Around Our Campfire

We camp often.  As a result, we get a lot of questions about our camping experiences.  Because we have a three year-old daughter, the questions often center around what it is like to camp with young kids.  Examples of those questions include: What campgrounds are the most kid-friendly? What should I bring to keep kids entertained? Should I look for a campground with a pool? We have found each of the Michigan State Parks we have stayed at to be quite kid-friendly.  So far, we have not camped at any privately-owned campgrounds.  Our daughter absolutely loves spending time at these parks.  Campsites that are surrounded by nature or woods seem to hold her interest the best, because she can "explore" without really ever leaving our campsite.  She really enjoys "helping" build a campfire (I only let her gather sticks for it at this point, but as she grows, I'm sure she'll be right there with me getting it started), and she also enjoys checking out all...

In early May, 2017, we spent a weekend at the Channel Campground at Muskegon State Park.  This is another park is packed in the summer months, but is less full in the "shoulder" seasons.  We love to come to this park each year in the early season and then come back in the fall season, in part because this park is beautiful but also because it's close to home.  That way, in the spring, we can run home easily to get something that got left at home during the winter, and in the fall, we can start unpacking the camper to get everything out that we don't want to store for the winter. The Channel Campground has two separate loops.  The "First Loop" has 10-12 campsites which are located right along the Muskegon Channel.  We always try to get one of these sites, because they offer a great vantage point to watch boats coming and going throughout the day.  We especially love it when the Lake Express car ferry comes by, because it is such an amazing boat to watch op...