Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Another Michigan Weekend

It's no secret that I love the state of Michigan.  Summer and fall provide many opportunities for weekends away in beautiful places.  It's crazy that driving just a couple hours from home can get us to so many resort towns and vacation destinations.  This past weekend, Joe planed a trip to Ludington, MI for our fifth anniversary.

*Look at that belly- getting big, isn't it?!*

Ludington is a place where I spent childhood summers camping with family.  Not only would my immediate family be there, but also all my cousins, both sets of grandparents, and many friends would gather and spend the last two weeks of summer vacation camping at the state park.


When I first found out we were headed to Ludington, I didn't think there was any way that I would be camping in my (pregnant) state.  I thought surely Joe had booked us a room at a local bed and breakfast or hotel... no such luck.

 Although I was worried at first, and my mood did probably not show much excitement to get away, sleeping in a tent while 6.5 months pregnant was not as bad as I imagined (he did get us a camp site right by the bathrooms afterall).

Our days were spent hiking and biking (my feet are sporting the blisters to prove it!), and every meal was prepared over an open fire.  We got a little cocky, thinking we had this camping thing down, until we realized that the next time we would be out camping there would also be a little one to attend to.

Although it was a week of Ludington pack into a day and a half, it was a wonderful getaway...

and a beautiful weekend.

And for those of you concerned with weekend knitting- I actually didn't get much done.  I was afraid of the smell of campfire and smoke creeping in to my yarn, so it stayed in the car for the weekend.  No trip is ever complete without a visit to the LYS- and we did find on in downtown Ludington.  It's called Nautical Yarns and it was a very impressive shop.  I didn't expect them to have such a large quantity and variety.  It's good to know I have a place to vacation that will be able to supply me with all my yarny needs!


Anyone out there ever been to Ludington before?  What's your favorite weekend getaway?

22 comments:

  1. Usually when we take off for a weekend we head up to the Niagara Peninsula.

    I've never been to Ludington, but I've been itching to cgo camping in Michigan for ages now. It is a beautiful state, and I love living next door to it.

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  2. We camped at Ludington for the first time this summer. It's usually so packed! Bummed I didn't think to look up yarn shops.

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  3. I went to Nautical Yarns last summer, i was also amazed at the selection! It is a really great store and in such a beautiful area!

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  4. My favorite weekend away has been Chicago. It's a bit of drive but I love that city. Hoping to go back again soon!

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  5. No way! My parents have a place on Hamlin Lake & we were just up this past weekend. We took our son to the State Park hoping to see the salmon but it's still too early. It's so strange when other people mention Ludington, usually NO ONE knows where or what we're talking about when we say we're going there.

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  6. Just add a backpack carrier and take along a pack and play and you'll be all set to add the baby to the mix! Sounds like a wonderful getaway while you still can.

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  7. Great photos. Glad you had such an awesome weekend. Ed loves fishing there.

    Your belly looks great!

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  8. oh how my heart weeps for michigan,
    my native state.
    i need to find a way to move back.

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  9. It's not a weekend getaway since it is a 12 hour drive but my favorite place in the workd to go is our family cabin in the Keweenaw near Copper Harbor. It is just so peaceful and relaxing there. Unfortunately we were not able to make the trip this year but next year I am there hell or high water!

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  11. Ludington is a great town and an awesome state park. You should also try Young State Park in Boyne City!

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  12. Ludington is beautiful and I have enjoyed a trip or two there. My favorite place in Michigan for a quick trip is Beaver Island. It is so unchanged from its original state. I love it.

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  13. My family camped at Ludington many a summer in my girlhood!! Now that my husband and I live in VA, we really miss Lake Michigan. Instead, we spend time at North Carolina's Outer Banks, which are deserted in the winter: the best time to go.

    By the way, congrats on your pregnancy! I'm at 28 weeks, too. Kinda fun to read your progress and compare notes.

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  14. I LOVE Michigan & I liked Ludington a lot too! My favorite Michigan getaway is Glen Arbor. :) Or my hometown of Ann Arbor!

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  15. My husband grew up in Baldwin; which is just east of Ludington. Until we moved to Colorado, (from White Lake Twp) we spent several weekends a year up that way camping. Ludington is a beautiful town and I always enjoyed Lake Michigan.

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  16. Don't stress about a baby camping! The best advice I got while pregnant was to continue doing all the things we love after the baby comes and just include them. That's the best way to pass on a love of the things you love! We go rock climbing with our 2 year old and he loves to be all harnessed in and boulder a little while daddy goes "bye bye" up the rock! I'm out west of you, but my favorite place to vacation is Glacier National Park!

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  17. My dau, who I have mentioned to you is also in her 29th week of pregnancy with her first, went camping at the same time. They went to VT, and we all had the same fears you did about the comfort of tenting for her. But a new air mattress was all she needed. Unfortunately they had lots of rain, so it did not turn out a pleasant as yours, but they did enjoy their time away and have similar thoughts that the next camping trip wil be for three.

    And I have spent time in Ludington on a long road trip from MA to WI one summer with my family.

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  18. Ludington is beautiful but my favorite weekend getaway in MI is Petoskey. My husband and I took a Lake Michigan tour for our honeymoon three yrs ago and going back to all of those towns, especially Petoskey brings me right back in time! :) Marquette my college home away from home, is amazing as well but a farther drive and harder to go to at a moments notice.

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  19. The first time we took my son camping he was two months. On Tue beach in Nor. Cal. No bathrooms. He loved it! The sound of the waves would lul him to sleep and the fire was mesmerizing! It's really not that big of a deal.

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  20. Nautical Knits is an amazing yarn shop. i discovered it 2-3 years ago and, like you, didn't expect it to be as large as it is.

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  21. It looks like you had a great time!

    I love Ludington! My father moved there several years ago, so I feel like I vicariously live on the beach.

    I have not been to Nautical Knits in several years; I'll have to check it out again.

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