Where in Western MI with 3 tweens/teens

The Leelanau Pennisula north of Traverse City is absolutely beautiful. The state park there is Leelanau State Park. Holland is also spectacular. Reservations are a must

What do you want to do? If you are state parking, reservations start 6 months from your arrival

Silver Lake sand dunes! Meads MI. Right on Lake MI. Perfect for your kids! Lots to see and do.





And if you don’t have 4WD then you can go to the other side of the state park and take the dune vehicles and they take you on dune excursions. Or you can rent a Jeep and drive it. Also part of the state park is designated for foot traffic only. So you can hike the dunes out to the lake and not worry about vehicles.

Mfan wrote:
What do you want to do? If you are state parking, reservations start 6 months from your arrival

Should have mentioned - mixed tourism would be ideal. We love a blend of things from hikes to amusement parks, and everything in between. We do want things to 'do,' however. Sitting at the beach all day is not our style.

dodge guy wrote:
Silver Lake sand dunes! Meads MI. Right on Lake MI. Perfect for your kids! Lots to see and do.

Yep, we've done Silver Lake a couple of times and enjoy it. Likely to try something else this time - but a very good recommendation.

Ok, hmm.
What about sleeping bear dunes?

At that age? Any amusement park is a sure winner!

You need to determine the intent of your trip. Is the main focus of the trip for the kids "enjoyment and fun", or is it because you want them engaged in historical experiences, like Civil War reenactments or pioneer villages?

When our kids turned 15, they no longer camped with us. No matter what we planned, EVERYTHING we did was just plain dumb and lame. At ages 16 and 17 (boy and girl), the ONLY trip we had in over 10 years prior was our LasVegas trip. We let the kids run free as long as they stayed together. The both ended up (somehow) watching a topless floor show in a motel (it was a long story). They said, that was the best vacation they ever, ever had with us! Imagine that!

Bottom line: figure out what excites the kids and plan that way, if you want the kids to have a somewhat meaning trip with you. Whatever YOU pick, guaranteed, they won't like it.

How about a boat trip thru the Soo Locks. Holland MI beach.
Also do a Google search for `______ tourism' and put the state, town or area in the blank space.
Good luck finding something to do for teens for 8 days anywhere at anytime.

Across the street from Michigan adventure is a nice campground. Amusement park across the street. Silver lake for sand dunes about a 40 minute drive. Lake Michigan about 20 minutes. Grand Rapids has minor league baseball about 1 hr away.

One of the largest State Campgrounds is in Ludington. Much to do/see there.