Hey boaters! I’m excited to finally be joining the rest of the online Discover Boating team with my first blog entry. Well, it’s that time of year again – the sun is shining, the grass is greener and the days are longer. For some, this means dusting off your flip flops and stocking up on sunscreen. For others, this means bracing yourselves for an extra dose of cartoons and macaroni and cheese. That’s right parents, it’s summer break!
Being the aunt of a 4 year old nephew and 1 year old niece, it can be daunting to find an activity that captures their short attention span and doesn’t drive me crazy (let’s face it, pushing a swing for 30 minutes can wear you down)! Being just outside Ann Arbor, MI, last summer my sister and her husband decided to take the kids on a long weekend to Manistee, MI – what a great place to introduce the kids to the water and boating! Known as a Victorian port city, Manistee has great public beaches (north and south of the harbor entrance) and nearly a couple dozen boat charter options.
Here is a picture of my nephew (David) and his dad enjoying the water, minutes before boarding his first boat ride ever!
After about an hour out on the water, David loved the boats so much that he made friends with a few ‘big boys’ (as he called them) from the Coast Guard. They were all so incredibly friendly with the kids and more than happy to let them check out their boats. Even little Rachel got in on the action at the pier!
All in all, it was a great day out on the water that the entire family was able to enjoy! How did they measure the trip’s success? Well, it’s not so bad when the only problem they’ve had is David constantly begging to go back again this 4th of July weekend!
Where do you and your family like to go boating? I’d love to hear your stories and/or recommendations!
With Father’s Day around the corner, it’s a great time to introduce your kids to boating. The ‘Just For Kids’ section of DiscoverBoating.com includes virtual boating games, safety tips, access to educational boating materials and tips on getting involved in local youth boating organizations.
REMINDER: If you're hitting the water in the coming days, don’t forget to submit your entries for the i-Discovered Boating ad contest. The contest closes June 30th!