From the start of the trip we weren’t sure how we’d spend our last couple days.  We knew we’d need to make it far enough south to be within 4 hours of home (we don’t like to drive more than 4 hours with the trailer) and assumed we’d end up in the Bay City area.  As we looked for campground options and must see/do places nothing jumped out at us.  Then we looked inland a bit and found a Yogi Bear’s Jellystone campground (Daniel’s favorite) within walking distance of Frankenmuth… perfect!...

We spent lots of time on the Canadian side of Lake Huron… so what’s the US side like?  Is the water clear, beautiful shades of blue, and cold?  We got a little glimpse while in Mackinaw City and were anxious to explore the coast further.  We found the same beautiful water, lots of open and natural spaces, and small towns with casual vibes...

Mackinaw or Mackinac?  It depends on what you’re talking about!  The Mackinaw bridge connects the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the rest of Michigan.  Mackinaw City is at the south end of the Mackinaw Bridge on the coast of Lake Huron.  And Mackinac Island is the legendary island off the coast of Mackinaw City known for its no motorized vehicle rules, quaint but luxurious hotels and bed and breakfasts, natural beauty, great restaurants, and fudge.  We spent 2 days exploring the Macks and had a great time… the area has a lot to offer!

Charlevoix and Petoskey… beauty, fun, food, water.  It’s hard to believe the number of amazing towns on the eastern coast of Lake Michigan… here are 2 more!  We spent 2 days exploring these towns and had a great time… if you’re looking for natural beauty and outdoor activities, wineries, great restaurants, or a beach for some fun, this area is great!

Traverse City… a town well-known for its beauty, great restaurants, shopping, cherries, galleries, and all seasons fun.  The north western part of Michigan below the upper peninsula including Suttons Bay, Leland, and Sleeping Bear Dunes, is often referred to as the Traverse City area.  Todd and I had been to the Traverse City area several years ago and were excited to return.  The Traverse City area is great for both couples and families of all ages… there really is something for everyone… it’s the type of place we visit and know we’ll return!

Have you heard about the dunes?  There are multiple places in Michigan to experience huge and amazing sand dunes, and Silver Lake is one of the places.  Todd and I have been to the sand dunes around Traverse City and we wondered how the Silver Lake sand dunes would compare.  We heard that we could also drive a Jeeps on these sand dunes… sounds crazy but true!  So how was Silver Lake?  Super cool with a great vibe and the dunes are awesome!

The east coast of Lake Michigan… known for its beauty, awesome little towns, food scene, and hospitality.  Our first stops lived up to the reputation… every town had its own personality and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring, eating, and playing in each!...

Gut feeling… intuition… that little voice… How often do you have it or feel it?  Do you listen?  From the beginning of our trip we had a feeling about the leg of our trip between Manitoulin Island, Ontario and South Haven, Michigan.  8 nights of the trip that just didn’t seem right… but we weren’t sure why, or more importantly what would feel right.  We had great places on the itinerary… so what could be wrong?...

The “UP”… it’s legendary for its beauty and tranquility.  It’s referred to as remote, uninhabited, and untouched.  Some call it “God’s Country”.  Neither Todd or I had been to the UP.  Though Lake Superior wasn’t originally on our trip itinerary, we couldn’t resist the pull to experience the southern Lake Superior shore before heading to Lake Michigan.

The “locks”… we’ve heard a lot about them… What are they?  How do they work?  We were keen to see the locks that allow boats to safely pass between Lake Huron and Lake Superior in action and learn about how they operate.  We were also excited to visit Sault Sainte Marie and experience the town where Lake Huron and Lake Superior meet!

Interested in a place that’s beautiful, relaxed, casual, welcoming, friendly, fun, and interesting?  We are… these are the types of places we search for when we travel!  We often find this vibe on Islands… would Manitoulin Island capture our hearts?  Yes!

We’ve heard a lot of stories about the Georgian Bay from our fathers and their friends who fish together.  For as long as we can remember, someone was headed to the area in the fall to fish.  We always heard that it’s very remote.  We weren’t sure what to expect, but wanted to see for ourselves! 

Ah, Tobermory… what can I say?  Amazing… beautiful… fun… fantastic… Tobermory is one of those special places that we knew we’d love the moment we saw it.  We were supposed to check out some other places in the 2.5 days that we spend in Tobermory, but we didn’t.  We couldn’t leave… it is just that great!

On to Lake Huron!  Though we love Lake Erie, we are excited to experience Lake Huron.  We’ve heard so much about the beautiful lake, clear water, amazing sunsets, great people, and the quaint small towns dotting the coast.   And so the discovery begins!

Do you ever feel like you’ve gone back in time?  Like you’ve stepped back into another day long ago?  From the moment the ferry pulled into the dock at Pelee Island, wonderful childhood memories came back to me.  Daniel, Todd, and I spent a perfect day on Pelee Island and everywhere I looked I kept thinking… this place hasn’t changed a bit!

Have you ever been somewhere as a kid and wondered what it would be like years later?  Todd and I had both been to the Leamington/Pelee area while boating with our parents many years ago.  As a child, my family enjoyed summer vacations at a cottage on the Pelee Island shore.  Todd and I eagerly anticipated this stop on the trip… 

Imagine a beach that’s over a mile long, the sand is soft, there are sandbars far out into the water, shades of blue line everywhere you look, and the water is so clear you can see the ripples in the sand.  Sounds like the Caribbean, right?  How about the beach at Long Point Provincial Park in Ontario?  

What’s on the other side of Lake Erie?  When Todd and I were kids we often visited Leamington, Ontario and Pelee Island, Ontario with our parents on their boats, but we’d never been anywhere else on the northern Lake Erie coast.  As we gazed at the beach from the south side we looked across and wondered… Are the beaches the same?  How about the towns?  How about the country side?  Is the Canadian culture different?

Love the beach?  We do, and picked Erie, PA as our first overnight stop on our Great Lakes adventure to explore one of the largest beaches on Lake Erie...

One of our favorite things about traveling is meeting great people who are making their visions real.  We kicked off our Great Lakes adventure with a visit to the Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse and a chat with the lighthouse owner...

Campground comparison:  Bayshore KOA versus Findley State Park.  We decided to switch things up a bit on our third trailer trip.  Instead of staying in a state park with limited amenities and hook-ups, we stayed at the KOA Bayshore in Sandusky, OH.

So we have a camper – what now?  Go camping!  We took our camper out a week after we picked it up, and we’re really glad we did.  The weather wasn’t good – cold and rainy – but we had lots of fun and got to test out all of the systems, including the heat.