Summer Fun: Get Some Sand Between Your Toes

Editor's note: This story is part of a 10-part series about how to keep your children busy during summer vacation. in the series.

Michigan is blessed with more than 3,200 miles of shoreline and 11,000 inland lakes, according to Pure Michigan, giving us plenty of opportunities to hit the beach during the summer.

Many options are close enough for a day trip, including:

• Stony Creek Metropark in Shelby Township features a 500-acre lake where visitors can swim, kayak or fish. Several picnic areas offer lakefront amenities including concessions, watercraft rentals and beach volleyball. Pick up a free map when you enter the park to decide which sandy stretch you'd like to visit. The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Oct. 31. A daily vehicle pass costs $5. Call 586-781-4242 or click here for more information.
• Just a little more than an hour away, Forester Park in Carsonville has a deluxe campground with recreation area, playground, hiking trails, and of course, sandy beaches right on Lake Huron. “My personal favorite was the actual plumbing with showers,” said Sheri Gallagher of Berkley who visited Forester Park last year with her family. 

If you'd like to go farther afield, perhaps for a long weekend, try Sleeping Bear Dunes. The massive glacier-created dunes on the shore of Lake Michigan offer excellent opportunities to hike before taking a dip. Nearby, you can rent a canoe and paddle the Platte River or take a short drive into Traverse City to pick up lunch and picnic on the bayside beach.