Growing up, my family vacationed along the western coast of Lake Michigan, so every summer I absolutely cannot wait to live that lovely lake life with my closest friends and family. I love it so much that summer has not truly started for me until I have my toes in the sand and I’m walking along one of their many stunning shorelines.

A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I spent the weekend in a couple of our favorite beach towns, South Haven and Saint Joseph.  It was so nice to just relax and have that uninterrupted quality time together.

While we were in South Haven, we strolled around the historic downtown area and visited an array of antique shops, galleries, and boutiques.  Then we walked out to the cutest red lighthouse. (Random fact: I’m a bit obsessed with them.) If there is a lighthouse somewhere I’m staying you can bet I’ll find my way there.

After taking in the town, we had lunch at a local downtown restaurant. The location felt very quaint with a family-oriented setting. While there was something included for most tastes on the menu, we went with a classic American favorite, burgers topped with onion rings. It was definitely worth all those pesky calories!

We ended the evening by having coffee and watching the sunset on the top of a sand dune. I can’t think of many things more lovely than that! Below are a few snapshots of our time spent in South Haven.

The next day we got up bright and early to hit up my favorite beach-side South Haven Bakery, Bunde’s, for coffee and a danish. I love this place because of its friendly atmosphere and it’s just steps away from the lake!

After making sure we were caffeinated enough to take on the day, we made our way down to Saint Joseph where we adventured around town, took in the local farmers market, and had a calm day at the beach.

Now that we’re back home in Indiana I’m already anticipating the next time I’ll get to head up to the Mitten this summer!