ramblingriggs

Thursday, July 8, 2021

Oh Michigan!

We hit the road again on Saturday, June 19 for a 17-day road trip to the upper peninsula of Michigan and then home through Wisconsin. Last year, we had this trip planned, but Covid happened and we had to cancel.

Thankfully, we were able to get into all the same state parks that we wanted. We figured we probably won't make it back to the western upper peninsula for a while so we were happy that we could go to all the places we wanted.

We did a quick stop at my brother's property in Clare, MI overnight. We were greeted by his new security guard and found some new decorations at the property. They are always adding new and fun things around.

The new security at my Brother's property.

Looks like Barbie is having a great time and
so does everyone else when they visit!

The next morning we were back on the road and heading for the upper peninsula. Many of you know my fear of bridges, so I was already anticipating the drive across "The Mighty Mac!" It was a gorgeous day with very little wind, so I was very thankful for that. I'm happy to report that this was the second time in my 47 years that I kept my eyes open as we crossed. Jimmy asked me to take some pictures along the way, so that kept my occupied.

The Mighty Mac

The view is pretty spectacular!

Super proud that I kept my eyes open!

Our second stop on our 17-day trip was at Indian Lake State Park in Manistique, MI. Our campsite was right on Indian Lake and it was just beautiful until Monday morning when the temperatures dipped to 39 DEGREES (Oh Michigan!) and we had driving rain with a very sharp 40 mph wind off the lake. I can't even begin to tell you that I'm glad this wind wasn't on Sunday as we were crossing the Mackinaw Bridge. I would have been freaking out for sure! I'm super glad that I packed for almost every season. My coat came in handy!

Indian Lake

Indian Lake State Park • Site 62

The wind finally calmed down and the sun came out so we quickly ventured out to one of the upper peninsula's biggest attractions, The Big Springs, otherwise know as Kitch-iti-kipi. This freshwater spring has a self-operated observation deck that takes visitors across the spring. The water is so clear that you can see the fish and the actual springs themselves bubbling up. It is a must if you are ever in the area!

The self-operated platform at Kitch-iti-kipi.

Looking down into the crystal clear water.

Our captain!

Kitch-iti-kipi

Another highlight of this stop was getting our first (and only) pasty. We were really looking forward to this treat and it didn't disappoint.

Our one and only pasty.

Our adventure will continue as we travel to McLain State Park in Hancock, MI. In the meantime, stay safe and happy camping!

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Why Stay Home?

What do you do when you have a free weekend? Why you camp, of course!

As I had previously mentioned, it is nearly impossible to make camping reservations at any of the state parks when we just want to sneak away for a weekend on short notice. We are super lucky that my brother has a piece of property at White Birch Recreation Area in Farwell, MI that is just right for a quick get-away. We headed out pretty spontaneously for the weekend of May 21.

They have had this property for almost a year and have done some amazing things to it. The surroundings are absolutely beautiful, and at night, it turns into a Christmas fantasy light show. They did an amazing job making this place an awesome, cozy place to be.

White Birch Recreation Area – Farwell, MI

Up close and personal with
a Pileated Woodpeaker.
He's stunning!

Brother's New Sign.
It is perfect!

Christmas Fantasy Light Show
from the driveway. This photos doesn't do it justice!
Nancy and Trina, you did a great job with all
the lights this year!

On Saturday, we finally took the plunge and went out to eat. Jim and I haven't been inside a restaurant since Covid-19 started. We absolutely love going to different breweries when we are travelling and haven't done this in over a year. Four Leaf Brewing in Clare, MI was a great little spot. My brother had been raving about having the "best sandwich of his life" at this place, so I had to try it. He was right! It was the best sandwich of my life. It was so good that I ate it before I even thought about taking a picture of it. The Groope Turkey and Ham was layered with provolone cheese, tomatoes, cabbage, garlic mayo and ancho sauce. The bread was the freshest ciabatta that I've ever had. My mouth is watering thinking about this. I paired it with their latest summer beer, Strawberry Shortcake, which was so refreshing and very flavorful. If you're ever in Clare, please do stop by. You won't be disappointed!

Strawberry Shortcake Beer from
Four Leaf Brewing in Clare, MI

After a great meal, we strolled the streets of Clare (to walk off our dinner) and stumbled across some great murals.

Downtown Clare, MI

Beautiful Mural in Downtown Clare, MI

So pretty...

We had an awesome weekend up north and are looking forward to return trips to come.

As always, be safe and happy camping!

Monday, May 24, 2021

Hocking Hills Never Disappoints!

The 2021 camping season is well underway. I cannot remember the last time we got out so early in the season. We didn't do much camping last season due to Covid-19, so I feel that we have a lot of making up to do.

Speaking of Covid-19, it is unbelievable how busy and completely booked the campgrounds are already. It is going to be super hard to be spontaneous this year. I started looking back in March at the different state parks within a 4-5 hour drive of Michigan and it was crazy to see a majority of the parks already booked for April and May.

We settled on our shake-down trip for this year to be to Hocking Hills, Ohio. We've been there at least 4 times that I can remember. Hocking Hills State Park was completely booked by the time I went to make reservations. Good thing we like trying different parks!

