Grand Haven is a beautiful small town of just over 10,000. During the Coast Guard Festival it gains 300,000+ visitors. We were told today was the 2nd largest of the summer crowds… even larger than the 4th of July. “Soccer in the Sand” slams the entire state park, from one end to the other, and extends over past the city beach too. The Art Festival dominates a section of the downtown streets. The Queens Cup yacht race across Lake Michigan from Milwaukee ended this morning in Grand Haven. Oh, and then there was a major bike race too.
Above is the view from across the river… temporary sand soccer fields started from the lighthouse pier and…
… continued all the way up the beach, across city beach, and further. Don’t know how many total fields, but this one was labeled #28. The entire state park lots were full, trolleys running shuttling people from far remote lots. Oh the humanity!
Meanwhile, we drove across the bridge to the fisherman’s pier to watch the sail boats. Except for the bike race we became engulfed in… no traffic, empty parking lot, and only a few fishermen. What a peaceful day, with perhaps 25,000 people packed in starting just a couple hundred feet away.
Looking off to our immediate right from the fishermen’s pier… the hypnotic waves of Lake Michigan.
Continuing our “other side of the river theme”, we explored a park upriver, just across from where the sailboats from the race moored.
As we strolled along the empty park, three young women cycled slowly past us, giggling, “We found a secret island park!”. Perhaps, but lets keep it a near secret. Stunning how even during the crush of tourist season, solitude is easy to find just across the water.