The Campground We Can’t Quit: A Love Letter to Ludington State Park

Dear Ludington,

We’ve pulled our RPod all over Michigan, from the rugged corners of the Upper Peninsula to the quietest stretches of the Mitten, but we always find our way back to you. You are, without a doubt, our all-time favorite place to camp.

How could you not be? You have a way of capturing everything we love about the Great Lakes State and packing it into one perfect, pine-scented playground.

We love the way the morning light filters through the canopy of the forest, waking us up with the promise of a new adventure. We love the soundtrack of the Big Sable River gently rushing by, a constant reminder to slow down, enjoying an ice cream cone from the camp store, or just sit and watch all the nature before us. 

There’s a rare kind of magic in our morning routine: hands wrapped around our hot coffee travelers, sitting on our favorite bench as the world wakes up. Watching the shadows stretch and the new day begin is a grounding reminder to forget the noise, slow down, and just breathe it all in.

Every time we pack up the gear, hitch up, and head down your winding roads, it feels less like a trip and more like coming home. You’re our happy place, Ludington. Thanks for always being the perfect host, the ultimate escape, and the keeper of our favorite camping memories.

Until we meet again at the campfire.

Your Devoted Campers,
— ramblingriggs 🌲🔥🚐

Thanks for stopping by! If you loved this, don't forget to bookmark the site. Until the next adventure, keep on 'rambling.'

Our home for the week after Memorial Day 2026.

Site 288 in the Middle Beechwood Campground

at Ludington State Park.

My favorite morning view.

The view every morning from our favorite bench 

on the boardwalk. The coffee tastes so much better here!

The Boardwalk overlooking Hamlin Lake 

at Ludington State Park.

Where does all this sand come from?

The weather was just perfect. Hoodies in the morning, 

t-shirts in the afternoon and back to hoodies in the evening.

We used our heater every night!

The walking path to the camp store.

It isn't right if we don't have our afternoon

ice cream.

The view while enjoying our ice cream 

overlooking the Big Sable River.

Our First Trip of 2026: Sauder Village Campground

Our first camping trip of 2026 brought us to Sauder Village Campground in Archbold, Ohio. It’s a convenient, quick escape from home, and the perfect spot to kick off the season.

The "Sauder" Connection
Full disclosure: I’m more than just a fan of the campground—I’m actually part of the team. I work for the Sauder family in the Worship and Courtroom business unit within Sauder Manufacturing.

If you aren't familiar with "all things Sauder," the history is as interesting as the furniture. It all started with Erie Sauder, a skilled Mennonite cabinetmaker who built custom church pews. As the story goes, he used the leftover wood scraps to craft a small table, which sparked the massive Ready-to-Assemble (RTA) business that is now Sauder Woodworking. I’d be willing to bet many of you have had a piece of Sauder furniture in your home at one time or another!

Sauder Manufacturing was later formed in 1945. Today, we operate across five diverse business units: Worship and Courtroom,Education, Healthcare, Human Services, and Parts.

Preserving History
As Erie neared retirement, he wanted to ensure the legacy of hard work, rural life, and craftsmanship in Northwest Ohio wouldn’t be forgotten. He opened Historic Sauder Village in 1976, which offers an immersive look at life in the region from 1803 through the 1920s.

Why You Should Visit
Whether you’re looking for an easy day trip or a family weekend, I strongly encourage you to check it out.

If you aren't a camper, the Heritage Inn is a lovely place to stay. And whatever you do, make time for a meal at The Barn Restaurant—their fried chicken is, without exaggeration, some of the best I’ve ever had.

Before you head home, don't forget to stop at the Doughbox Bakery for a treat. You must try their scotcheroos; my mouth is watering just thinking about them!

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that we spent our evenings out with some of my co-workers since we were in Archbold. It was so nice to socialize and relax together outside of work. 

Thanks for stopping by! If you loved this, don't forget to bookmark the site. Until the next adventure, keep on 'rambling.'

— ramblingriggs 🌲🔥🚐

For early May, the weather was perfect!

The 1920s street at Sauder Village.

It was rainy but not a wash-out. 

It eventually turned into a beautiful, spring day.

Who doesn't love baby farm animals? 

They are so cute!

Never too old for a train ride! I'd say my 

selfie skills are finally improving.

Dusting Off the Blog: A 5-Year Photo Tour of Our Camping Life

It’s hard to believe it has been five years since I last sat down to write in this space. If you’ve been here since the beginning, thank you for waiting out the long intermission. If you’re new here, welcome to our digital camp scrapbook.

