Grand Haven: one of the most beautiful cities in Michigan

Looking toward the shore on the Grand Haven pier.

First and foremost, it appears I lied in my last post with the map of Michigan in it. I did get a chance to get away just days after publishing it when I said I wasn't going anywhere this summer. Oops.

In any case, my fiance and I traveled to Grand Rapids and Grand Haven this past weekend to have some photos taken for our wedding invitations. We have a friend who lives out there and thought it would be a great idea to have her take some shots for us in a town we enjoyed visiting when I lived in Grand Rapids for a short time in 2010.

It's a beautiful view down the pier. Too bad it was cloudy; the sunset over
Lake Michigan is stunning.

Going back to Grand Haven for the first time in two years really sparked something. I remembered how beautiful the lakeshore and pier was, and it really spoke to me. Between the sunset, the lakeshore, the pier and the lighthouses, I felt very at home and relaxes walking into Lake Michigan Saturday night.

The memorial to the USCGC Escanaba along the Grand River.

If you haven't gone to the town dubbed "Coast Guard City, USA," it's worth the trip if you're on the west side of Michigan. Grand Haven State Park sits on the edge of the beach, and is typically full of RVs. The walk along the Grand River as it empties into Lake Michigan is enjoyable in the summer, with food and trinket stands along the way. There's a memorial to the USCGC Escanaba, the Coast Guard ship that called Grand Haven home before it was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean in World War II. Each late July/early August, the annual Coast Guard Festival takes place. I didn't get the chance to go two years ago, and wish I had.

In town, there always seems to be something happening. Every time I've been there, downtown's streets have been closed because of some event. This time, an art fair took over the main stretch in town, with tents and people everywhere. A BMX tournament was happening across the street from the river. US-31 is always packed on the north side of town. It's a town that knows how to have a good time.

I'm still eating these, and will for
at least a week.

My fiance and I loved spending our day on the west side of the state. In addition to the lake, we spent the afternoon with my sister, her boyfriend and one of her friends picking blueberries at a farm west of Allendale in Ottawa County. It's the first time I've ever done something like that for blueberries, and the 2.60 pounds of blueberries we gathered is going to good use so far.

The berries look like lighter on the vine, but after a few hours, they turned a deeper blue, looking like blueberries everyone knows and loves.It's an area I decided I need to return to. Living in Metro Detroit is convenient with family and friends, but I could picture myself somewhere near the lake.