We decided on a KOA close to the town as our parking spot. Being only only 2.5 miles from the town center, this gave us the opportunity to do a lot of exploring. We were planning on being here 4 full days so we felt that would be sufficient to see things close and do a road trip down the east coast of Lake Michigan.
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| Home Sweet Home |
Our first full day we visited the town several times. Once in the morning by ourselves and then again in the afternoon with the boys.This worked out great and we all had the opportunity to see and do a lot of things.
The town, itself, is a typical tourist town. Lots of souvenir shops, restaurants, bars, and all the other touristy things. It, also, was the terminus for the Mackinac Island ferry. We were very interested in touring the island, but since we did not have our bicycles (motor vehicles are not allowed on the island), we felt it would be too much to walk that distance once there. Hopefully, the next time we will come prepared.
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| Looking west on East Central Ave. |
In the afternoon, with the boys, we walked along the shore of Lake Huron and the old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. This park was exceptionally beautiful. There was a good breeze and with the warm weather it had a lulling effect on all of us. The view of the Mackinac Bridge was spectacular.
We figured, since we were alone on the shore, this would be a good time to check off the final lake of the 5 Great Lakes. We had checked the signs around the park and none said dogs were not allowed in the water, so we got their long tethers and towels and in they went. They did not stay long, however, for like Lake Superior, the water was very cold. But to them it was worth it. Now they have the bragging rights to say they have swam in all 5 of the Great Lakes.
We headed back to the RV and made a camp fire so the boys would dry off a bit. They love lying next to a good fire when they are wet. A perfect ending to a great day.
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| Mackinac Point Lighthouse |
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| Mackinac Bridge |
The next morning we went back into town and browsed through the shops, had an early lunch at an Irish Pub, and headed back to the RV park. The morning had been overcast and a chilly 60°F with rain in the forecast for the afternoon. We wanted to make sure the boys would be able to get some exercise before the rain started.
Morning came with another overcast sky and some drizzle, but that wasn't going to stop our planned road trip to Traverse City. During this trip we followed any road that was close to the shore. As in previous trips, this was not possible for most of the shoreline is privately owned. However, there were many places one could see the lake.We picked up North Lakeshore Dr. (M-119) just south of the Wilderness State Park. This is a scenic bi-way and is call the "Tunnel of Trees". This was a beautiful drive and we could just imagine what it would like with the soon-to-come fall colors.
When the M-119 ended in the town of Petosky we picked up U.S 31 and continued south through numerous villages and towns to Traverse City. This entire area is based on summer resort activities. It is a very scenic part of the state. Would like the opportunity to explore this whole area more.
The day continued to be very overcast, drizzly, and rainy at times. This prevented us from doing much outside, in fact, the few times we got out of the truck was only for potty breaks, a quick lunch stop, and a few walks for the boys between the rain drops. We had chalked up a bit over 100 miles so far and with mid-afternoon approaching, and with no signs of the weather clearing, we turned east and headed for I-75. This made for a long day, but it was a great drive with beautiful scenery.
Our last full day we stayed put in the RV park busying ourselves with housekeeping/laundry chores, some reading and blog posting, and, of course, playing with the boys. This stop turned out to be quite pleasant and we agreed to come back this way again.
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