Ludington

The hike up the beach is beautiful.

It’s also a great kiteboarding, windsurfing location.

Ludington is a nice little town nestled in a small harbor on the west coast of Michigan, about halfway between the southern Michigan border and the Mackinac area to the north. It is the eastern terminus of a car ferry which crosses Lake Michigan from Manitowoc, WI.

My visits have included quaint restaurants, some with great views of the harbor, and fun drives through the surrounding countryside to state parks and to see other nearby lighthouses.

The area is huge for fruit processing in the late summer, and lots of roadside stands sell farm-fresh fruit during the whole summer.

For most of my life, my family vacationed in Ludington over the week of Independence Day week. The Lake Michigan beaches are very nice; especially the state park where it’s possible to spend an afternoon on a relatively deserted stretch of dunes. When you go into town, be sure to get ice cream at the House of Flavors and gawk at the tackiness of Fort Daul. Let me know if you brave the Tiki Lounge, none of us have ever been brave enough to set foot inside.