We're starting to think about next summer's family vacation. (It's
my favorite activity when it's glum and overcast outside.)  We're
looking for a cottage for a week or two, either in West Michigan or
out east on the Atlantic somewhere.

Does anyone have a particular place that they've stayed and liked? For
Michigan, I'm pretty familiar with the towns themselves and am looking
for recommendations of particular lakes or cottages you've been to. For
the east, I'm wide open since my main knowledge of the leisure 
possibilities out there consists of realizing that there's an ocean
after the U.S. is done. :-)

We're a family of two adults and three kids ages 15, 13 and 11 whose
favorite activities center around the beach but who need a little more
around that's interesting to do.  I'm looking forward to hearing from
you about your favorite places.

13 responses total.

A long time ago, when I was a kid, we stayed at a hotel resort on Cape
Cod, along the water (can't recall if it was the ocean or bay, though).
There sure was plenty to do, with historic sites nearby, sailing,
the ocean, etc. It was very memorable (I cannot speak for what it was
to my parents, however!).

We loved the town of Wellfleet on Cape Cod Roz.  It's a small artist-type
colony town with lots of B&B's small Inns, and best of all with kids,
small rental cottages, some right on the beach.  Wednesday nights they
have free square dances on the pier and the kids and the grownups all loved
that.  Not only are the beaches gorgeous, but the town is filled with small
fresh water ponds where you drive the cars right up to the edge and wash
of the sand and salt after a day at the beach.  Write to the Wellfleet
Chamber of Commerce and they will send you lists of places to stay.  There
is also plenty to do on rainy days and Provincetown is a 20 minute drive.

I was once, long ago and far away, nearly engaged to a girl from
Wellfleet. I thought it was a great place in which to grow up - at
least, viewed from a distance.

I can hardly wait for summer.

Me too... summer means no schoolwork and I can go see my cousins!

Maybe I can take a real vacation this summer or something... We'll see.

well...where have you decided to go?  
Even though it's already late April, I'm still planning our family vacation for
this coming summer, and I have sent away to about 25 state or provincial
tourism offices for brochures.  It's amazing--these beauiful glossy magazines
and nice state maps have been pouring in for the last couple of weeks, and
we'll be  having fun reading them for the next couple of months.  Some of the
places that look the most interesting (along the Atlantic) so far are:  The
State of Maine, Prince Edward Island, and Connecticut--they all seem to have a
lot of fun and unsusual special events over the summer months.  Mystic Ct 
hosts a" Moby Dick Marathon Read -In" in honor of Hawthorne's birthday, for
example.  There is a sand-sculpture contest on the beach on Maine, and P.E.I.
has about  three festivals dedicated to the Anne Of Green Gables books and
their stage spin-offs (which are set on P.E.I. around the turn of the cenury). 
There are lots of water, boating and beach things in all three places.  I
noticed there is tons of stuff to do if you like to watch wildlife (whales in
Provincetown MA, Moose and Puffins in Maine, etc.) The hard part is deciding
where to go and how to pay for it!  Let's hear some other Grex-trekkers' travel
plans for the coming summer.  Don't forget to put the Grextock unofficial
convention in Northern Michigan on your itinerary--looks like it will be
mid-August. Check the item inn Agora for details.

 Visit beautiful Croswell MI. Lovely people (the're nosy as hell), A swinging
bridge, (no kidding), and see all the sheriff's deps hanging out at
Donna's Farm house (they're bored, too). ;)

I remember that swinging bridge in Croswell!!  :-)

I'm currently visiting AA [from Durham, NC]; its been 4 years now [almost] 
since I moved down here... Granted, its not a 'traditional' vacation in
seeing something new but its been almost a year since I've been up here
and its time to visit family and friends.

I'm going to have another week off the first week of August, I haven't
decided what/where to go/do yet, with that time off.

Hey Denise, if you're visiting AA, show up to the walk on Saturday if
you're still around.

Sorry I missed the walk yesterday, John; I was in Grand Rapids, visiting
my brother Jerry, his wife Betsy, and thir 3 boys...

So far my favorite family vacation in in South Carolina at the beaches 
outside of Charleston.  We're going back for our 3rd year.  There
are resorts with kids' and teens' "clubs" to do lots of activities w/out
mom and dad so kids aren't bored, plus there is the lovely city of Chalreston
on gray days (great history & shopping & restaurants) and lots of
mansions/estates from the ante-bellum/Civil War period.  ANd the
peopole are lovely and gracious.

Boston and its environs are a great city vacation, and much cooler than
the NY area.  Maine is on of the most beautiful and comfortable spots
if you want to escape claustophobic heat.

I'm still getting these brochures from interesting places.  My new
favorites are the n.W. Territories of tCanada, and British Columbia, which has
an amazing coastline of little fjords and islands, which I sailed up as a
teenager.  I am winding up spending my vacation in Colorado, Seattle,
Vancouver, and a little bit in the New England area between two family weddings
in New York at the end  of the summer. So, Maine and Northern Michigan are
going to have to  wait until another summer.

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