I’m feeling nostalgic today, so I’m thinking back to our first ever “road trip” after Dylan was born, in June of 2019! I have “road trip” in quotes because we visited New Buffalo, Michigan, which was only about an hour and a half from our home in the Chicago suburbs, haha. But, hey, when you’re visiting another state for the first time with a baby, it feels like a big deal, no matter how quick the drive!
Why did we pick New Buffalo for our first trip?:
- Let’s be honest: the short drive! Loved that we could make it there in the span of a nap time.
- It sounded like a relaxed vibe, with cute little shops, wineries, breweries and the lakefront
What stands out from this trip?
It sounds cheesy, but what stands out the most is the feeling of pride and relaxation from having a successful getaway with my little family. I had pretty bad postpartum depression after Dylan, so that was a big deal for us, to get away and enjoy a trip like we used to. However, there were still a few specific activities that I remember as the best parts of the trip:
Sleeping Bear Dunes
The Sleeping Bear Dunes include some pretty stretches of beaches along Lake Michigan. We didn’t spend a ton of time here, but we made sure to visit because we brought our dog, Scout, on the trip and there are dog-friendly beaches here! I wouldn’t say he loved the water, but he took a little dip, so that was exciting!
Ghost Isle Brewery
We popped into Ghost Isle Brewery and we were all fans! Ryan got a beer, I got a DELICIOUS frozé, we had some yummy food, and Dylan ate some grass. Wait, what? Ghost Isle has a really nice, grassy patio and Dylan helped himself to handfuls of grass, which I didn’t realize until I watched the video below. But, really, it was a relaxing, tasty stop on our trip.
Bike Rental
My favorite activity of the trip was renting bikes and a bike trailer! If memory serves, we used Red Arrow Ride to rent from. Ryan and I have always enjoyed finding something active to do on vacations, so this was a perfect way to include our little guy!
We enjoyed seeing the beautiful houses, the water, and the cute downtown. Dylan was so relaxed that he fell asleep on the ride, and he was pumped to share a scoop of ice cream from one of the shops when he woke up!
St. Julian Winery
During the trip, we did wine tastings at Round Barn and St. Julian. Round Barn was good, but St. Julian was AMAZING. Granted, wine tasting isn’t as relaxing when you have a tiny human to take care of, haha, but Ryan and I switched off taking sips and it worked out just fine!
Oh, and we loved the wine so much we ordered a whole bunch for Christmas gifts later that year… it arrived super quick and it was perfect! Can’t wait to go back.
In Summary
Not my most robust list above, huh? (What can I say, new motherhood was sometimes a blur!) However, we really enjoyed the time in New Buffalo and with it being so cute and in close proximity, I am pretty sure we will be back!