We set off on April 28 for Lake Hope State Park in McArthur, Ohio. We stayed on site 76. The best thing about Lake Hope State Park was we had some incredible neighbors. Most camping folks are super friendly people, but this couple was amazing! I don't remember ever inviting our neighbors to join us for a campfire. We enjoyed our night with them and the endless hours of conversations. We hope that our paths across again. Great to met you Kathy and Dick!

Lake Hope State Park - Site 76

First campfire of the season!

I've never really been a history buff, but I think as I age, I'm enjoying learning more about the past. We stumbled across the Hope Furnace which is a historic blast furnace that was constructed between 1853-1854. The Hope Furnace processed iron ore which was extracted from the sandstone bedrock. This mammoth rock structure still stands today right outside of Lake Hope State Park. It was amazing to me that these furnaces were tended to 24 hours a day and that hundreds of men worked countless hours to assist in the production of the iron.

Hope Furnace

On Saturday, May 1, we moved to Tar Hallow State Park (site 67) in Laurelville, Ohio. Both of these parks were about 30 minutes from Hocking Hills. I was a little hesitant about Tar Hallow State Park, but it turned out just fine. We didn't have any cell phone service, so I was forced to unplug. The park had the cutest putt-putt course (see photos below) and a beautiful lake. Too bad that it rained a lot, but I did enjoy a number of hours lost in my Harry Potter book. I am super glad that we picked both of these places as the Hocking Hills area, along with all of the attractions, were super busy. Being able to get away from that each night was so refreshing.

Tar Hallow State Park - Site 67

The cutest putt-putt course ever!

We are pretty sure this was hand-made
putt-putt course.

The lake at Tar Hallow State Park.
Would have been perfect for kayaking!

Even though we have visited all of the area attractions before, we seemed to discover or see something new from a different vantage point. All of the hiking trails were designated one-way now, so that may have had something to do with it. Here's some photos from the various Hocking Hills Parks:

Cedar Falls

Ash Cave

Old Man's Cave

Conkle's Hollow

Despite lots of rains, we still had a great trip and it was the most normal thing we have done in a while. Here's to more camping and returning to normalcy (or whatever that is)!

As always, be safe and happy camping!

Monday, November 9, 2020

Always Remember to Look Up!

When we have a 70-plus degree weekend in Michigan in November, we should be camping. Since we are not out enjoying the last bit of this gorgeous fall weather, I thought I'd write about our second and last trip of the season.

With the pandemic, campgrounds are super busy and it is hard to get any reservations especially spanning over two consecutive weekends. We built our trip around staying at my brother's property again at White Birch Lake Association in Farwell, MI. It was a no-brainer to book during the week at Ludington State Park in Ludington, MI. My brother's property is about 90 miles from Ludington so we could stay the first weekend at White Birch, shoot over to Ludington for the week, and then landed back at White Birch to round out our 10-day trip.

During the first weekend at White Birch Lake, the girls had a craft day. Now, if you know me, you know that I don't craft much and it has been a super long time since I have done anything crafty. It didn't hurt that we made two of my favorite things...pumpkins and snowmen. It was so much fun and I happy to report that our craft-teacher, Chris, said that I was a good student!

We moved over to Ludington State Park on Sunday. This park is outstanding! This is our third time camping there. There is so much to do from hiking to bicycling to kayaking. Since we aren't going out to eat, shopping, or visiting breweries, we knew the park had enough to offer to keep us busy.

On Sunday night, it was super windy and cold. We decided to order a pizza from the Chuckwagon Pizza, which is not far from the park. Holy Moly!! Check out the pizza below. This was by far some of the best pizza I've ever had. Not to mention that I LOVE MUSHROOMS and look at how many were on this pizza. My mouth is watering again just thinking about it.

We experienced all kinds of Michigan weather. We definitely needed a fire in the evenings to keep us warm and the heat on in the camper. The days were almost perfect for hiking and bicycling. We logged just over 25 miles of hiking for the week.

One of my missions for this week was to try and photograph a bright red tree. Fall is my favorite time of year and I love to see the colors changing around me (especially the bright red ones). I probably took around 40-50 different photos and couldn't get it right. My photos don't really do it justice, but I'm happy with a couple that I finally took back at White Birch on our second weekend while sitting around the campfire. I'm usually mesmerized by the fire and watching it dance, but this time I decided to look up and I noticed this beautiful red tree. Just a reminder, don't forget to always lookup. You might be missing the beauty above you from the brilliant, blue sky to the beautiful fall colors.

It's hard to believe we only made it out for two trips in 2020. This whole year has been one for the record books. I'm thankful that my brother and sister-in-law are very gracious to let us use their property. We have been super cautious with Covid and this way we were still able to camp and enjoy time well-spent with my family. We still enjoyed our time in Ludington too. As with everything this year, it has just been different and very strange.

As for now, the Pod is all packed away in the barn for a long winter's nap. Let's hope 2021 brings more normalcy (whatever that is) and more opportunities to camp and travel.

Be Safe and Happy Camping!