Life is About Trying Something New

by Elisa Phillips

Life is about trying something new. At least that is what I told myself, while standing in the rain in the middle of a gloomy campground staring at an outhouse, while clutching the hands of my children, who were both chanting that they had to go to the bathroom now.

No, I was not about to enter the twilight zone, nor was I about to enter that outhouse. We were camping, in an RV and they were waiting until we could haul back across the campground with our fire wood. I was attempting the shed my city girl image, but I had to draw a line somewhere.

There begins the story of our first ever camping experience in Northern Michigan. A weeklong fun in the sun and slight overcast, outdoor adventures and bike rides extravaganza. While I had been to the Detroit area more than once on business, I had never experienced the true beauty that is Michigan.

Our first night was in a State Park outside Ann Arbor. We made the stop in Ann Arbor, because there is a Trader’s Joes and Whole Foods, and when we travel, I need to make sure I can be safely gluten free. With that mission accomplished, we enjoyed the beautiful campgrounds at Silver Lake. The park is very nice and the small lakes and surrounding woods, is peaceful and picturesque. This was a short overnight pit stop, but I think it is worth making it a long weekend destination. It is an easy three and half hour drive from Columbus, totally doable in a weekend. There are other lakes and parks in the area, as well as some site seeing in nearby Ann Arbor and Frankenmuth.

Next up we traveled all day (well the better part of it) to the campground where I had my twilight zone experience. The campground ,just outside Mackinaw City, in the sunlight was truly lovely. Right on the lake with wonderful walking paths, playgrounds and loads of wonderful other campers. We settled in here for a few days and thoroughly enjoyed the local area. There was a rail to trail (a bike path, which used to be a railway line. Nifty!) which lead from the campgrounds into Mackinaw City. The first day we went across the lake to Mackinac Island. The ferry across was a great thrill and it is shocking how cold it is on the water.

The island itself is quaint and charming and completely carless. Everyone gets around by horse drawn carriage or wagon or bike. While the air around the island is certainly fresh and free of exhaust fumes, it is also ripe with the smell of manure. While it appears to be an honorable profession, scooping of the poop happens on a schedule, all I can say is step lively. There are no exceptions to the no car policy and one of the best sights of the day was of the UPS delivery man, riding on the back of a low flat wagon, with his packages. Indeed, Brown does deliver, no matter the challenge.

The island has something for everyone, ranging from shopping in the tourist shops, restaurants from family friendly to higher end gourmet fare, historical sites and a trip to yesteryear, to breathtaking natural beauty and peaceful lake breezes. Mackinac Island is a great day trip or a destination all of its own.

The next day was spent exploring Mackinaw City and was just as exciting. The city has many parks and a historic area in the shadow of the bridge that leads to the UP. The park has a beautiful lake shore walking path and a historical lighthouse. The center of the city, includes a shopping distract, with many shops and restaurants, including a brew pub, outdoor gear store, famous fudge shops and a wonderful old fashion bakery. The day we were there, it was very quiet. Almost Ghost town quiet. The locals attributed the lack of traffic to the weather, the economy and because it was “early in the season.” Everyone said it would pick up in a few weeks, I found myself hoping so, because the “season” is rather short to begin with.

The next day we picked up stakes and headed to Sleeping Bear Dunes. Located right on the shores of Lake Michigan and home to a number of other crystal blue lakes, this area of Michigan, nestled between such towns as Traverse City, Empire, and Glen Lake. The Dunes themselves were a surprise to me. As we drove around, taking a detour, in order to find our campgrounds, we came up a rise and I felt like I might actually be in the twilight zone. I had no idea that dunes, in Northern Michigan could be so imposing and so impressive. The size of these amazing dunes is breath stealing, not just breath taking. I was expecting knee high beach dunes, not dunes the size of a mountain.

We stopped by the Dunes and spent an afternoon, playing in the sand. The sand on the surface was blazing hot, from the sun but a few inches below, the sand was cool, a hint of the icy season, which had so recently blanketed the riotous spring before our eyes. Climbing the dunes was great fun, as was lying on the “beach” and reading and burying each other in the sand. I never would have guessed that Michigan would be home to dunes that looked like something out of Lawrence of Arabia.

The campground was lovely and had a great playground and a bumper crop of some very interesting caterpillars, which delighted my little fellow no end. Unlike Mackinaw City, there is no bike trail from the campground to the town of Empire, so we had to make do with the open road and the terrain here is very hilly, come prepared to pedal and pedal hard.

Empire is a small town with much charm, some little shops and restaurants and one of the nicest beaches and playgrounds. A total gem hidden just around the corner from the main drag and well worth checking out, this beach is endorsed by kids of all ages.

The water is cool and the sand very inviting. The playground is large and there is a small lighthouse structure, which is intriguing. There are plenty of picnic tables and even some grill stations.

The view across the lake is amazing and we ended up spending the day, basking the sun and just soaking up the lake and play time. With a quick stop in town for coffee and lunch at Gemma’s, we spent almost the entire day at the beach. Do not let the humble exterior fool you, the coffee is rich and satisfying and the food was homemade and fresh.

After the great day at the beach and satisfying dinner by the last campfire of the trip, we packed up and headed home. The RV was a great way to experience this natural wonderland and I have to admit that even as a bonafided and happy city-girl, I can admit that camping has a certain charm.