I grew up vacationing at the Jersey Shore. After visiting a beach on Lake Michigan, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed lake life.

I had a great time exploring the dunes and trails at Oval Beach on Lake Michigan. Gabi Stevenson/Insider As a Southeast Pennsylvania native, I grew up taking beach trips to the Jersey Shore. After I moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2021, I wanted to visit a beach on Lake Michigan.

I was surprised by how much I liked life on the lake, even though it was pretty windy. As a kid, I visited the Jersey Shore for day trips and overnight stays. My visit to Long Beach Island in 2020 was one of my last trips to the Jersey Shore before moving to Michigan.

Gabi Stevenson/InsiderOver the years, I’ve visited New Jersey’s beaches in Wildwood, Ocean City, Cape May, and Long Beach Island. From my hometown in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, it was usually about a two-hour drive, a quick day trip, to the sun and sand of the Jersey Shore. I would often stay with my friends and their families for a few days during those visits.

As a teenager, I loved walking on the boardwalks, buying graphic T-shirts at local shops, eating soft-serve ice cream, and watching the sunset against the shoreline. After moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in October 2021, I was curious about the beaches along Lake Michigan, located about a half hour away. I spent time on freshwater lakes in Canada as a child, but I didn’t remember much about those family vacations, so I decided to give it another shot.

My mom and I decided to take a trip to Oval Beach on the shore of Lake Michigan, near the sister towns of Saugatuck and Douglas in June. Even the sky looked more blue above Lake Michigan. Gabi Stevenson/InsiderThe day started off on a high note when we realized how quick the drive would be.

About 40 minutes after we left the house, we were driving through the small beach town of Saugatuck looking for Oval Beach. As we got closer to the shoreline, our GPS stopped working because we didn’t have cell service. After a few wrong turns, we were able to find the parking lot behind the beach, which cost $10 to park all day.

We were pleasantly surprised to discover that even on a Thursday in the summer, not many people were there. I didn’t notice anything different about how people dressed compared to the beaches in New Jersey, but I did note a difference in the mood. Most of the beachgoers were very mellow, casually sipping from their drinks and reading books under the sun.

It was a windy day on Lake Michigan, so we ditched our umbrella when we arrived. After my first day at Oval Beach, I made a mental note not to bring any large towels next time. Gabi Stevenson/InsiderAfter parking, we carried our chairs, bags, and umbrella down a small hill from the car to the beach.

I instantly noticed how windy it was, which made anchoring our umbrella nearly impossible. After a few minutes of adjusting, we decided to take it down.  Another downside was that the wind whipped the sand around.

We laid out a large towel in front of our beach chairs to put our belongings on, but it repeatedly got buried, so instead, we sat on our beach chairs for the day. While I hung out in the water and on the beach, I noticed differences from the beaches at the Jersey Shore. The waves at Oval Beach were smaller than the waves at the Jersey Shore, even with the wind on the lake.

Gabi Stevenson/InsiderBesides the wind, the weather was beautiful. The temperature was in the mid-80s and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. After settling into our spot and letting my sunscreen sink in, I took a dip in the water.

Although the water was pretty chilly at first with the wind, I got used to it once I dunked my head underneath and spent some time floating around. It was nice to avoid the sting of saltwater on my cuts and not worry about it going up my nose. The water was just as murky as the water in New Jersey, but I really enjoyed the crisp feeling of the freshwater on a hot day.

After I got out of the water, I walked up and down the beach as I dried off. I noticed there were more ducks on the beach than seagulls, so I felt safe eating my lunch and snacks on the beach because I knew the ducks wouldn’t swarm — unlike the birds in New Jersey. After swimming and relaxing for a few more hours, we decided to walk over to the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area.

This little nature preserve gave us a better view of all the beaches along the coastline. Gabi Stevenson/InsiderThe Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area is a nature preserve that sits between Lake Michigan and Oxbow Lagoon on the Kalamazoo River. The trail, which runs parallel to the beach along sand dunes and plains of tall grass, was accessible from the end of the parking lot.

