2022 Trip 5: A Michigan Road Trip

Off to upper central Michigan to attend our nephew’s wedding, which is in a scenic area along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The wedding is at a resort outside of Gaylord, so we decided to take the Alto and make it a little road trip.

Our first stop was at Pinery PP, which set us up nicely to get through customs early at the Bluewater Bridge. It was a long drive from Ottawa to the Pinery park, and although we limited our time on Hwy 401 as best we could, it was still a massive pain in the ass. All goes to reaffirm our goal to stay off the multi lanes of asphalt mayhem as much as we could. Nice site at Pinery, and level enough to stay hitched up, and a refreshing swim and a sunset rounded out a very long day.

waiting for the sunset

always dramatic when the setting sun illuminates a big fluffy cloud

Passed through Customs without issue and made our way to Traverse City. Secondary highways most of the way, and the I75 served its purpose to chew up the miles. Away from any city, it is a nice drive and we saw few trucks. Pulled into Traverse City state park in the afternoon, and with it being Labour Day weekend, which is traditionally the last camping weekend of the season, the park was jammed with all sorts of rigs…mostly big fifth wheels and their towing pickups. Other than a tent, we were the smallest kid on the team.

a very busy weekend

Monday morning there was lots of activity with campers packing up and pulling out. It was surprising to see how quickly the park emptied out. We had a lovely visit with a couple who were quite interested in the Alto for their retirement travels. Randy and Paula had a trailer a number of years ago, and are now looking to upscale to a bit more comfort than the tent camping they are now doing.

We wandered downtown Traverse City, checking out the sights and the downtown Main Street shops…urban hiking as we like to call it. 

wonderfully restored theatre right downtown

once proudly on a fishing boat, now a window prop

Based on a recommendation from an employee in an outdoors store, for dinner we had a bite to eat at a pub called ‘Rare Bird’. Located in a former warehouse area, it was a find, has a very creative menu, and there was a big selection of craft beer on tap. 

The next morning we leisurely packed up as we only had a very welcome short drive up the edge of Traverse Bay to Petoskey. As we pulled out from the park, we had another enjoyable visit with Randy and Paula, still very interested in perhaps getting their own Alto. 

Petoskey State Park is a small scenic state park with large private sites nestled in amongst the cedars, behind the massive white sand dunes. Our site was awesome, facing a big dune and just a short walk to the beach.

there is a huge dune behind that line of trees

Just across the road from us there is a marking for site 31, but  the site itself has been literally swallowed under the big dune. The dunes move constantly, a fact we had learned a few years ago from being on the wide expanse of dunes at the White Sands National Park, in New Mexico. Here the park has built a retaining wall and fencing to hold back the movement, but sadly I suspect our camp road and sites may eventually become engulfed.

Site neighbours soon arrived, driving a nice Mercedes Class C. Dan and Suzette were friendly right from the get go, and in between all the activities we were each doing, we had many chats about our respective rigs, our travels, and discovering that we had a lot in common.  Making connections with fellow campers is a special treat when it happens.

We had a nice refreshing swim, enjoying the crystal clear water and huge expanse of beach, then we poked around at the water’s edge, looking for Petoskey stones. These stones are both rock and fossilized coral. When dry, the stones seem quite ordinary, but when wet or polished, the distinctive six sided coral fossil patterns emerge. 

a Petoskey stone gift from our camp neighbour Suzette

After dinner, Dan and Suzette dropped over and we sat around and chatted for the longest time. Covered all sorts of topics and then called it a night.

More urban hiking the next day, in both Charlevoix and Petoskey. Charlevoix is the smaller of the two places, is very quaint, with a picturesque harbour and a drawbridge along the Main Street. 

an amazing amphitheatre

very cool store entrance

a neat alleyway to hang out and even play chess

The town is known for the ‘Mushroom Houses’…31 of these houses dot the streets in the the old town neighbourhood near the water. In the early 1920’s, Earl Young, an eccentric master builder, designed and built these homes with flowing roof lines and chimneys,..and hence the name. He created homes that fit the site, rather than forcing the landscape to fit the design. The homes are mostly made of limestone, fieldstone, and boulders that he found throughout Northern Michigan. He did not design with blueprints, and the signature designs included wide wavy roofs and eaves, chimneys that intentionally look like they are melting, exposed rafter tails, cedar-shake roofs, and with an emphasis on horizontal design.

even the mortar on the chimney was designed

quite the intricate stone wall

The ‘Thatch House’ below is unique and impressive with all it’s flowing thatched roofs.  Using a self-guided map we found on the web, it was well worth the short walk to see all his houses.

look at how thick the thatch is

lots of flowing lines

The East Mitchell Street Historic District of Petoskey has many blocks of large stately Victorian and Queen Anne houses, the intricate details are jaw-dropping and also well worth seeing.

Petoskey’s Main Street is a boulevard, lined with shops and restaurants. 

A nice park occupies a triangular area almost in the center of town, with an old railway track bisecting its length. Very nice to see they have preserved that bit of history, rather than taking the easy route and ripping out the rails. 

We ventured into a watch store just off Main Street, it appears like it has been there for decades. The owner was a bit crusty, more interested in repairing watches in the back room, than saying hello. The place was jammed with watches and clocks of all sorts and ages, and it was all quite interesting to see. Friendlier faces in Symons General Store & Wine Cellar, a foodie mercantile that has been in the same location for a very long time. All sorts of tasty treats to peruse, and more than a few were purchased.

close to sunset

colourful patterns in the waves

The next day we drove a bit inland from the bay to the wedding of my nephew Sean and his fiancé Sarah in Gaylord. We took our time packing up, had another nice visit with our neighbours, then pulled out.

Arrived at the Sojourn Lakeside Resort in the early afternoon, and set up the Alto under some nice pine trees, which provided some welcome shade. Although we had a room booked beside the rest of my family, I decided it was only fair that I keep Barley company during the night, as he would be spending most of his days and evenings alone. Fortunately for him many guests attending are cat lovers, and came by to visit him often.

The resort was gorgeous, a perfect setting for the wedding of a couple of avid outdoor enthusiasts. Time at the resort spanned three days, which gave everyone lots of time to visit and catch up with friends and family. Dinners were planned to get everyone together in the evenings, which gave lots of time during the day to relax on the beach, go for a swim or paddle, play golf, and generally just hang out.  

beautiful setting for the wedding

Our arrival evening was spent on the beach, a ‘meet & greet’ sort of evening, and to celebrate our niece’s 13th birthday. The evening ending with a large campfire and S’mores. The next evening was the Rehearsal Dinner, a classic BBQ of pulled pork and chicken, Mac and cheese, slaw, and cornbread. Some fine ice cold craft beer rounded out a great casual dinner.

The sunny and warm weather held nicely for the wedding day, and it was a lovely outdoor ceremony overlooking the lake. It was an emotional wedding, with wonderful readings and heartfelt words for the happy couple. The reception hall was decorated with an outdoorsy vibe, the dinner was fabulous, and the DJ had everyone up dancing. Such a wonderful time.

Sean & Sarah...the happy couple

Headed home the next day, filled with the many memories of great conversations and soooo much laughter.  We immensely enjoyed it all, meeting Sarah’s welcoming family for the first time, and seeing my brother and family after too long a time without getting together.

Crossing the border was a breeze, and we arrived at Earl Rowe PP in the afternoon. Extending our drive to there made the last drive home a bit shorter, which was a huge bonus after logging so many kilometres on the trip. The new Passport was a treat to have for such a long trip, giving us a comfortable and solid ride.

Overall a great trip, some nice camping and a fabulous time at the wedding.