6/8 Port Crescent & Port Austin, MI

My dad bought property on Lake Huron, just four miles west of Port Austin, Michigan, in 1948 and built a small cottage in 1950.  I remember wonderful summers up there with my cousins and aunts and uncles, when they were all young.  We crammed an amazing number of people into the tiny cottage on weekends, and the overflow slept in tents or in cottages down the beach. 

Until the 70s, the land that is now Port Crescent State Park was our playground since we were only four cottages down from this long expanse of empty land.  We used to pack up sandwiches and Cokes and sometimes even take the rowboat down to the old and new rivers.  Jumping off the high banks of the new river and wading out into the lake was great fun.

My kids and my niece and nephew have good memories of this place also, so this weekend, I got a campsite in the park, and my niece and her two kids met us there for a few days of reminiscing.  Here is my campsite and the site next door where my niece and kids set up tents:

 

My son and his family joined us the next day.  Here they are on the way to the beach, and of course, me on my bike:

 

We headed into town (actually two separate trips) and walked out on the breakwall.  Kids enjoyed the new playground in town.

 

 

My grandson took this photo, and I leaned down to make sure he got me in the picture because he was pointing the camera down.

 

I have great memories of Port Austin and buying penny candy, when penny candy was actually a penny.  I remember that we kids used to get a quarter each to spend in town.  For that amount, you could buy a comic book, two big candy bars, and five pieces of penny candy!  We also used to play putt-putt, go see a movie, and ride the Knoblock horses.