Michigan/Wisconsin

[nilesrob]

OMG - we're going to need more time!!

[CanoeStream]

nilesrob, you have no idea.... Lake Superior Circle Tour

We did this in 2010. It was more manageable because we'd already done many of the MI and all the WI & MN stops. (nothing like 20 years of camping to saturate 500 miles of lakeshore)

A flyrod and maybe a kayak would help you appreciate the circle tour. Rainbow Falls Provincial Park west of Schreiber and Lake Superior Provincial Park were superb! Sleeping Giant is large/forested; again, using available watercraft enhance the experience. White Lake Provincial Park has untreatable parasites in their water system. Wawa is an excellent town for re-provisioning. At Lake Superior Provincial Park, Agawa Bay campground is a good base. Although closer to Sault Ste. Marie, there are a lot of desirable pics of Pancake Bay, but it is a tight campground crammed in very little space between the highway in the water.

But I'd truly think you could exhaust several trips on very desirable locations in da U.P, NW Wisconsin & along Minnesota's northshore. Biased I guess...

[BIGED52]

Originally Posted by tiger

If I had lots of time, I would go around Lake Michigan, as in, to Houghton through MI and back through WI or visa versa.

In MI

Mackinac Island. A very nice day trip. No vehicles allowed. Take the ferry over. Rent a bike or a horse drawn carriage to get around the Island.

Sault Saint Marie, MI Shipping Locks. Watch the big ships go between Lake Superior and Lake Huron


Being from WI a few of my favorite places alone the lake are

Peninsula State Park in Door County WI 1 ½ hour North of Green Bay in the thumb.

Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame in Green Bay

Manitowoc Maritime Museum in Manitowoc WI. Nice history on the ships of the great lakes as well as a WWII sub you can tour.

Kohler WI has the Kohler factory tour. Be careful with this one. You will want to remodel your kitchen and bath at home and in your AS with all the cool ideas.

While in Manitowoc stop and check out the Sputnik crash site and remains of the satellite Museum there. Also check Point Beach Nuclear Station visitors center Energy Experience. The Point Beach State Park on the Lake Michigan shore is also very nice. Between Manitowoc and Point Beach you can stop in Two Rivers @ the town where the Ice Cream Sundae was invented. They have a harbor area there where the Christmas Tree Ships used to call on the way from the UP to Chicago with fir trees. The lighthouse motel has a great fine dining room and lounge. In the Maritime museum in Manitowoc you can tour one of the WWII submarines that were manufactured there during the war. All along the State Route 42 north there are great views of the lake on the way to Door County Wineries. A great drive! Ed

[nilesrob]

Ooooooh. Circle tour looks really interesting - not for this trip due to time constraints, but definitely the next or later trip. We'' be sure to bring our kayaks!

And pasties... I don't know if that is anything like when we moved from Boston to ATL and were introduced to Krispy Cremes!?! I had to go to to Betty Ford for detox they were so good.

[CanoeStream]

Door County is very well known. And quite developed like any extended vacation resort (think: Wisconsin Dells or Disneyworld). Much more peaceful is Bayfield, WI, area (Apostle Islands National Lakeshore).

[on edit: On the subject of Cornish pasties. Think of a miner's lunch. Pie dough folded over calzone-style before calzones ever were invented. Fill it with beef stew chunks of beef, onions, potato, carrot & turnip. They're very hearty whether cold when on the trail or warmed for dinner.]

[goshawks00]

Naw!! KK are for sugar babies... Pasties are real man food... I won't even tell ya what's in them so as not to jade your taste buds. BTW they don't have spuds in them, they have rutabaga!! Amazing taste and the crust is almost able to float away it's so light.
Barry

[kds]

Originally Posted by Ed Emerick

We have a daughter at MTU who will have one more year there. We take the Airstream and have found that the campground at Houghton City Park is very nice. There are no restrooms but there are full hook ups. From the park you can walk to downtown Houghton along the portage, great views. Also in Houghton go to the Ambassador for pizza and stop at KBC for a great beer.

