Looking back on my summer, this weekend stands out – full of fond memories of things that are inherently “summer”. Therefore, despite being busy until now I am determined to commemorate it.

In celebration of America’s birthday, I got Monday and Tuesday off of work resulting in a four day 4th of July weekend! A sad fact of life with the 9 to 5 grind of any salary job is that days off are precious, so I knew that I had to make the most of it. As both of our families had 4th of July celebrations in store, Peter and I decided to split our long weekend – half in Niles, Michigan with his family and half up north in Elk Rapids, Michigan with my family on Torch Lake. It made for a jam-packed and fun-filled four days, traversing from one end of Michigan to the other.

Niles, Michigan

We began the epic weekend by making the drive down to Niles on Saturday morning. Our close friends Jon and Morgan decided to join the adventure and visit Peter’s family with us. After greeting the family and the animals (there were a litter of kittens next door!), we played lawn games, grilled food, and enjoyed the sunshine. The day grew hot and we found ourselves at the neighbors pool to cool off.

That night we had a bonfire. The Cramer’s are known for their towering bonfires that lick at the branches of the surrounding trees, charred trunks and dead leaves telling the tales of fires past. But don’t worry – they keep it under control and it’s a sight to be seen. We sat circled around the fire in lawn chairs (at a distance because of its size), played music, and made s’mores. A perfect summer’s night. The nearby field glittered and winked with the light of countless fireflies. We lit up sparklers and ran around the yard like children, pretending they were wands and twirling them like batons. We ended the night by playing a rowdy game of “Things” on the porch.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Between the time spent in both Southern and Northern Michigan, we made a pit stop in Grand Rapids with some of Peter’s family to watch a GRFC game. Grand Rapids Football Club has been an important part of our summer in Grand Rapids as we attended nearly all of the games to cheer on “the boys in blue”. We joined in the pre-party festivities at Bob’s Bar, continued the party onto 7 Monk’s, and finally made our way to Houseman Field for the game. The march to the game is always a spectacle as fans adorn themselves completely in blue, sing the GRFC chants, and often light various smoke flares for added effect.

It’s difficult not to get into the spirit of things even if you don’t completely yet understand soccer (sorry if you’re reading this Peter). The chanting doesn’t stop once you reach the stadium – the fans are on their feet the entire game cheering on the team. Once the game ended, it was back on the road two and a half hours north.

Torch Lake, Michigan

The end of the extended weekend lead us up north to Torch Lake to spend it with my family. Upon our arrival, we got a fire going and enjoyed what my sister and I dubbed “double-decker s’mores” (cracker + marshmallow + chocolate + marshmallow + Reese’s cup + cracker = diabetes). Much of the following day was spent on the pontoon boat enjoying the beauty of Torch Lake. Torch Lake is Michigan’s longest inland lake, and very deep, which means early July waters are often still brisk. But we didn’t let that stop us, as we anchored on the sandbar and played catch in the shallow water. After we had grown tired and numb from the chill, we eventually made our way back to the house.

When night arrived we were back on the pontoon boat on our way to the sandbar to watch the Torch Lake 4th of July fireworks show. Wrapped up in blankets, we watched the stunning show of sparkling explosions from the boat as the waves gently rocked us. Peter admitted that it was one of the most impressive firework shows he had ever seen. I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to complete our 4th of July weekend in Michigan.

Summer now draws to a close and I look back on this weekend with bittersweet nostalgia. I’m currently working on a video to commemorate the many fond memories created this summer in Michigan – like the bonfires of towering flame, the double-decker s’mores, swimming in the brisk waters of Torch Lake, chanting whole-heartedly for the “Boys in Blue”, and the endless laughter with friends and family. Make sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel in the meantime, and follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates. Thanks for stopping by!

What did you do for the 4th of July weekend? What was one of your favorite memories from this summer? Let me know in the comments!