When I think of summer, I think of spending time in South Haven, Mich. There are certain places in the world where you just feel happy.
My love of South Haven began when I was a little girl and has grown and evolved over the years. I went from being a little girl with my parents and sister to a mom with my own two children. The memories I see my children making together remind me of my sister and me when we were kids. Hearing my children’s excitement about a place that I love so much feeds my soul.
You see, I don’t need an extravagant trip. I’m happy to go to the beach, get an ice cream cone, read a book, shop around downtown, and get a pizza and some wings. Give me a glass of wine with the view of the harbor while watching the bridge go up and down to let the sailboats cross and I’m happy.
South Haven is a place where you come as you are. It has always reminded me of the fictional town of Mayberry in The Andy Griffith Show. I love getting ready for our trip and talking about it with my kids. I love everyone saying what they are most excited about. I love the drive up to South Haven and the palpable excitement in the car. I love it when we get into town and our first drive down Phoenix Street and down to South Beach. That first glimpse of the lighthouse never gets old. I love it when we arrive at our rental and the excitement of the kids running all over and checking out our home for the week.
I love waking up in the morning and seeing what treats my husband will decide to bring back to us from the Golden Brown Bakery. I love walking around the downtown shops and taking a stroll to the pier with ice cream in hand. I love taking my kids to the same ice cream shop that was there since I was a little girl. The name has changed, but it will always be Captain Nemo’s to me. It is like Deer Creek.
My children at the South Haven lighthouse. (Photo provided by Megan Rathz)
I love sitting at the Idler Riverboat with a view of the wide expanse of Lake Michigan and that majestic red lighthouse in the distance. I love feeding the ducks. I love taking my kids to the beach. I love watching my daughter and son collect rocks and shells along the waterline and run back to show me.
I love going to the farmer’s market and the Thursday evening summer concerts. I love sitting on a bench and looking at the names of all the yachts and deciding which one we like best and what our hypothetical name would be for it if it was ours.
I love a beach day and grabbing lunch at the North Beach shack. I love the clamor and drama of trying to find a parking space at the beach and watching my husband drag a ridiculously overstuffed wagon on the beach until we find the exact right spot to set up camp. I love watching my children load their buckets of water from the shore and make the perfect sandcastles. I love after an eventful day at the beach to stay in and grill out. Somehow a burger in South Haven just tastes better. I love sitting and hearing the waves of Lake Michigan roll in and slam the shore. I love watching a storm roll in over the lake.
I love that my family has the same space that I do in their hearts for South Haven. I love thinking about taking my adult children and their spouses and my grandchildren there someday.
There is nothing quite like a South Haven sunset, and I know that each year as the week winds down and the sun sets on our family trip, the memories will carry me through to the next time we return.
Megan Rathz is a wife, mother, and teacher. She says everything she has ever learned in life came from her Master Gardener mother.