The best thing that has come out of cancelled plans this year has been last minute vacations. When Mark and I decided to cancel our 5 year anniversary trip to Seattle we tossed around the idea of taking a fall getaway to our favorite side of the state. I'm so glad we did! Our long-weekend trip will be one I will cherish for years to come.
One can never go wrong with a trip to Lake Michigan. We joke we live in the worst part of the state (even though it's not that bad), but going west or north is like a whole new place. The air is crisp and smells like pine. "Pure Michigan" 100% lives up to its ad slogan.
Our family of 4 stayed at a cozy cottage in Union Pier. The neighborhoods in the area were so charming. The town is an hour drive from Chicago and so we easily justified the drive to see our fav city which holds so many fun memories for Mark and I.
When we were dating I would take Mark with me to visit my sister. Mark rang in his 21st birthday here, we spent weekends riding bikes along lake shore drive, and eating the best food.
We took the boys to Millennial park where we ate our Lou Malnati's deep dish, walked around the block, showed the boys the famous bean, and played a game of mini-golf before heading to our AirBNB.
Jack was all about the za! If you can't tell Peter was too. ;)
Highly recommend eating at the Stray Dog in New Buffalo. I had the shrimp tacos and they totally hit the spot. Peter loved it especially since there were pictures of dogs all over the wall. He's obsessed.
When traveling with 2 under the age of 3 it is helpful to keep expectations low. We spent most our time playing games at the cottage, visiting the lake (we got lucky with a 70 degree day in October), making yummy food at home, and taking walks around the neighborhoods. I joked with Mark that we will be prospecting for a cottage now because 1) the area is breathtaking 2) the time away is so special and 3) it's fun to dream. :)
The best thing we planned was to have a family session on the beach!! Fall colors + Lake Michigan is a beautiful sight in itself so naturally I could not NOT miss this opportunity.
Oh my word ya'll, Haley Harris, photographer of Willow Acres Co., captured our little family so beautifully. You would have never guessed Peter had a meltdown because he couldn't splash and play in the water. :P Here is a sneak peak of more to come. Let's be honest these photos need their own post. The cuteness is absurd. I'm so grateful to Haley!!
Vacations with littles is no easy feat. BUT I wouldn't trade any of the sweet moments we experienced together. It literally felt like we came off of a camp trip where we shared inside secrets and memories that left a mark on the 4 of us.
I might be riding on a post-vacation high, but I already told Mark we could totally take our fam across the pond for a European vacay next!? All for the mems, right? ;)
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