Shhh...I've Got A Secret That's For Your Eyes Only

Time is precious, waste it wisely
                                            ~unknown


Mr. Cottage surprised me this past weekend by taking me to one of my favorite places.  This was a mystery trip for me in celebration of our 45th anniversary which was a month ago.  Now, I'm going to share this special place with you; but it's so quaint and small and everyone who loves it, wants to keep it this way.  So please don't spread the word too much, SHHH!
It's the Village of Pentwater, located on the shores of Lake Michigan...

There aren't any street lights or stop signs on the main street through the town.  It's actually north of Muskegon, MI and south of Ludington, MI...

The first time we came to Pentwater was back in the 70's.  Our kids were quite young and we had sailed from Holland, Michigan to Pentwater.  We stayed in the marina, shown below, for a few days to let the kids unwind.  We immediately fell in love with Pentwater...

Years later, after we sold our sailboat and got into camping, this was a place we came every summer.  The state park is right on the shore and within easy walking distance of the village.  Even the first time we came with the kids, we all walked from the marina to the state park for them to swim in Lake Michigan.  People who have never been to the shores of Lake Michigan are amazed how great our sand is, just like sugar...

Over the years, they improved the boardwalk to the pier head.  So Mr. Cottage and I decided to walk down to the pier and catch the sunset...

It so happens, this past weekend was also their fall craft show.  The large gazebo in the photo below is in the center of the Village Park and every Thursday evening in the summer months, there's always a wonderful band concert where everyone congregates.  Mr. Cottage and I always started with a stop at the ice cream shop, then onto the Village Square to claim our spot...

This is a snapshot I got of Mr. Cottage as the sun was setting...

And of a sailboat returning to port after the sunset...

I'll have more to share with you next time about the wonderful B & B that we stayed in and more of our great weekend.