While the blog has been quiet, our lives out on the trail certainly haven't been. In 2021, we purchased a piece of property in central Michigan to serve as a seasonal camp site. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) basically shut down the world. It was nearly impossible to camp anywhere without planning super far ahead. 

So, why not have our own campsite that we could go to at any point and not worry about making reservations. We put a lot of sweat equity hours and love into this piece of property to clear the land, put in a driveway, electrical, sewer and make it our own. This has been where we have camped until the Fall of 2023 when we decided to slowly start 'rambling' on once again. 

I realized recently how much I missed documenting these moments — not just to remember the logistics of a great site, but to look back on the people, the stories, and the quiet magic of being unplugged surrounded by nature.

So, consider this post a visual reunion. Grab a drink, pull up a camp chair, and take a little stroll through some of our favorite moments, campsites, and milestones from the last five years.

DECEMBER 2021

Our seasonal campsite at White Birch Lakes Recreational Area 

in Farwell, MI. This is just the beginning with putting in our driveway.

MAY 2022

The first weekend on our seasonal campsite at 

White Birch Lakes Recreational Area  in Farwell, MI. 

JUNE 2023

Party lights are up and on which means we have electricity!

JULY 2023

This man deserves to take a seat and relax at the camp fire. 

He put so much time and energy into making this place our own. 

SEPTEMBER 2023

We enjoyed our first, long weekend away from our seasonal campsite at

 Harrison Lake Campground (site 078N) in Fayette, OH. 

It does take some a minute to transition from seasonal camping to weekend camping again. 

OCTOBER 2024

After packing up our seasonal campsite, we headed for a week-long trip to the 

Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We stayed at Tahquamenon Falls State Park on site R-11.

SEPTEMBER 2025

This spot was next to heaven! We've not camped in a national forest 

without any electricity before. This is campsite #9 in the Hiawatha National 

Forest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan again on the shores of Lake Michigan at St. Ignace. 

We felt like we were the only people around. It was so peaceful. The photo below 

is the view behind our camper. There's nothing I love more than a slow morning, 

with a great cup of french-pressed coffee, enjoying the sites and sounds of Lake Michigan 

with this stunning view!

Do you like what you see at White Birch Lakes Recreational Area? We've decided to sell our seasonal campsite and continue to 'ramblin' on while we still can. 

Here's my shameless plug for our property listing. Check it out!

Thanks for stopping by! If you loved this, don't forget to bookmark the site. 

Until the next adventure, keep on 'rambling'.

— ramblingriggs  🌲🔥🚐

A Family Tradition — Cousins Weekend 2021

For at least seven years now, my cousins have been camping at Stafford County Park in Port Hope, MI. Our first time there was in 2014. We may have skipped a year or two in between, but the tradition continued the weekend of September 17-19, 2021.

The weather was absolutely perfect for camping in September in Michigan. We had our normal block of campsites right on the shores of Lake Huron (Sites 12-17) which makes a perfect little compound for our family. I love falling asleep and waking up to the sound of waves lapping the shoreline. 

We rode bikes, went for ice cream, visited the historical train depot, ate some great food, drank some great beer, and enjoyed each other's company over the course of our 4-day trip. 

I'll let the photos below tell more of the weekend together. 

Until next time, happy camping and stay stafe!

A beautiful moon and sky with our camping
compound. Thanks for the photo Cousin Mike!

Cousin Waylon 
The next camper generation

The moon rising over Lake Huron.

Cousin Wyatt
The next camper generation too.

Back Row: Brother, Cousins Jason and Doug
Front Row: SIL Nancy, Cousins Jody and Becky

Jimmy is a "Happy Camper" and Cousin Mike

Cousins Angie, Pattie and Waylon

It wouldn't be camping without a friendly 
game of Kan Jam with Brother and Cousin Mike,

Cousins John and Laura

Cousin John and Mike

Lake Huron from our campsite

The Pod on Site 15 at Stafford County Park
in Port Hope, MI

Sunsets, Brewery and a Famous Boat Ride

Another Michigan State Park crossed off our list. We spent a long weekend (Thursday, August 26-Sunday, August 29) at Van Buren State Park (Site 96) in South Haven, MI and it didn't disappoint!

I got the last site in the park and I made reservations well over a month ago. The sites on the ends of each loop were nice and spacious and they were pretty secluded too, just like we like it. It was a short walk to the Lake Michigan, which provides some of the best sunsets you will ever see. 

On Friday, we headed into South Haven to check out the sites. It was such a quaint town with shops, beaches, piers, breweries and the Michigan Maritime Museum. There was plenty to do and see. 

