Memorial Day Weekend – Ludington State Park – May 27-31, 2011
We decided to stay a little closer to home for our first camping trip of 2011, because it was a trip with two new additions to our family. It was the first time camping with our new baby Reid who was born last November. It was also the first trip in our new camper. Everything went fairly well with the camper. We had small water leak with our foot pump and faucet. We also found out that the girls needed bigger railings on the their bunks when we kept waking up and finding arms and legs hanging over the edge. Reid had a rougher time on his first trip. Saturday night he came down with a fever that didn’t completely go away until it was time to go home on Tuesday. He was a little unhappy and woke up 3 times at night for a bottle, which made all of us tired and also a little unhappy.
The weather was very cold, damp and foggy the first 2 days. Finally on Monday and Tuesday it cleared up and was in the low 70s.
The maiden voyage for our new camper made from a custom cargo trailer.
We stayed in the Beechwood campgrounds at site 246. We have stayed in this same site one other time. It is a nice big site, but for some reason it is always one the last sites that is reserved. This is probably because on the map it looks like the rental cabin is right behind the site. It is actually set back a little ways.
The girls like to play in the trees and vines at the edge of the site and on the wooded hill across the road from our site.
Where have you taken me? It is cold and I don’t think I like it.
Saturday morning was cold and foggy. We decided to drive into town for a warm, dry lunch at one of our favorite spots, The House of Flavors. After lunch we drove around town and stopped at the waterfront park so the girls could play. The park has really nice playground and path along the water with historical displays and sculptures.
Playing on the “Follow the Leader” sculpture at the Ludington waterfront park.
This shot of the Ludington Harbor lighthouse in the fog pretty much sums up the weather for the first 2 days.
Running down the dune on the Skyline trail to find a couple geocaches on our second foggy afternoon. You can just see Reese leading the way at the bottom. Luckily the second geocache took us close to the road so we didn’t have to climb back up the dune.
The girls spent a lot of time riding laps around the campground loop.
Playing on the slide at the Hamlin Lake beach.
Lost Lake taken from the small island off from the boardwalk by the Beechwood campgrounds.
Bubba says: “It is still way too cold out here for me.”
Finally the weather cleared for Memorial Day. The girls and mom biked out to the Big Sable Point Lighthouse and climbed to the top.
A little windy at the top of the tower.
Playing at the beach on Big Sable Point.
We saw deer almost every night near our campsite.
We could almost get too close before they would run off.
Kayaking out to the islands on Hamlin Lake to find a couple more geocaches.
Looking out over Hamlin Lake from one of islands.
The Big Sable Point lighthouse just before sunset.
Sunset at Big Sable Point on Memorial Day.
Finally, a nice warm morning and some happy campers. Too bad it time to head home.
The boardwalk along Lost Lake in the Beechwood campgrounds.
Before packing up we hiked the Lake Trail out to find one more geocache.
Success! our 5th geocache find of the trip.Overall, it wasn’t our best trip, but the girls really had a great time. We go camping again in a few weeks so stay tuned!
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