That’s right… we visited Michigan for a week and loved it! It was the annual Knecht Family Reunion in Point Betsie with almost the entire gang. On the five car carpool on the way up, we stopped to eat breakfast at this delicious/huge Amish restaurant. They even had posts under some trees for the horse driving customers. So cute.
Point Betsie is even cuter though. It is the most picturesque place you have ever been. It is a lighthouse about five miles up the road from a tiny tourist town called Frankfort. We stayed in a beautiful white house with a red roof surrounded by sand dunes and just over the hill from the lake. The house is filled with all sorts of old, beautiful things; National Geographic’s from 1941, old classic books, an old record player that still works, wooden sailboats, and maps on the walls. The furniture is the good kind of antique with bright blue and yellow paints that have started to chip. The upstairs is one big loft with the rafters exposed and fishing nets draped over. The garage below the house has a row of antique bikes that you can still ride and a couple old classic cars. I’ve never seen a place like it outside of a Martha Stewart magazine. I loved it. They call the house the Cape Cod.
The lake is huge, blue and crystal clear. The water is freezing cold which makes our swimming adventures even more incredible!
The beginning of the week started out with a hike up Sleeping Bear Dunes. The hike was a little tiring for some of the kids so sweet Dave offered to give them a lift:)
After the hike, we visited this adorably authentic fishing town just up the road. Dave treated me to the traditional smoked salmon, gouda cheese, and baguette lunch. It was delicious!
We walked from the Cape Cod along the beach all the way to Frankfort - about five miles. It was a beautiful walk. The beach is made up of mostly sand, but there is a strip of beautifully smooth rocks. We picked up a few. We also found the most perfect piece of sun bleached drift wood - perfect for our house.
Dave and some of the boys jumped off the pier when we got to Frankfort. They love their adventure. We ended the walk with a Knecht favorite – ice cream for everyone!
One day we rode tandem bikes with Dave’s sister Laura and her husband Ben. The best part was they hooked a carriage up to their bike to carry their baby in. It was like a little family train.
Canoeing was one of my favorite activities! We floated down the river that flows into the lake. We ended with a tasty picnic lunch and finished with ice cream after.
A few of us rode some trolley bikes around town. It always looks like more fun than it is – honestly, when four people are supposed to be peddling a full cart of eight people, the burn really gets to you after a bit. But as always, it was so worth it in the end!
The last day there, we walked along the beach, took some pictures, and visited the lighthouse. Then we headed back to Indiana. With a week filled with hobo dinners on the beach, cherry pie from the Cherry Hut, scary stories at night, and the occasional rain storm it was really the perfect vacation. It is absolutely the most beautiful place, and just to end the trip well, we made one last stop before we got home – ICE CREAM!
