South Haven Lighthouse, Michigan

Today was a busy day!  One of my cousin's grandchildren was celebrating her 9th birthday and we drove about 2 hours south to Hartford, Michigan.  She had her birthday party in an indoor water park (see extra photo).  It was great fun for both the children and adults (those who joined in).  Yes, I participated as well, and had great fun going down the twisting water slide sitting on top of a rubber ring.  (Sorry - no pictures! [Thank goodness!])

On the way home we stopped in South Haven, on the shore of Lake Michigan.  South Haven, along with the towns of Saugatuck, Holland and Grand Haven, are popular weekend and summer get-away spots in the Mid-West, especially with those who live in Chicago.  

After some window shopping on Main Street and a stop for coffee, we spent a short time on the beach where we saw the early stages of the sunset behind the South Haven lighthouse.  Michigan beaches are wonderful.  For those who live outside of the Great Lakes area, it's hard to believe that there could be such wide beaches and so much sand along a freshwater lake.  The area is often referred to as the 'Third Coast' of the US.  Lake Michigan, one of the 5 Great Lakes, is 118 miles (190 km) wide and 307 miles (494 km) long.

See 'extra photos' for a view of South Haven Beach.