Our first stop in Michigan was Holland. My cousin Michelle lives there with her family & we couldn’t wait to see them all. She told us they refer to their beach as the THIRD coast & when we saw it, we knew exactly why. We were in awe at the vastness of Lake Michigan…I mean, huge doesn’t describe it…wow!! Ken read that the amount of water in Lake Michigan could cover the entire United States with 2 feet of water!!! Plus, as native Floridians, the idea of all that FRESH water is pretty hard to imagine. All the t-shirts in the shops said “No Salt, No Sharks, No Worries”…totally speaking my language. The only downside is that it’s COLD!!!
Tunnel Park was so fun with our cousins!! Hayden, the youngest Bjork cousin, actually went swimming!!!!!! We couldn’t even handle our toes touching the frigid water…but it sure was beautiful!!
On our way north, we got a little sidetracked…
OK, back on track via the Lake Michigan Circle Tour (I-31), our next stop, Traverse City!! Arriving at our campground…scratch that…RV RESORT without question, I didn’t think I was going to be able to leave. The grounds were so perfect, every detail meticulously cared for…NO DIRT ANYWHERE! (I’m on cloud 9 remembering it:):)!) Traverse Bay RV Resort does it RIGHT! Even through the somewhat rainy week, NO MUD, just clean little rain puddles on the pavement & perfect grass…ahhhhhh!!! What a relaxing week it was. Several days at “home”…a few outings around the city…
Inspired by some reading in her science book, Food & Nutrition, Rylie told us that she was going to be a Vegan. We laughed a little, then told her that as long as I didn’t have to cook 3 separate meals a day then it was a great idea! She went in full force…even found out that many of the candies at Dylan’s were vegan (yes, Oreos as well, according to google) & she excitedly declined our meal of beef that evening, one of her favorites, eating lettuce & cashews instead! We were pretty impressed. The next day, by lunch, she was eating ham!! Hey, at least she gave it a shot!! Speaking of Dylan’s, while it doesn’t match the NY store (not even close), it was fun for the kids!
…a trip up the Old Mission Peninsula with a stop at the lighthouse, the Old Mission Church & of course, a wine tasting at Chateau Chantal…
…mid-week, we took a day trip on the M-22 to see the old fishing town of Leland, Glen Haven & more of the beautiful coast, including Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore…WOW!!!
Anyone up for a Dune Climb in the clouds?? Notice the scale of the people next to these enormous sand hills!!
Onto our next destination, we made a pitstop for fresh picked asparagus at the Friske Orchards & Country Store.
The “Wayside Chapel” was so adorable, we had to stop in! It housed 4 extra short pews, seating no more than 8 small people, had stained glass windows & little bible tracts to share. It was no larger than a little playhouse on the side of the road…so sweet…you gotta love Michigan!
Hitting the Lake Michigan Circle Tour again, we headed for Mackinaw City. More rain along with GIANT mosquitos welcomed us graciously. With a bit of gloom & honestly some homesickness (we’ve been away 2 months now), we got situated in our new campsite surrounded by mud puddles. OK, I guess this is what real camping is, but I don’t think I’m cut out for this. I truly love PAVED campgrounds with planted annuals & manicured lawns…maybe my heart was just back in Traverse City, but the mosquitos were more than I bargained for!
Thankfully, when we awoke the following morning, the rain was gone. Turns out, we opened our eyes to a gorgeous front view of Lake Huron. Do the Great Lakes ever disappoint?
Mackinaw City was a cute, little tourist town & we enjoyed our siteseeing that afternoon. We all shared a beef “pastie” with gravy, which is a local staple. We even bought some frozen pasties to enjoy one evening soon!!
The following day, we boarded the ferry with our bikes & headed over to Mackinac Island. Did you know that there are no cars on this island? It’s a wonderful feeling to start off on your bike & not worry about traffic. It takes you back to a time & place of old, which we embraced, horse poop & all. Caden had a blast riding as close to the piles as possible without going through them, making us scream & laugh! We rode the 8 mile loop around the island & also rode through the old streets of downtown.
While we normally prefer a rugged trail, we were glad for the 214 steps that led up to the Arch Bridge…it was steep!
Look, a cairn beach! We even added some of our own!
Skipping rocks on crystal clear Lake Huron…
Back to the mainland, we watched SWANS swim by from our campsite & then basked in the glory of God’s sunset, remembering the many we’d seen over the Gulf in St. Pete (ok, maybe still a little homesick!)
Mackinac Bridge spans the Straits of Mackinac, linking Mackinaw City to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It basically divides Lake Michigan from Lake Huron. While beautiful to view from afar, I have to admit we were nervous as we drove over it in heavy fog & rain the morning we left…pulling “The Beast” (44 feet long & REAL heavy)!! Safely over the bridge, we continued on the Lake Michigan Circle Tour, taking it down past Green Bay, WI. Great Lakes, we loved every minute with you…the word MAJESTIC keeps coming to mind as I think about them!!!
Sneak peak for the next leg of our adventure…tall tales & legends…& peculiar roadside attractions as we continue through the Northwoods…….
Ring Tales...our great RV adventure! 