Benthem Four Summer Favorites

This summer we've been able to travel, take in some sights, and relax.  Here are the Benthem Four Summer 2012 Favorites in no particular order.

Ludington State Park

Our favorite Michigan State Park for family fun, relaxation and camping goes to non other than Ludington State Park.  Ludington State Park is ideal for families who love to hike, explore, play, and be surrounded by picture perfect views.  The Benthem Four have been camping and enjoying this park even when we were only the Benthem Two.  Some of our favorite park features include the tent only campsites with it's peace and quiet, but really for the excellent proximity to the playground.

This park also has the best location for those who love the water.  Of course there are spectacular views of Lake Michigan, but the campground has water everywhere.  Hamlin Lake is awesome for boating or kayaking and for its calm beach.  Lake Michigan is, well, awesome.  And the Sable River is a great place to float on a sunny afternoon.  Susan fulfilled a two year dream to float down the river.  Camping with kids may be a challenge once and a while, but the experience makes great family memories.

Downtown Chicago

A short trip to Downtown Chicago makes our favorite list this summer.  We decided in July to take a quick Benthem Four adventure to Chi Town.  Traveling with kids to Chicago in itself can be an adventure and we decided to leave the car behind and take the South Shore Line into downtown so we could avoid the added costs of parking.  The kids were pretty excited to ride a train for the first time and for the most part they did well.  Riding the commuter train may have been about forty-five minutes too long for the 2 year-old.  But all in all, he did quite well.  Some iPhone distractions come in handy in a pinch. 

   

Our trip included a morning at the Shedd Aquarium.  Susan and I were able to score a few discounted tickets for being educators.  Landon was free.  So we only had to pay for Julia!  The kids enjoyed seeing the many, many, many different types of fish at the aquarium.  We made it over to Navy Pier in the evening.  Julia missed almost all of it and slept right through dinner, but Landon enjoyed pushing his sister. 

The second day included an awesome free hotel breakfast and then it was off for more adventure.  Our day took us to the American Girl store where Julia created a massive Christmas list for her grandparents.  From the two story doll store we headed off to Lincoln Park Zoo.  This zoo is awesome, packed with animals, and best of all for families, free!  Our adventure concluded with the kids' first bus ride on public transit and Millennium Park.

Lincoln Park Zoo

Playing in the fountain at Millennium Park

Cousins Visit

This summer we had the opportunity to hang out with family.  Jared's sister and kids flew in from Arizona during June for a few weeks.  Julia and Landon loved playing with their 'big' cousins. 

In July, Susan's sister from Texas came into town with her kids for two weeks.  We had such a great time catching up with our sisters, and our kids enjoyed their time with cousins.  

We're already looking forward to the next time our favorite out-of-state cousins visit!

What were some of your Summer Favorites?

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