Our first official camping trip as a family of four was to the Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan.

We had flown to Empire for a quick day trip the year before, and we enjoyed it so much we decided we would go back and stay for a few days, so we could explore more of this beautiful Michigan coast.

We were lucky enough to find a campsite at the Platte River Campground (these go fast!) and decided to rent a travel trailer for a more comfortable experience. After a short drive (2 hours approx.) we arrived at our destination and set up camp.

We decided to head over to the Platte River that afternoon for a bit of kayaking a swimming.

That night we had some s’mores by the fire, and everyone slept soundly, partly thanks to the campground being so quiet. It was so quiet we were even able to hear hooting owls.

The next day we set out to hike the Empire Bluff Trail. We chose this trail because it seemed appropriate for our family, and it was! The boys hiked on their own the whole way (well, Benji rode on Papi’s shoulders for a little bit), had a blast playing in the sand, and we were all rewarded with the beautiful views of the Lake Michigan shoreline.

We got sandwiches for the adults at Shipwreck Cafe (we had packed the kids’ lunch) and headed over to Empire for a quick bite and some playground time, always a good choice to let our boys get some energy out.

Later that afternoon we enjoyed the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, with a stop at the Lake Michigan Overlook, of course.

After that we decided to let the boys take a quick swim in North Bar Lake. Then it was back to the campsite for some dinner, a fire, and more s’mores.

The next day we decided to rent a raft and go paddling on the Platte River. The raft was a good choice in that it allowed us to not worry about tipping over (which in a canoe with a 2 year-old would have happened more than once) and it also was very convenient to stop along the way, get out and enjoy the water for a bit, and then get back in the raft easily. The hard part was that it ended up being quite windy, which meant a lot of hard paddling for the adults in several spots. In the end, lots of fun was had by all.

That afternoon we grabbed our lunch and headed over to the Glen Lake picnic area, and afterwards drove over to the famous Dune Climb, where we all had fun running down the dunes and playing in the sand.

The following day we decided to go explore Leland. We were curious to see this picturesque little coastal town, and also make some plans for our next visit to the area, in hopes of going over to the North or South Manitou Islands. We had delicious (and massive!) sandwiches from a place called Cheese, then walked around Fishtown.

Sleeping Bear Dunes did not disappoint, and I have a feeling we will be back!