That looks like it was such a fun day! I never would have guessed there was a beach like that on Lake Michigan—it reminds me a little of Myrtle Beach. The food looks excellent! We can't believe how expensive everything is these days. We caught a concert last night and had dinner before. Two chicken kabob dinners and two drinks were over $100!
Yes, it is getting ridiculously out of hand. I almost prefer to make my own food at home anymore but even that is expensive. I've been getting chicken wings more and doing them on the grill. I can get like 3 pounds for less than five bucks. It's just too bad my wife doesn't eat them. Oh man, you really have no clue about Michigan do you? I don't intend that in a mean way either. We have some of the most amazing beaches all around the state. This one is just a just a small taste. There is a stretch of US 2 across the UP just outside of St. Ignace where the beach stretches for one or two miles and people just parallel park on both sides of the road to go swimming or hang out all day.
We're in the same boat. It's still nice to get a break from cooking every now and then but it's not worth the prices restaurants charge. I can even make better coffee at home than I get elsewhere.
My only experience with Michigan is visiting my great Aunt in Detroit when I was a small boy so I don't know much at all about the state. My wife used to snowmobile in the UP so she's been there way more than I have. That definitely looked more like an ocean beach to me. Very impressive! Lake Superior beaches on the North Shore of Minnesota are mainly rugged/rocky but still beautiful in their own rite.
Fish would be one of the main things that I would go out for. We don't cook it in the house because my wife can't stand the smell. I also think there is a health factor involved. There are a lot of things I can't make quite as well at home, but if I used the amount of butter or other fat that they use in the restaurant, then it might come close. $100 for two people is starting to become the norm for even a middle of the road meal which is just ridiculous.
We have a lot of the rocky areas around the shoreline too. You just have to pick your spots. You should really think about taking a road trip sometime. It's definitely like an ocean but without the sharks and the jellyfish. I wonder if Grok and I would agree on your travel destinations if you plotted a trip to the Mitten state...