If you are looking for a Lake Superior view drive up the peninsula to McLain State Park, they nice sites on the shore. Be careful of driving between Houghton and the State Park at night there are a lot of deer in that area. This is one reason we like the City Park.

What a great choice for a place to go to college! Our daughter has loved it there and she is getting a great education!

Have fun there is a ton to do in the Keweenaw.

Thanks so much for the recommendation of Houghton City RV Park! I am in Michigan for a month and took your advice on where to stay while touring around the Keweenaw Peninsula. I arrived today and am in site 2. This has to be one of the most beautiful places I have stayed and only $28 a night for cable, wi-fi (which is great) and full hookups. What a deal. Bike and walking trails to town and a sunset that money could not buy.

Thanks again for such a great recommendation. This place is a must but you need a reservation. It stays full and you cannot stay more than 7 days.

I love it here!

KDS

[Hibby]

Today, a 50 city, 7 day tour of Michigan was initiated by two very creative and talented guys named Rob Bliss and Jeff Barrett... They aren't using an Airstream, but they should be! Take a look at this thread:

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/i...s_with_vi.html

[kds]

Originally Posted by Hibby

Today, a 50 city, 7 day tour of Michigan was initiated by two very creative and talented guys named Rob Bliss and Jeff Barrett... They aren't using an Airstream, but they should be! Take a look at this thread:

Pure Michigan partners with viral video guru Rob Bliss for 7-day, 50-city tour of state | MLive.com

I LOVE it. Thanks and what a great idea. Believe me, I sure wish I could come up with a way to make a living here. Houghton would be right at the top of my list!

I really appreciate the heads up on the video !

[Ed Emerick]

Originally Posted by kds

Thanks so much for the recommendation of Houghton City RV Park! I am in Michigan for a month and took your advice on where to stay while touring around the Keweenaw Peninsula. I arrived today and am in site 2. This has to be one of the most beautiful places I have stayed and only $28 a night for cable, wi-fi (which is great) and full hookups. What a deal. Bike and walking trails to town and a sunset that money could not buy.

Thanks again for such a great recommendation. This place is a must but you need a reservation. It stays full and you cannot stay more than 7 days.

I love it here!

KDS

So glad to hear you like the park. We have reservations for the end of September. Have fun.

[Len n Jeanne]

Maybe not for this trip if you're short on time, but if your son will be at Michigan Tech for four years, sometime park your rig in Houghton for a few days and take the Ranger III passenger ferry over to Isle Royale National Park. There are no roads on the island, but there is a lodge at Rock Harbor where the boat lands, with some day excursions by boat and trail, as well as multiple backpacking destinations for the young and hardy (this wouldn't be us anymore, alas!) The ferry runs from about the end of May through mid-September, when the park pretty well shuts down for the winter.

I had a summer job there years ago, and have always wanted to go back.

www.nps.gov/isro/index.htm

Jeanne

[nilesrob]

What cool spirit - and great video - what a riot!!

We can't wait to explore the UP, but first we need to get our son up to school - heading out in a few days.

We'll try to share some experiences and pictures from the UP, and thanks to all for some great suggestions!

[kds]

Originally Posted by nilesrob

What cool spirit - and great video - what a riot!!

We can't wait to explore the UP, but first we need to get our son up to school - heading out in a few days.

We'll try to share some experiences and pictures from the UP, and thanks to all for some great suggestions!

Sure hope you have a site here at Houghton City RV Park!!!! Safe travels. What a great college town. Wish my daughter was going here cause I would LOVE to come and visit!

Kelly

[nilesrob]

Originally Posted by kds

Sure hope you have a site here at Houghton City RV Park!!!! Safe travels. What a great college town. Wish my daughter was going here cause I would LOVE to come and visit!

Kelly

We do! We'll be there 2 nights this weekend and then we leave the bright lights and the big city to go explore.

[kds]

Originally Posted by nilesrob

We do! We'll be there 2 nights this weekend and then we leave the bright lights and the big city to go explore.

