hurt.  So we decided to turn around and go back.

If you ever go, it is beautiful, but use the bathroom first because there are no pit stops along the way!

 I think the kids were all pooped out!

On the way back to camp, we stopped by Lake Michigan so the kids could get in.  They really didn't get in much though.



It was a fun camping trip.  On the way home we stopped by Traverse City and got some YUMMY pasties.  MMMMmmmmm!  Good trip!