The entrance to the walkway was about a four-minute walk from where we sat. Thanks to an abundance of early evening light and a much gentler breeze, our short walk was one of the best parts of the day. After we walked up a sand trail on a hill, we reached a small clearing between some trees.

From there, we could see farther down the coastline than before. We took in the view for a bit before heading back to the car and driving over to the nearby towns of Saugatuck and Douglas.   By the time we left the beach, we were ready for dinner.

While exploring some of the neighborhoods near the beach, we stumbled across the Douglas Root Beer Barrel. The Douglas Root Beer Barrel stuck out like a sore thumb among the houses in the neighborhood. Gabi Stevenson/InsiderAccording to WXMI, the Douglas Root Beer Barrel is a real, wooden barrel built by a couple in Flint, Michigan, and was approximately a six-minute drive from our spot at the beach.

In 1952, it was moved to West Michigan, where it changed hands a few times before falling into disrepair. The outlet reports that the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society bought the property for $1 in 2010 before leasing it to its current owner. In 2016, The Barrel served its first customer in 40 years.

When we pulled up to the restaurant, we couldn’t believe its size. The menu consisted of summer classics like hot dogs and root beer, so we decided to eat at a table in the yard instead of ordering to go. I ordered my hot dog with lots of toppings and a side of potato salad.

After a day of playing in the sun, it was nice to stock up on some yummy summer foods. Gabi Stevenson/InsiderI ordered the Barrel’s “BLT Dog” which came with bacon bits, lettuce, tomato, and the restaurant’s housemade aioli. I filled up on it very quickly, but the lettuce and tomato made it feel fresher than a regular frank.

In between bites of my hot dog, I was loading up on the baked potato salad, which was pretty delicious. It was a bit too creamy for my liking on a hot day, but the overall flavor was tangy and salty. Altogether, my hot dog and potato salad (the latter of which I split with my mom) cost about $7.

25.  Before heading home for the day, we stopped at Wade’s Bayou Memorial Park in Douglas. I saw similar sculptures to this one as we drove around the Saugatuck-Douglas area.

Gabi Stevenson/InsiderWade’s Bayou Memorial Park, also located on the Kalamazoo River, is known for its fishing spots, boating docks, and beautiful sunsets. After driving three minutes from the barrel to downtown Douglas, we parked and walked down a hill to take pictures and look at local wildlife. Across the bayou, we saw a few swans swimming among kayakers.

We also watched a mother duck lead her ducklings around the docks and onto the grass, where they cleaned their feathers and nestled in for the night. One of the most beautiful things about Wade’s Bayou was a large, red sculpture by the water. The Saugatuck Center for the Arts writes on its website that if you look down Center Street, the main road that cuts through Douglas, you can see a perfectly encircled sunset through the archway.

 Not all my souvenirs from the beach were good — I found lots of dried duckweed stuck to my skin when I got home. I brought some souvenirs back from the beach by accident. Gabi Stevenson/InsiderSmooth stones and shells were all along the tide at Oval Beach, so I decided to collect some and put them in a small dish when I got home.

However, I didn’t anticipate bringing so much duckweed with me. After I got home, I noticed dried bits of the aquatic plant stuck to my arms, legs, stomach, and back. They came off easy enough, but I had to give my shower an extra rinse when I was finished or they would stick to the walls.

Although it was different from the nostalgia of the Jersey Shore, I was so happy I got to experience life on the lake for a day. I was able to go to Oval Beach one more time before summer ended, but my first trip was my favorite. Gabi Stevenson/InsiderBetween the easygoing atmosphere, the freshwater swimming, and access to nature, I felt replenished when I got home.

I was still tired from spending time in the sun, but I truly felt at ease on Oval Beach. There was something about the friendly locals and cute shops that reminded me of the Outer Banks beaches in North Carolina, which I also visited as a teenager. I was able to go back to the beach in Saugatuck one more time before summer ended, but it was much busier because I went on a Saturday.

The next time I visit, I’d love to turn it into a weekend trip and experience some of the local nightlife as well as more restaurants and daytime activities. The area has so much to offer — antique malls, breweries, dune tours, a marina — and I can’t wait to try it all. Read the original article on Insider.