Yesterday I told you about the nice family vacation we had in Michigan at Lakeside Cabins Resort.  Today I wanted to highlight one of our favorite day trips while we were there.  We spent 2 days at Warren Dunes State Park.  We absolutely loved it there.  Located on Red Arrow Hwy in Sawyer, Michigan, it was less than 10 minutes from our cabin and it is only about 1 ½ hours from Chicago.  It cost $8 per day per car with out of state license plates.  It was such a beautiful beach, and I felt very safe there.  Patrolmen in four wheel vehicles made their rounds quite often.  There were also 2 bath houses, one concession stand, and plenty of parking. The park also has a campground with sites for both tents and trailers/RV’s.

We went to the beach on Tuesday and Wednesday and it was not crowded at all.  The temperature on those days was in the upper 70’s and pretty windy.  It was quite wavy out there, so we stayed pretty close to shore but were still able to ride some awesome waves.  I made friends with this cute bird; he stayed nearby while my husband and daughter were catching waves.

There is also this really great sand dune – very steep.  My husband and daughter climbed it and ran full force back down.  I stayed back so I could take this picture to show you (kidding – I know my limitations).  On Wednesday, we even saw hang gliders climbing up and soaring down.

While we were on the beach, we noticed several people walking back from this trail that apparently led to some sort of clay pit.  They had their bodies covered in this clay that turned gray when dried.  Some were very clever with different designs they made on their bodies with the clay.  We didn’t check that out during this visit, but plan to in the future.

We really enjoyed our time at this beach and recommend it to those who are traveling in that area.  And, as I said earlier, it is not too far from Chicago.  So if you are planning a day at the beach with your family, check out Warren Dunes State Park.