Since I live only about 60 miles from one of the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan) I have always had an interest in the region and in particular the lakes. I love the rich history of the lakes and the cities around them. I call myself an amateur historian and I find myself very interested in especially the Great Lakes shipping history. Recently, I celebrated my birthday and my family gave me a wonderful gift of a DVD set about the Edmund Fitzgerald. That is the ship that the singer Gordon Lightfoot sang about which sank on November, 1975.
There are five Great Lakes, Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. Some people also consider Georgian Bay of of lake Huron as its own lake and when you look at it’s size you can see why. I have personally been to all the Great Lakes. We love Mackinac Island which is in Lake Hurn and is a must to visit. If you do go to Mackinac, plan on staying on the island to get the real feel of the place. You can’t take your RV there, but you won’t regret your stay should you choose to do so. There are no cars on the island and the modes of transportation are horse drawn carriages, bicycles and good old fashioned walking. You will feel as though you have gone back in time. This is also where the film, Somewhere in Time starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymore was filmed.
When visiting the area of Mackinac Island, you will also see the Mackinac Bridge. This is the bridge that connects upper and lower Michigan in an area called the straits of Mackinac. This bridge is huge and it can only be appreciated once you see it close-up and especially when you drive on it. It is the longest suspension bridge in the United States.
I have a dream of traveling around the Great Lakes with my Travel Trailer and explore the areas. This would be a huge undertaking because the area around the lakes is so huge that as I said before, it would be nearly impossible to see everything around the lakes. I still plan on doing what I can to see all that I can. This summer, we are going to Door County, Wisconsin which is a just of land into Lake Michigan where Green Bay is on one side and Lake Michigan is on the other.
Of course, another destination is a waterway that flows North from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario and this is where you will find Niagara Falls. The falls are an amazing thing to see! It is worth all the tourist stuff that is prevalent in the area to visit the falls. The best view is on the Canadian side and well worth the trip over.
Of all the lakes, Lake Superior is my favorite. It is a huge lake! It is also the deepest of the Great Lakes. It is so large that it has its own weather system. Years ago, we visited in July and when we arrived at Superior Wisconsin and when we drove across the border into Duluth Minnesota, the temperature went from about 80 degrees to about 50 degrees. If you go up the scenic route on the West shores of Lake Superior, you will come across Split Rock lighthouse. This is yet another great place to visit. Split Rock lighthouse is a fully restored lighthouse with period actors living the parts. It is very fascinating to hear the story of how the lighthouse came to be.
If you are a scuba diver, the Lakes are a great place to explore, especially in the relatively shallow waters of Lake Michigan. I have a friend that dives wrecks in Lake Michigan and it is supposed to be very fascinating. I have never scuba dived, but the thought has come to me to possibly try that someday.
There really is a lot to see around the lakes. If you’re planning on visiting the great Lakes and do some camping, make sure to call well ahead because many of the campgrounds are booked as much as two years in advance. This is the problem I have encountered as I try to find campgrounds to stay in around the lakes.
One dream I have is to have the opportunity to actually take a cruise aboard a Great Lakes ship, preferably on Lake Superior. Not a passenger cruise ship, but a true great Lakes cargo carrier. So, if you have any pull to help me with that dream, please feel free to contact me via this Blog!
Please share your experiences of camping around the Great Lakes! As usual, I would love to hear from you on your experiences!
Happy Camping and see you next Sunday!
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Michael
David.
Thank you for a great post. I too have lived near a great lake for all of my life. I love it. Last summer my wife and I traveled Michigan’s UP for the first time, and it was a beautiful trip.
We stayed at the state park in Copper Harbor for two days. It may have been luck, because the weather was postcard perfect right up until we headed south. Then a huge storm rolled in. We watched it in our mirrors as we continued down the road, and found out later that it was quite a blow.
The main road heading south out of Copper Harbor is magnificent. It is paved with hematite, which causes the road surface to sparkle in the sun. The locals had to get a federal historical landmark waiver to prevent the state from rebuilding the road to modern standards. If the state had its way the road would be wider, shouldered, straighter and blah. It is worth the trip just to see this road in the sunshine.
