Upper Peninsula: Downtime on Lake Michigan

From August 2021

Callie and I stayed three days at Little Bay du Noc campground.  I didn't do a whole lot:  walking the several campground loops and trails, reading by the fire, and enjoying the quiet mid-week solitude.  There were some sites with a lakeview but they came with neighbors and sometimes contractor generators. We were happy where we were.

By the end of our stay, I was ready to move on. It was time to move on to the shores of Otchipwe-kitchi-gami, (Ojibwe for the Big Sea) or Lake Superior.

Upper Peninsula: Bay du Noc

 From August 2021

After  wild weekend at Kleinke Park, I was done with camping directly on the beach.  Hitching up the Scamp on Monday, August 16th, I continued heading north past Escanaba, Wells, Gladstone, and Rapid River.  

I headed east and then south until I was across from Gladstone on the other side of the water at  Little Bay du Noc, a national forest campground.   The campsites were well-spaced and nestled into the trees.  No electric, but there were pit toilets and garbage service. $22/night without the senior pass (next year).

There was a small beach but not for camping.  And there wasn't anybody on it.  

 

Instead of sunrise views, I had sunset views from the east side of the bay.

This was camping.

Upper Peninsula: Menominee

 From August 2021

I drove into Menominee, Michigan several times to escape the crowded campground at Kleinke Park.   It's a pretty little town with a history dating back to its indigenous peoples. 

Callie and I walked along the marina and on the pier out to the breakwater.

 

On Sunday, there was a car show.  This one combined the auto and nautical theme in form and function.

Inboard engine

Upper Peninsula: Party Hearty

 From August 2021

According to Merriam Webster dictionary, "party hardy" is the original idiom used to describe someone capable of partying for a long time and having fun."  Despite the name of this blog, I do not fit into that category. I've been known to drink one or two really good beers over a long period of time and then take a nap.

Then there's the folks who bring their own Tiki Bar along to set up in the campsite.  Or the guy who thinks that drinking a six pack of cheap beer is just getting warmed up.

On Friday afternoon and continuing into Sunday afternoon, I observed a number of people who fit into the party hearty category, including my closest campground neighbors.

Not a Stock Photo--Actual Neighbor

Kleinke Park campground changed overnight.  Here's a fun game:  try to find my Nissan pickup in the photo.  You'll need a different photo to find the Scamp, which can no longer be seen.

If you guessed center right, you are correct. Here's the Scamp.

My truck is still there.  You just can't see it because of all of the other vehicles blocking the view.

What to do?  Too late to find another campground.  Finding an open campsite without a reservation for even a small trailer in the UP on an August weekend is pretty close to impossible.  I decided to gut it out and spend my days elsewhere.  It turns out Menominee, Michigan is a pretty place.

Upper Peninsula: Kleinke Park Campground

 From August 2021

Julia did well in her first longer Scamp trip in May. However, on this trip, I drove north by myself beyond Wisconsin and into the wilds of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  

The goal was not to do a lot of tourist stuff or even hiking.  Most introverts recognize the need to be alone sometimes in order to re-energize and gain perspective.  This was one of those trips.

I've been to the U.P. many times, but have never taken the Scamp.  One of the campgrounds that I've driven by in the car is Kleinke Campground, which is about 30 minutes beyond the Wisconsin border on the Lake Michigan side.  

Last year, Kleinke Park had several first-come, first serve sites.  Going forward in 2022, it will be reservation only.  I'm not a fan of this trend.  I like being able to check out a site in person, get a feel for the neighbors, and vamoose if conditions change unfavorably.  It's pretty much impossible to do with reservation only camping.  

For $21, you get electric, dump station, dollar hot showers, fire ring, picnic table, and garbage service.  There is a lot of beach to walk.  If you get bored of this beach, Baily Beach (without camping) is a short distance away.

I went early in the week, thinking that would be my best chance for snagging a spot.  I did get the nicest campsite of the three available.

A careful observer will note that the electric hookup boxes on either side of me are fairly close.  The good thing is that these were both rented seasonally, and I guessed correctly that I would have no neighbors until at least Thursday.  In fact, the entire campground was quiet until Friday.  

The draw here is Lake Michigan.  While it was hot in south central Wisconsin, temperatures were cooler and more comfortable up north and by the lake.

I got up early, took Callie for walks up and down the beach, cooked nice meals for myself, and spent the evenings reading. It was a very relaxing routine--until the weekend.

 

Iowa Lakes Region, Part 2

From June 2021

Our grass at home was growing long, and our time was running short on the Colorado trip.  Instead of stopping at Toppling Goliath Brewery in Decorah, Iowa, we elected to stay one more night in Iowa's Lakes Region. 

While we enjoyed our stay at Robertson Park, we decided to move to Emerson Bay State Recreation Area on Emerson Bay, a part of West Okoboji Lake.  We've had very good luck with Iowa State parks--no entry fee and relative low campground fees commensurate with services.  Our new site was $20/night with electric and shower access.

Emerson Bay is a large body of water with beaches, piers, and lots of people boating.  I was pretty happy with a spot in the shade.

Julia put in some beach time.

That evening, we went to Arnold's Park.

And ate a terrific dinner on the outdoor patio at Maxwell's Beach Cafe.

It was the perfect ending to our trip to Colorado and back home.

Skipping forward to the present,  we are continuing to get hammered by cold weather, rain and snow at the end of April.  During my "writing break," we took several more trips which I will continue to document when there isn't anything else to write about in Wisconsin.