We started with an early lunch at Clementine's. I'm pretty sure we found in the best onion rings EVER, along with an outstanding perch dinner. Since we were stuffed to the gills (get it? LOL!), we headed out for a leisurely walk around downtown to check out some shops. Since the past couple of weeks in Michigan have been unbearably hot and humid, we had to make a stop at Harbor Light Brewery to cool off and sample some of their brews. We had a nice chat with the owner and enjoyed sampling their IPA's (for Jim) and their Porters (for me). 

On Saturday, we headed for the Michigan Maritime Museum. It was another hot one and figured this would be a good thing to tour while spending some time in air conditioning. Who knew that more than half of the museum would be outdoors! Oh well, at least there was a decent breeze coming off the Black River and we took a 30-minute boat ride out on Lake Michigan on board the USCG MLB 36460. This boat is famous as it was seen in the 2016 Disney Movie, The Finest Hours, starring Chris Pine. 

Thanks to a couple of great friends for all their recommendations of things to do while we were in South Haven. It was a short 2.5 hour drive from home and made for a great weekend away.

I'm super thankful for air conditioning in my little Pod. I'm really looking forward to doing some fall camping in cooler temperatures, if it ever arrive. 

Until next time, happy camping and stay safe!

Van Buren State Park • Site 96

 The USCG MLB 36460

Aboard The USCG MLB 36460 with our
tour guide, Tara.

Jim and I
aboard The USCG MLB 36460.

The beach at Van Buren State Park.

Lake Michigan sunsets are the best!

and they never disappoint!

South Haven has some pretty
cool artwork!

This fish was made out of trash 
that was picked up along the beaches
in South Haven.

All Good Things Come to An End

I thought being gone for 17-days would just seem like forever, but here we are at our last stop in Michigan at Bewabic State Park. We were only here for a couple of days before we headed to Wisconsin. Site 44 was huge and surrounded by trees. The park was fairly empty during the week but we could tell it slowly started filling up as we got closer to the 4th of July holiday weekend. 

Bewabic State Park • Site 44

Great bonfire weather

A man and his Pod!

Since we were in a waterfall groove from our last stop, we figured since we were in Crystal Falls, MI, there had to be a waterfall, right? We found Chicagon Falls located not far from the State Park. I wasn't ready for what we stumbled across. The road started out as a normal dirt road. As we wound our way back to the waterfall, the road turned into more of a two-track. The last bit of the two-track got very dicey to the point that Jimmy stopped the truck and got it to make sure we would make it. His truck doesn't have 4-wheel drive but it handled pretty well. I should have videoed the experience but I seriously needed to hold on for dear life. I've never been off-roading before but I think this trip changed that. We finally made it to the parking area and it was only a short-walk to the fall. Our return trip up the two-track wasn't much better and even more stressful, but Jimmy and his truck climbed us out of there without any damage. It was worth the off-roading to the falls, but I wouldn't advise it in a car. You definitely need a truck!

Chicagon Falls 

Chicagon Falls

Chicagon Falls

Chicagon Falls

Chicagon Falls

Chicagon Falls

We had worked up an appetite after our off-roading and settled on The Curious Pig. It was another gorgeous day and we were able to eat outside.  Jim had the brisket chili to start that was out of this world. I had the the Pigs Grilled Cheese Sandwich which was pulled pork topped with macaroni and cheese, BBQ sauce and pimiento cheese spread on Texas toast that was toasted and grilled. It came with a side of homemade Cole Slaw and Pickles. The sandwich was literally to die for and the cole slaw and pickles were different. It was a different combination of sweet and spicy. It was an outstanding lunch all around set on a beautiful front porch on the perfect day.

The Curious Pig

Brisket Chili -- O---M----G!

The Pigs Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This concludes our road trip around the upper peninsula of Michigan. We hit all the destinations that we set out to see and then some. We had some wind and rain to contend with but that's part of camping. Our weather ranged from hoodies and coats to shorts and t-shirts with everything in between. More memories were made and bucket list items were achieved!

We came home through the beautiful state of Wisconsin and around Chicago. We (ok.....Jimmy) had never pulled the camper through Chicago and we (ok...Jimmy) was a tad nervous about it. Google sent us right through downtown Chicago on I-94. We are super glad that we asked around and took the outer loop around the city. It was a little hairy and slow in spots but we made it just fine. 

Thanks for following our trip across the upper peninsula. We really do live in a beautiful state! 

Stay safe and happy camping!