West Branch

We have been going to lots of different campgrounds this year and I have to say I think my favorite is West Branch. One of our usual favorites in Rifle River was nice but very hilly and this last time we parked near the river where the sites are closer together than I like…. Plus I always miss the exit from the highway so my poor direction sense getting us there frustrates me. We went to one near Michigan Adventures…. Which was nice but VERY mosquito-y. We also went to one in Kalamazoo and if you read my last blog you know we had some issues with the power and the fishing tackle at that one (not to mention the sharp turns!!) I did enjoy the Kal-Haven Bike Trail and would go back there again if the chance came up. This is the second week we are at West branch. The first time we stayed on a non-sewer site (but with ample power) near several paths that were nice to take Carmel for walks in. This time we are on a sewer site with very friendly neighbors. They already provided me lots of advice about how to connect my hoses…. How to level the trailer….. etc. But that is very common when someone new pulls in. Our other Neighbor (beside J. and her family) has several small kids. We watched as they worked on taking the training wheels off the bikes… they were cute and it brought back memories of my own kids learning to ride a two-wheeler. Since we only have 2 kids with us this trip (Pete and Macy are at church camp) things on our site seem eerily quiet!

West Branch is nice because the campground seems quieter than the usual places we go. There are not as many amenities that attract small children and young families (like miniature golf, paddle boats and karaoke nights) but there is a beach and a pool and lots of places to walk. The roads around this campground are relatively flat, paved and not real busy so they are good for bike riding. There is also an outlet mall, grocery store, ice cream shop, pharmacy, decent restaurant selections and a library with free wi-fi… so it is a nice community for visiting when we want to head out of the campground for a bit. J and her family have actually stayed here for most of July and they are still happy here, so that is quite positive.

We’ve had a nice variety of places to camp this year. The kids have also done church camp, we have a canoe trip coming up, another trip to Rifle River (hoping it is a warmer week and we can actually get out on the river), Dad D and Dad B are taking the kids to Pennsylvania for the annual ‘roughing it’ trip to Camp Touch-me-not. (In tents with no electricity and no water) Pepper and I are passing on THAT trip this year—I just really like to flush!!

Its been a nice summer…. One I will remember for a long time. ☺