Turn those lazy days of summer into days filled with fun and lots of activities to keep you cool. With beaches, ice cream parlors, sprinkler parks and water parks abounding, you may never be too hot again!
If it isn’t summer for you until you have sand in your shoes, then grab your beach blanket, pack up the family or a picnic lunch and head out to one of these great sandy stretches.
Let the phenomenon of “singing sands” be music to your ears as you stroll the fine sands at Pere Marquette Beach in Muskegon, named as one of the “Cleanest Beaches on Lake Michigan.” It’s located between Beach Street and Lakeshore Drive. Besides white sand, cool water and a relaxing atmosphere, the beach offers a children’s playground, picnic area and on-the-beach volleyball courts with places to dine or grab a quick bite to eat close by. The wind from the water makes for perfect kite flying or windsurfing conditions. For more information, visit www.muskegon-mi.gov.
Metro Beach Metropark, located at 31300 Metro Parkway near Mount Clemens, offers much more than just a piece of the beach! You can sun on the sandy shores of Lake
St. Clair, fish, boat, swim and more. Although you can’t bring your four-legged friend, you can enjoy observing an array of amazing fine-feathered wildlife that call this cool spot home. There is a nature learning area with an observatory as well. Metro Beach also includes a boardwalk, a swimming pool, a sprinkler park, a par-three golf course for putting around on and an activity center, which is available for rental. Daily and yearly admission passes are offered with discounts available for senior citizens. The park is open from 6:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. For more information on Metro Beach Metropark, visit www.metroparks.com.
If you want a treat to help you beat the heat, Moomers Homemade Ice Cream, located at 7263 N. Long Lake Road in Traverse City, dishes out lots of tasty ways to stay cool this summer! With over 100 different flavors and a variety of sundaes, flurries, malts, milkshakes and floats, there’s something for everyone! They serve classics like banana splits and root beer floats, as well as yummy new delights like “Udder Delight” brownie sundaes. For more Information, visit www.moomers.com.
Nothing is more fun for a kid in summer than taking a run through the sprinkler. Now you can save your lawn from the stampede and take the kids to the Gerstacker or Longview Spraygrounds in Midland. From sunup to sundown, you can play in these water wonderlands featuring a variety of fountains, sprayers, sprinklers and squirters that will wash all the boredom of summer away! The parks will soak you, but not for money; admission is always free! So get into your swimsuit and slip-proof shoes. For more information, call the Midland Parks and Recreation Department at (989) 837-6930 or visit their website at www.midland-mi.org.
No matter the weather, your day is always better at Avalanche Bay Indoor Water Park, the state’s largest indoor arctic-themed water attraction, located at One Boyne Mountain Road in Boyne Falls. You can catch a wave in the “Rip Zone,” spin yourself silly in the “Vertigo” bowl ride and speed down the gigantic spiraling “Super G” and “Downhill Mat Racer” slides. You can relax and float around the lazy river on a tube, enjoy playing on the multi-tiered Splasherhorn system, or spend time with the little ones in the shallow “Kitz Pool.” If you need to warm up, there are even spa pools! You can dry off and enjoy the video game arcade or grab a bite to eat at the snack bar or restaurant. Admission is available by single day passes, as well as discounted multi-visit packages. For more information on Avalanche Bay, visit www.avalanchebay.com.
If you’re in the Upper Peninsula and you’re up for enjoying a swim at a serene, scenic spot, Runkle Lake Park and Recreation Complex near Crystal Falls offers swimming, boat access, fishing docks and a grassy area ideal for picnics in the shade of old pine trees. If you’re looking for a little sport, there are also basketball, volleyball and tennis courts. For a closer look at natural beauty, visit the domesticated, people-friendly deer! Admission is free and the park is open during daylight hours all through the summer. For more information, call (906) 875-3051.
Keep cool and keep the fun going all summer long!
