Suttons Bay, Michigan - Part 2

My favorite part of our trip was exploring the towns and shopping of course. Ella, Paige, and I share a love for shopping. Adam is so lucky! ;) 

Fishtown (Leland)/Suottons Bay/Northport:

One of my top priorities on this trip was to visit Fishtown which is Leland, Michigan. I saw it on Pinterest and the lady who owns the house we stayed in said we had to go there. It's a small fishing town with lots of shops (some of which look like shacks). It was so neat and somewhere we will go back when we go again next summer. 

There were tons of fishing boats. 

The little shops look like shacks. The candy store was called "Dam Candy Store." They had the best taffy. Ella was mad because they strictly just sold candy and nothing cool like stuffed animals. Nine year olds! 

We ate outside at a place called "The Cove" and sat right by the dam. 

At the Cove... Great view and great food!

Suttons Bay also had a nice shopping area. This was the main street in town and only a few minutes away from our rental house. 

On our last day, I took Ella and Paige to Northport, MI which was about twenty minutes away. We shopped and had lunch and enjoyed some girl time. Adam was back at the house with a horrible sunburn from the previous day. 

Northport had the CUTEST shops. There were only a few, but the few they did have had some good stuff. 

We had lunch outside at a cute little cafe, and Paige found my lipgloss to play with while we were waiting for food.

Chipmunks

Another highlight of our trip was the chipmunks. The first morning there I woke up and looked outside to see a chipmunk sitting on the deck. I could not believe it. We fell in love with chipmunks in Colorado so it was exciting to see them in Michigan too. These little guys (or possibly just guy) was one of the highlights of our trip. 

Holding 16 peanuts in those chubby cheeks...

Ella was outside quite often feeding (and talking) to the chipmunks. It was not unusual to walk past the glass door and see Ella outside having a full conversation with them. 

Paige has to be just like Ella. She tried to feed the little guy (and did once), but she is definitely not patient enough! 

More fun from our trip...

Paige and I share a bed on trips. It's just easier if she wakes up disoriented. She is a great sleeper on trips if I sleep with her so whatever it takes I will do. She has proved to be a great traveler over the past few years of her life. 

These two... can't imagine life without them. 

Have you seen those "pure Michigan" commercials? I used to watch them and think that Michigan looked like such a beautiful, peaceful place. It truly is. 

Our cottage had a circle drive out front which was perfect for riding a scooter. Poor Paige tries her best to keep up with Ella, but her little legs can't move fast enough. Next summer we will be hauling bikes/scooters. We may have to rent a U-haul trailor. :) 

I knew there was a firepit so I took all the things needed for smores. Talk about chaos! Imagine a three-year-old running around with a fire stick. You win some, you lose some. I definitely lost this one. 

She sure looked cute though. 

This backyard was perfect for pictures. I can't stress enough how beautiful Michigan truly is. 

Thank goodness for tripods and self-timers. I'm not sure how, but we always seem to get a good picture. I'm thankful the fam cooperates with all my picture taking!!

We picked a random place to go and headed out not knowing what to expect. It's fun to take chances in life and experience new things. You only live once so you might as well enjoy it. It's not easy taking these trips, but it's always worth it. Michigan was truly a beautiful place. You know it's a great trip when you are making reservations to go back next summer on your way home. I can't wait to go back next year! 

Suttons Bay, Michigan - Part One

We just returned home from a great (exhausting) trip to Suttons Bay, Michigan. We decided a couple of weeks ago to go on one more trip this summer since we are so limited during the school year. Adam wanted to go to Michigan since he knew the weather would be cooler in July, and it was within driving distance. You never know what you are going to get when you go somewhere new, but it ended up being a great trip. So great, that we already have reservations for next July. Lake Michigan is seriously a beautiful place!

The Cottage

We found this cottage on VRBO. It's beautiful (pictures don't even do it justice) with everything a family could need. It is a little pricey, but it's worth it since we spent most of our trip there enjoying it. 

You can't put a price on that view! It was my favorite part. 

Paige and I slept in here, and it was so comfortable. I typically don't sleep well on vacation, but I did on this trip. We slept with the windows open (there was no A/C). We woke up to the birds singing and great breezes coming through the windows. It was great!

We also had a nice view from our bedroom!

 Ella chose this room with the bunks and full bed. It had a small desk which was right up her alley! Adam had the other bedroom with a queen bed and a nice view of the lake. 

This is the mudroom area which got lots of use. There is a washer and dryer behind that barn door which got a lot of use too. 

We loved the shaded, yard space behind the house. The whole house was surrounded by shade trees. 

Paige and Ella loved running back and forth on this dock. The water was clear, shallow, and calm.  

The sunrises were gorgeous!! I can't say enough good things about this place. It was the best!

Water fun

We spent a lot of time in the water throwing rocks, kayaking, floating, and even jet skiing. I was not expecting how clear and shallow the water would be. It was so clean and nice! I think the favorite activity was throwing rocks. There were rocks everywhere so the fun never ran out. 

The cottage came with two kayaks. Ella tried a couple of times, but she got frustrated that she couldn't get the hang of it. She might have done better with a smaller paddle, but this is all we had. She enjoyed floating on her raft instead. 

On the last day, Paige and I gave it a try. She didn't want to all week but ended up loving it... of course. 

The best part of our trip was renting a jet ski for the day. Adam and Ella were able to ride it back to the house and rode it around all day. They both have a need for speed, and she loved it! At one point Ella was even standing on it. She is nuts!

I was on it for about ten minutes. I'm a little more low key and cautious. I would have done better with someone else driving, but that wasn't possible this trip. It was fun while it lasted!