GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – We left Michigan yesterday after two weeks in the Great Lakes State. Among the highlights of the past week were revisiting Mackinac Island, exploring the towering dunes along Lake Michigan, and enjoying another of the state’s “roadside parks.”
Last week, we caught a ferry from St. Ignace to Mackinac Island, where my family and I had vacationed in the late 1960s. They don’t allow any cars on the island, so we paid a bit extra to take our bikes along with us. Our ferry ride included a side trip to view the Mackinac Bridge, which spans the Straights of Mackinac, connecting the Upper Peninsula with lower Michigan.
On the island, we rode our bikes to the Arch Rock, past Fort Holmes, down to the British Landing, and then back along the lakefront to the Grand Hotel. We paid $10 each to enter the hotel, where we enjoyed a pear cider on the expansive porch. I have a fleeting memory of staying at the hotel when I was about 10. It was the most exotic vacation my family took when I was a kid. I remember riding a bike on the island, and enjoying the big swimming pool in front of the hotel.
Elizabeth seemed to take special pleasure in viewing the site where the British and their Menominee Indian allies beat back an American force on August 4, 1814. The British had seized the island at the beginning of the War of 1812, and successfully held on to it until the end of the war in 1815. Fort Holmes at the high point of the island is named for an American officer killed in the battle.
Later in the week, we towed the RV across the Mackinac Bridge to a campground near Traverse City. On Friday we spent a few hours under balmy skies climbing to the top of the Sleeping Bear Dunes that rise hundreds of feet above the shores of Lake Michigan. It was a beautiful sight to look across the blue green waters to see these huge sand bars rising above the surf. We walked together to the top of two overlooks, and then I hiked on my own for about two-thirds of the Dunes Climb Trail before turning back. My nephew Tom Griswold had warned us not to climb down the dunes to the lakeshore because it’s a bear to climb back up. We had no trouble resisting the temptation, but we did see two young women laboring to climb back up a 400-foot dune at one of the overlooks. (You can see them on the lower left photo.
We ended our fortnight in Michigan by spending a few nights at the farmhouse of our long-time friends Jeff and Anita Caspers northeast of Grand Rapids. Looking back on our time in this wonderful state, we’ll remember the beauty of the lakes, especially at sunset. The moderating effect of the lakes on the weather also allows an abundance of wineries and apple, pear, and cherry orchards.
As we drove through the state, we also appreciated the many roundabouts, an English invention that allows a smoother flow of traffic, and the many “Roadside Parks.” The parks are small rest stops along secondary highways that are often located by the lakeshore or other scenic spots. We liked the fact that the parks can accommodate RV parking. We could not only pull over for a bathroom break—a factor of growing importance these days—but we could wade in the water at a picturesque spot. The photos below were taken at a roadside park on our way to Traverse City. You can see how close to the lakeshore we were able to park the Hideout.
Dashboard:
Days on the road: 226;
Miles towing the RV: 10,067;
RV parks stayed at: 61;
National parks visited: 21.
The road ahead (Lord willing): Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY, and the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia.
Daniel Griswold's Blog 
Wow! Great pictures and stories Dan.
Keep em coming!
Thanks for the encouragement, Lynn! Keep your comments coming, too! I’m enjoying your reports from your trip out West.