Great, I'm in site #2 with my daughter. Stop by and say hello if you have time. I would love to meet you!

Kelly

[nilesrob]

On our way!

[nvestysly]

Originally Posted by nilesrob

OMG - we're going to need more time!!

Originally Posted by CanoeStream

nilesrob, you have no idea....

Danielle and I just spent the better part of a month in Michigan - near Mackinaw City, then the U.P. and finally with some time at Sleeping Bear Dunes. All this after spending over 10 days in the lower part of MI last year. We loved it and will definitely go back again!

Lucius

[nilesrob]

I feel like I just found a new best friend - the UP!! I said to my wife, how did this area escape our notice? GORGEOUS!

We have been camped at Houghton City RV Park (right on the canal) as a base camp and have walked, hiked, kayaked in some spectacular spots. And we were greeted by fellow Airstreamers when we arrived - yeah!!

We have traveled to Copper Harbor and I have kayaked - nothing less than fabulous - felt like being in the ocean with 2-3 foot swells, with crystal clear water.

We hiked a 5 mile summit trail yesterday near Mirror Lake in the "Porkies" (Porcupine Mountains), and today traveled to Painted Rocks near Munising, where if you didn't know where you were you would swear you were somewhere in the Caribbean.

Tomorrow morning we are headed to Emily Lake to boondock for a day or two. We did a drive-by and this remote campground is to die for - OMG. After that, work beckons and we will start our journey south, knowing that this is an area we will most definitely return. Unbelievable.

Thanks again for some great suggestions! Oh, did I mention we have had pasties??

[nvestysly]

Originally Posted by nilesrob

I feel like I just found a new best friend - the UP!! I said to my wife, how did this area escape our notice? GORGEOUS!...

Brad and Karen,

We know what you mean. All of Michigan and particularly the U.P. are on our list of places to visit again. Maybe sooner than later.

Somebody we spoke to on our trip said Michigan is not on many destination lists because you don't have to drive through it while going somewhere else. The entire state is a peninsula, and unlike Florida (another peninsula) that has appeal nearly year-round, you really have to go out of your way to visit Michigan.

Have you noticed all the snowmobile trails that run parallel to, and cross, the main roads? You know the U.P. must be fun during the winter if you like that kind of thing. How about the buildings that have doors on the second floor that seemingly go nowhere. Guess that winter snow can really pile up!

For us, Michigan was like a well-worn glove - an easy fit. At the same time it was like Christmas morning with new and exciting things at every turn.

We're already talking about going back. Who knows? Maybe next summer. If we do go back we'll keep you posted. Anyone interested in a Habitat for Humanity RV Care-A-Vanner build? We could make it a real caravan to the U.P.!

Lucius

[kds]

Originally Posted by nvestysly

Brad and Karen,

We know what you mean. All of Michigan and particularly the U.P. are on our list of places to visit again. Maybe sooner than later.

Somebody we spoke to on our trip said Michigan is not on many destination lists because you don't have to drive through it while going somewhere else. The entire state is a peninsula, and unlike Florida (another peninsula) that has appeal nearly year-round, you really have to go out of your way to visit Michigan.

Have you noticed all the snowmobile trails that run parallel to, and cross, the main roads? You know the U.P. must be fun during the winter if you like that kind of thing. How about the buildings that have doors on the second floor that seemingly go nowhere. Guess that winter snow can really pile up!

For us, Michigan was like a well-worn glove - an easy fit. At the same time it was like Christmas morning with new and exciting things at every turn.

We're already talking about going back. Who knows? Maybe next summer. If we do go back we'll keep you posted. Anyone interested in a Habitat for Humanity RV Care-A-Vanner build? We could make it a real caravan to the U.P.!

Lucius

I'm in for a Habitat Care-A-Vanner build. As you know, I did one in Manistique, MI and then Ispheming, MI. I LOVE the UP. Hope to meet up with you and head North next summer. Maybe we can get "The Slowsky's " to come? haha

KDS