I am finally sitting down to write this post! We went to South Haven, Michigan at the end of May as soon as the kids got out of school for the summer. Right after we got home, we bought the flip house and things got crazy busy (they still are!). I wanted to bring you this post sooner in case you were still looking for a vacation idea this summer. This Midwest family vacation was AMAZING! Last summer we went to South Dakota and did all the sight-seeing around there.
We didn’t think we would find a better vacation after that one. We rented a cabin and loved everything we saw last year. That was proved wrong after this vacation.
Welcome to South Haven, Michigan!
We have been hearing that many towns around Lake Michigan are like going to the East Coast without the big price tag. The East Coast is on my bucket list so we started researching the Lake Michigan area. Since we took a long road trip last summer, Matt really didn’t want to go that far this year.
He wanted to do a Midwest family vacation within six hours from home. That helped narrow our search. We landed on South Haven. Michigan.
We knew we wanted to stay in a condo/cabin on the water. We did not want a hotel. That also helped narrow the search and after much back and forth, we kept coming back to Sleepy Hollow Beach Resort.
I have to say that the online photos on their site do not do the place justice. It is so much better than what they show. I hope my iPhone pictures will show you how amazing it is.
The reason we chose the Sleepy Hollow Beach Resort was because of all of these things it had: “1000 feet of sandy, private Lake Michigan beach, heated outdoor pool, kiddie fountain pool, 3 new championship tennis courts, 4 new basketball courts, 2 new shuffleboard courts, volleyball, ping-pong and outdoor grills. Supervised Children’s Program is included for children 4 years and older for arts, crafts, games, and sports. There is also a children’s playground and bicycles to use!”
We could not believe how much there was to do on the resort. We were looking for a vacation that we didn’t have to hustle to see a bunch of sites. It’s the perfect place to relax and soak up as much family time as we could.
The resort’s condos have an Art Deco vibe.
This was the condo we rented. It had lake views and we had our own patio. There were two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a fully-equipped kitchen. There was even a washer and dryer in it.
When we walked around the resort for the first time, we were amazed with all there was to do.
The kids would never get bored and since it was a gated community we felt safe having them explore the grounds.
The video below shows the recreation area at the resort. The shuffleboard, basketball courts, volleyball net and putting green are all in this area. The shed is full of equipment to use. The staff had everything set out every morning.
{I was showing my parents the resort in this video so that is why you see my finger. I muted my conversation. 😉 }
The private beach was one of our favorite things about the resort. The kids and I loved it because the sand was white and the water of Lake Michigan is clear!!! You can see right to the bottom and walk out many, many feet and still only be up to your knees in the water. It was like being on the ocean, but closer to home.
We went early enough in the season that we had the beach all to ourselves the entire stay. The last day we were there, a couple of people started showing up at the resort. We couldn’t have gone at a better time. The kids had every area of the resort to themselves which made for a better experience. It was heavenly.
The town of South Haven is too cute. We ate at a cute restaurants and shopped in some of the cutest stores I have ever seen.
One of the restaurants we ate at was right on the water. Captain Lou’s was fun for the kids because we watched the boats come in and out and the bridge go up and down to let them through.
The sunsets and rises were breath-taking. I mean, words can’t even explain. I would spend a lot of time out here soaking up this view.
Not that I haven’t already loaded this post with tons of photos, here are a few more from this Midwest family vacation:
If you are looking for a Midwest family vacation, I would highly recommend South Haven, Michigan. It is a beautiful town, surrounded by white sand and clear water. Sleepy Hollow Beach Resort was the best place to stay for our family. We went into town and bought groceries at the Walmart and grocery store in town and I made meals in the kitchen of our condo. What is it about beautiful scenery and being near the water that makes cooking for the family that much more fun??
Matt and I loved this vacation so much that we would like to buy a vacation place in the area. We might have to put that on our goal list and take action like I talked about IN THIS POST.
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Oh my gosh- this looks like an absolute dreamy vacay!
We’re going to drive the Lake Superior Circle Tour and I am so excited about the Michigan portion of the trip- it looks absolutely beautiful that way!
It was amazing!!!
I love that town! Our family’s cottage is not too far from there on a smaller lake. I’m so glad you loved your vacation…I’ve been going to this area every summer all my life and I never get tired of it. We always like to go to St. Joseph and South Haven when we are up that way. My son even honeymooned at an inn in South Haven. Your pictures are awesome!
Thank you! We would love to find a cabin around that area!