ludington love
Steve and I try to live the Lake Michigan life for at least one week during the summer and this year we decided to explore Ludington and weren’t disappointed! We squeezed our seven days of fun in just over 3 minutes in our little vacation video.
Here are 10 things that made our stay special.
- Because we have a four year old who is part fish, we started our search for a place that offered a pool and beach. Ludington Beach House fit the bill perfectly. You can’t beat the location and the recently updated suites were lovely. The pool is heated to a very comfortable temp and has a large 3 feet deep section which was great for the littles.
- Stearns Park beach is a half mile long of happiness. It has has an equally long shady grassy area with plenty of picnic spots… not to mention a first rate skate park, cute mini golf course, shuffle board courts and free parking. The half mile walk out to the light marker makes for a lovely sunset stroll. We enjoyed all amenities and now Marlo is a bit obsessed with mini golf as she is certain the first one to get the ball in the hole wins every time… no matter how many strokes it takes.
- We happened to be there while the Western Michigan Fair was in town and while we typically don’t go to these types of events, we couldn’t resist the nostalgic blinking lights and classic carnival rides. Steve also got to share his country roots by exposing Marlo (and me!) to our first tractor pull.
- Sometimes in the mornings we would grab some donuts and head down to Waterfront Park where there is a really large play structure, beautiful sculptures and walks along the harbor. It also is a great place to see the SS Badger up close!
- Speaking of the SS Badger, it is always fun to see this gigantic steam ship come and go throughout the day. It’s so big you can even see it way off on the horizon as it returns to port around 7pm each day.
- Another Ludington must stop is House of Flavors. This ice cream company produces 25 million gallons of ice cream annually (the biggest in the state!) Along with its unending selection of ice cream flavors, it also has an adorable 50’s themed restaurant open from breakfast to dinner. It like a few other businesses also has a piano outside waiting to be played by little hands.
- For more outdoor fun, you can also venture out to the state park. We didn’t spend a ton of time here because little legs can only hike so long but we did explore the skyline trail which is completely elevated so you’re walking among the trees.
- Another state park that is just 30 minutes south is Silver Lake Dunes. Talk about feeling small… you feel ant sized as you wander through these giant beautiful hills of sand. You can also watch the dare devils jump their dirt bikes on the part that is sectioned off for motor vehicles or rent one yourself for some off road fun.
- On your way back make sure to stop in the cute lakeshore town of Pentwater. We enjoyed watching the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory under the stars for their summer movie series and made sure to stop by Cosmic Candy for snacks.
- If you’re a fan of blueberries, make a point to visit Couturier Farm for some seriously good picking. They are the best we’ve had!
We packed a LOT in and since the weather was so nice we didn’t even make it to the very popular Sandcastle’s Children’s Museum. I guess it will have to wait until next time, Ludington!
