Silver Lake

This year we tried somewhere new for camping, and really loved it. We headed out to the Yogi Bear Campground in Silver Lake, It was fun to experience a new town and all that it had to offer, our only down fall this trip was a Storm like NO OTHER that occurred on Friday night. Luckily we were able to enjoy the full day but come 11:30 p.m....... WATCH OUT.....this storm was fierce, Chris and I laid awake for the better half of the night trying to guess which tree would fall on our pewney little tent, so besides a bad night of sleep and a few drips a rain a the foot of our bags (I say this because when I saw the campground the next morning we were the lucky ones.....) we had a great time, did some new things, enjoyed some great company, and had dry weather the rest of the trip!

The kids really got a kick out of the Yogi Bear festivities, I have never seen a more active and crowded campground.....but lets just say they were entertained more that they imagined.....Wagon rides, pools, arcades, concerts, face painting ......you name it Yogi had it planned......

The big draw at Silver Lake besides the water, both Michigan and Silver lakes is the sand dunes. They are vast and wide and the thing to to there is climb them and ride them like you are on a roller coaster......So we did. These are the portals.....

The kids were hyped as you can tell.....

The girls waiting for their ride!

All aboard.....

The kids had a blast, they hooted, they hollered, they held their hands up like they were riding a roller coaster.....It was hard for the adults not to do the same......

The tour guide stopped fro some photo ops......

The camping gang 2011......We loved having the addition of a few more families!

This picture sums it up.....yup it was worth going......

Back to the campground and the 101 activities that they were having.....here....face painting..

We climbed up the lighthouse - some 130 steps.....and then Chris and I ordered the kids to immediately climb back down..... seven kids .....that high......with only a tiny little bar to hold them back.....wasn't my idea of comfort.....especially when the kids thought it was cool to stick all their body parts through the bars........"Great view....yup its purty.....now lets head down..."

So they headed down.....phew.....

We hit the beach next, enjoyed some sunshine and some water!

The Dad's hanging.....The kids hit the pool at night to rinse away the day.....they called it fun....the parents called it a shower.......

Airborne.....

We had two families host a dinner each night......this was the Allen and Doyle's Mexican fiesta that put our salmon to shame.....It was delicious......

The kids all got along so well......then again what is there to be mad about.......

Ms. Beth brought along a surprise - Rock n Roll make over kits for all the kids......Here is my little Ke$ha.....The girls thought it was the best thing ever.....

Three little rock stars......

Dad wasn't as "impressed" with the look.........

Betta get used to things like this Daddio.....

Somehow the kids came up with this "great" idea to make over the mommies......I think they went a bit overboard .....I am not sure when a full mustache stood for "Rock n Roll" But we went with it.....

The crew getting ready to head down to the yogi bear concert at the pavilion.......face paint and all.......I can't even imagine what the other campers were saying......

But we didn't care......we boogied and danced the night away.......

We capped off the trip with some Craig's cruiser time .......conveniently attached to the campground.......you really couldn't escape it.....

And topped it off with The Chicken Shack.....starting out at a joke and then realizing we would all drive the hour and a half back just for these wings.......Brooke included......who knew......

Good times......thanks Allens, Doyles & Damuths!!