We arrived in Michigan at the end of March and it was a perfect first week. Just a little chill in the air, melting snow, sunshine, and the smell of fresh trees and evergreens. It was lovely.
And then it changed. Freezing temperatures, snow, water freezing, and the campground bathrooms were a 5 minute drive from our site….it was not a fun experience. After the cold, came the rain. And more rain. And even more rain. It was non-stop. It was the most rain Michigan had seen in a long time, the dams were flooding, houses were underwater, and the National Guard was called in to help with all the damage. Our campground is on a little bit of a hill (tiny really) but it was enough elevation that no flooding occurred (we just had huge mud water spots at our site so we had wet feet often).
Finally, June is here and the rain eases up but then comes the bugs. Midges made it impossible to go to the beach as those annoying bugs just swarmed around you. That lasted a few weeks. Then the mayflies appeared. That was a couple of weeks. And the smoke from the wildfires.
At least the temperature was nice starting in July. Now? It’s perfect weather. No bugs. No wildfire smoke. A hot day is rare, and that is normally not even 90. We get some humid days but nothing like Tennasee or Missouri. We run the air and dehumidifier and we are good to go. Buckley is happy because he is getting so much more catio time and we are happy because we can be outside and not be miserable.
We have hiked many of the local trails close to us. Pros: the trails are well marked and maintained. And there are lots of local trails. Cons: it’s literally just a walk in the forest with a few little hills. No viewpoints. But it’s still good to get outside and be in the forest.
Kayaking is becoming a new favorite activity as there are many launch areas close by due to the many streams and lakes here. We purchased an inflatable kayak as we felt that was the best option for our small space and our short stature. It takes 10 minutes to inflate and we are very impressed with how stable the kayak feels. We have found a couple spots we really like and found that the small streams are preferred over the large, busy lakes.
If we are not hiking, kayaking, or chilling in the hammock, we are at the beach. We are very fortunate to live close by to many beaches and the beaches are also connected to hiking trails, the best of both worlds! These are not Florida beaches where one can walk for hours on smooth sand but they are still walkable beaches and this area is known for the petoskey stone. A petoskey stone is fossilized coral that lived in this area 350 million years ago. This is the official state stone and sort of looks like a star-burst when wet or after polishing. It’s fun to look for them while walking and Brad is really good at spotting them!
We forgot how big farm stands are in the Mid-west and have enjoyed all the seasons of fresh fruits and vegetables. A few of our favorite spots:
Friske’s: homemade vanilla ice cream and bakery treats
Kings Orchard: bakery treats along with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, corn, zucchini, green beans, salad, and pretty much whatever is in season.
Providence Organic Farm: a perfect spot for lunch
We are looking forward to the fall where there will be an abundance of apples and with all the rain, fall colors! We have a fall color route picked out and we cannot wait. Stay turned for the next blog post about our favorite towns.
Happy Trails!
Roaming Free In An RV 