Ever wonder what it would be like if a pool and a sandy bottom lake had a baby? Look no further than a “sand pool!” One of my husband’s fond childhood memories is swimming in a “sand pool” in Virginia.

In Michigan, the closest thing I’ve ever seen to a “sand pool” was Cleanwater Beach, formerly known as Heath Beach in Milan. I visited this place once in the late 1980s, during a brief time when I had a live-in babysitting gig with a Milan family. My dad worked at a nearby Ford plant at the time, and I rode with him on Monday mornings and back on Friday afternoon.

From what the Internets tell me, “sand pools” can be chlorinated/chemically treated and in some cases, climate controlled just like a swimming pool. This would cause the color to look somewhat “unnatural” compared to that of an actual lake.

From what else the Internets tell me, Heath Beach/Cleanwater Beach was also known to locals as “Hillbilly Beach.” My memories of the place are quite vague, as I only visited once – and had someone else’s kids in tow.

The beach has a new owner – and is now called Milan Beach…