As beautiful as Copper Harbor was, the McClain state park was even better. Located on the west side of the UP the park looks out over lake Superior into the most wonderful sunsets on lake Superior. We have camped all along the south and north shores of lake Superior from Copper Harbor to Thunderbay, and we feel McClain state park is the most scenic location to camp with a sunset view. A close second is the little county camp ground at Herbster, WI.
Thanks again for a great topic.
Michael
Ron
This is a link to out RV trip to the Upper Peninsula (http://upperpeninsularmichigan2007.blogspot.com/ ) I hope you enjoy viewing it as much as we did doing it.
PS: this is one of one our favorite places to RV and we will be visiting again this September, only this time we will do the Northern rout of Lake Superior thru Canada.
r0n
clark
Keep dreaming and writing forall of us..Thanks,
Len Schattler
David,
I was born and raised in Port Huron, Michigan just a short drive across the Blue Water Bridge to Sarnia, Ontario. If you have an interest in the lake freighters, this is one of the very best places to see them pass as they exit Lake Huron into the St.Clair River downbound, or enter it upbound. This is the narrowest point on the River and the ships pass by the abundant parking places almost close enough to touch! As for RV parks, our favorite is Algonac State Park which is right on the St.Clair River, and where you can sit in your rig and watch the ships pass right in front of you! Mackinac (for those who don’t know, it’s pronoucned ‘Mackinaw’) Island is also one of our favorite places, and a trip to it should include a tour of Fort Mackinac, which is fully restored and has reenactments of past battles in the summer. Also, the Grand Hotel on the island once had the reputation as having the longest front porch in the world. Oh, and don’t forget the fudge!!! Michigan and the
Great Lakes truely are a ‘water wonderland’.
Len Schattler
David Kurtz
Gypsy John…Yes you are right…I do a lot of dreaming! And for some of the dreaming, I actually do get a chance to fulfill some of those dreams. As for taking time out to pursue some of the dreams by cutting back on the writing….well…that takes away from yet another dream…of my being able to write! As for the Great Lakes…I have been to all of the lakes and will continue to explore this great region!
Thanks,
David
Jim
The whole Mackinac thing is charming. The bridge, the town and the island. We stayed at nearby Mill Creek Campground on a lake view site for about a week in September of 2006. The bridge is lit at night and we could see it from the windshield of our motorhome. We could also see the island and the frieghters on Lake Huron. When we were there the geese were everywhere. Also the tour of the island is a must do. We took a buggy ride and the guide was very informative about the island. There ARE vehicles on the island, police car, fire truck and ambulance. The state highway that circles the island is the only state highway in Michigan thats never had a motor vehicle accident, so they say. We also rented a built for two bicycle and lived to talk about and not even an argument. If we would have known, we would have taken our own bicycles on the ferry to the island. A very nice place to visit and we’ll return someday….
gypsy John
Sure seems to me David that you do an awful lot of “dreaming” about places to go & see and you just do a lot of writing about them. Why not do a little less writing and go fulfill those dreams. Maybe you won’t ever get on a freighter (cruise), but if you don’t get out and start fulfilling your “dreams”, then when it’s too late and you can no longer “GO”, all you will have are your empty words! Just a thought from a four plus year fulltimer!
Connie
I think staying to the right is the best idea when crossing that big bridge. It is only black topped on the right. Those metal holes seem to take a hold of your stirring wheel.
Ned C
David K;
Really strange you posted this at this time. We live about 5 minutes from Michigan. and I must admit take it for granted. However, were planning a trip to Marquette MI early next month. Strange how your posting with picture and all have been humming throught my head as recently as yesterday. And thanks for the picture of the Edmund Fitz. A reminder is a good thing..
Ned C:
David Kurtz
Thanks Leo for the clarification!
Leo Everitt
If one is claiming longest suspension bridge for Mackinac Bridge you must add the words”between anchorages”. The normal method of measuring suspension bridges is the length of suspension span and the Mackinac is the third longest in US.