The third day of our vacation was dedicated to Michigan’s Adventure, the largest amusement park in the state. The 30-minute drive south was a breeze, and we were inside the gates just after the park opened at 10:00. The weather was perfect, with temperatures in the low 70s and ample sunshine.
Noah wasn’t thrilled to have his picture taken in front of the Michigan’s Adventure sign.
I’m not a fan of spinning rides, so Eilidh and I hung out for the first hour of our visit, when various combinations of Amanda, Gee Gee, and the older kids rode rides like the flying swings and scrambler. Eilidh was able to join them for the tilt-a-whirl, a ride she enjoyed so much we revisited twice at the end of our park visit.
Eilidh entertained herself by pushing the stroller while the big kids were on rides.
Next up was Shivering Timbers, which we learned after riding was the 4th-longest wooden roller coaster in the world. Noah found the series of hills to be a little too much, but Amanda and I really enjoyed the ride, which took us down a 120-foot hill at a speed of 65 miles per hour. Gee Gee and Amanda rode the nearby Wolverine Wildcat coaster, a slightly more mild roller coaster with only an 85-foot drop at 55 miles per hour.
Not much later, Eilidh had her first roller coaster experience, on the Big Dipper, the only one in the park where she met the height requirements. The mini-coaster was perfect for her, and she was happy during the whole kid-friendly ride.
The big kids and I managed to stay mostly dry after riding the park’s classic log flume. Eilidh found happiness in the purple kiddie car and took a spin behind the wheel on the B-Bop Boulevard. Lunch of chicken strips, mini corn dogs, french fries, and onion rings at the retro-themed Coasters diner was surprisingly decent. And, one underrated perk of the park was the free ice water available throughout the concession stands and restaurants.
Eilidh loved the purple car so much she rode in it three times!
Eilidh chauffeured me along B-Bop Boulevard.
We made a final run at some of the remaining rides, including the Grand Rapids river rafting experience, which left Noah, Emmie, and I completely soaked. We rode the park’s pint-sized train to return to the Wolverine Wildcat, Noah’s fourth and final coaster for the day. After a couple more rounds on the tilt-a-whirl, we wrapped up our day at Michigan’s Adventure a shade before 4:00 p.m.
Up next on our itinerary was Lipkas old-fashioned soda fountain. The old-school corner store once had a pharmacy, but now only had ice cream, soda, and a small lunch menu. Noah ordered a cherry Coke, Emmie had a caramel sundae with chocolate ice cream, and I had a hot fudge sundae with cherry chocolate ice cream. Eilidh was completely exhausted from the amusement park, so Amanda and Gee Gee stayed with her in the car.
Our final scheduled stop was at Mac’s Meats, to buy ground beef and buns to make loose-meat burgers at our cabin. We also picked up some potato salad and cinnamon raisin bread, which were made on site. We also stopped at a roadside, self-service asparagus stand, where we purchased a pound of locally-grown asparagus for just $1.50. We’re staying in the Asparagus Capital of the World, so it felt necessary to buy and cook some while we were here.
After dinner, Emmie and I made an evening trip to the beach, where we took a couple of photos and dipped our toes in Lake Michigan.
Looks like a great day. Ice cream place looks especially good. And your asparagus, too!