Having exhausted the list of things we wanted to do in the Empire, Michigan, area (mainly Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Traverse City), a free day presented itself for some exploring. We opted to drive south, along the Lake Michigan shoreline, to Manistee, Michigan. The drive proved uneventful for the most part. A large open-air arts and crafts show and sale was taking place in Frankfort, Michigan, and folks were parked in every available space.  urther south, a pullover along the route provided a spectacular view of Lake Michigan’s western shoreline, and a viewing platform that must have been 200 hundred steps high provided an even more spectacular view. Much of the area, particularly closer to Empire, is used for apple orchards or corn fields. Manistee is an old fishing town, and many of the town’s buildings have been or are being restored. It also houses several buildings of the Little River Tribe of Ottawa Indians. It was apparent that the area was more “blue collar” in its culture, and tourism had not yet taken over as the main industry. We quickly drove through, turned around, and drove back out, stopping for a burger along the way. Both coming and going, we noticed that fall is quickly approaching as evidenced by the increasing number of trees with changing leaves, and some of the maples now have brilliant red leaves.

At Indigo Bluffs, we enjoyed a quiet rest of the afternoon, and then were invited next door to the Parker’s for hors d’oeuvres. Frank and Dianne are from Gravette, Arkansas, and have traveled extensively, both via land and sea. We really enjoyed getting to know them better, and hope our paths cross again—and surely they will since Frank and Dianne travel through much of northern Arkansas over the course of a year with their Good Sam’s club.

Tomorrow, we head home, driving south to South Haven, Michigan, for the evening.

It’s so comfortable here at Indigo Bluffs that we had another late morning before starting today’s tourist activities.

We drove to Sutton’s Bay on Lake Michigan where Kay dropped me off and she drove back down to tour Traverse City. The 15-mile Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation (TART) Leelanau Trail began near the bicycle drop-off parking lot. This proved to be a spectacular ride along a former railroad corridor through rolling hills, forests, orchards, vineyards, cornfields, and meadows, and past streams, small lakes, and ponds. The trail was well marked, and had a water station about halfway between Sutton’s Bay and Traverse City. Benches were placed about every two miles, and several adjoining landowners had signs on their property adjacent to the trail stating that they loved bicyclists; it definitely made one feel welcome.  he trail was well marked and had mile markers every mile. The first 5 miles were mostly uphill, but the slope was gradual enough to allow maintaining a relatively high speed (for an old man). Along the way, trees were showing evidence of early fall as leaves were already changing colors. About halfway, at Mile 8, a pear orchard was right next to the trail with beautiful reddish yellow pears ripening on the trees. Further along the trail, at the edge of an orchard, skeletal remains of a couple of old buildings lay adjacent to the trail.

We had pre-arranged a pick-up point in Traverse City, but grossly underestimated the miles, thinking the Leelanau Trail was 28 miles long. As Traverse City came into view after only an hour or so, I texted Kay about our miscalculations and that I would keep riding. At Traverse City, the trail runs along the Grand Traverse Bay waterfront and beach, and it was a busy place as people sunned, played volleyball, threw Frisbees, etc., but few people ventured into the cold waters of Lake Michigan! Maneuvering through Traverse City was a challenge with all the traffic signals, sidewalks, and trail tunnels.

After traversing along the lakeshore, riding through a tunnel under US Highway 31, and crossing into the heart of town, another trail, TART 2, began started, and ran east and north for another 10.5 miles. This TART trail was a paved urban transportation corridor traversing from Traverse City to Acme Township. It was rather mundane after the other trails we’ve ridden this week, and had a number of washboarded sections. Near the end of the trail, I texted Kay regarding a pick-up point, but we miscommunicated—and previous texts with my status and directions never made it to her phone. An hour and a half later, she picked me up at the intersection of US Highway 31 and Bunker Hill Road. The 25-mile ride was invigorating, and the first 15 miles (Leelanau Trail) was the best I’ve ridden.

We had a late lunch at Georgina’s, Trip Advisor’s #1 rated restaurant in Traverse City. This authentic Asian & Latin Taquería is a a fusion of Asian and Hispanic food. Sitting only 18 people, one can easily view the chef(s) preparing their meal, and there was no reheating; everything was prepared from scratch. The young Chef owner is half Cuban and one quarter Chinese, born in Nicaragua. The food was priced reasonably, with most dishes costing $13—not bad for a gourmet meal. Most impressive about the food was the ability to taste each ingredient as you take a bite—yum yum good—and we each had half our meal left for later.

At Indigo Bluffs, we took advantage of the pool to ease muscle aches and pains. It was supposed to be heated to between 85 and 90°, but couldn’t have been much over 80°. It’s all relative, however, as some youngsters from this part of the country jumped in and said it was warm—it’s all a matter of perspective!

We’ve about wrapped up our time in the area in and around Empire, Michigan, with some free time tomorrow to explore.

Our travels today took us only 150 miles from Mackinaw City to Empire where we had reservations at Indigo Bluffs RV Resort. This is the last leg of the trip before starting home.

We arrived at Indigo Bluffs, checked in, and were escorted to our site in the ritzy “owner” section. It exuded luxury, with stamped concrete pads and adjoining patios, fire pits, well manicured lawns, wildflowers, cascading rock pools—you get the picture. It was so nice we almost felt guilty. Set-up was easy, with no leveling required, and electrical, water, and sewer hook-ups were easily accessible. The satellite dish had a wide open view of the southern and southwestern sky, and found the satellites quickly.

After a quick lunch, we drove to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Visitor Center, talked to a seasonal ranger, and picked up maps, etc.  he 7.5 mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive was our first foray into this National Lakeshore. The drive was mostly through thick forests and was up, down, and around steep hills. We couldn’t believe the large number of people visiting the area—almost bumper to bumper—and predominantly from Michigan. A wide-open view of Lake Michigan appeared at the first major overlook. The next couple of overlooks provided views of vegetated sand dunes as far as the eye could see. And the last stop on the drive proved the most awesome of the trip, with dunes extending from the shore of Lake Michigan upwards to a height of 500 feet at about a 60° angle. Many folks were slipping and sliding their way down the steep sand slope while many others were trudging back up after making the quick descent. It was a pretty awesome sight, and photos cannot do it justice. I walked down a short distance and ascending the slope really stressed my hip joints.

From the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, we made our way a short distance north to the Dune Climb, where many kids were enjoying the biggest sandpile they had ever seen!

We wrapped up the afternoon by driving along several natural lakes and through many small villages along the National Lakeshore area. The countryside contained many orchards, vineyards, and corn fields, and reminded us of Door County, Wisconsin. Of course, Door County is only about 50 miles to the west, across Lake Michigan! We were amazed by the clarity and turquoise color of Lake Michigan, and of the natural lakes in the area.

Indigo Bluffs RV Resort hosted a “meet and greet” in the evening, meant to provide a very low key sales pitch; and it was so low key that we were never approached, nor heard anyone push sales of the luxury RV sites. We met most of the couples occupying sites in the park (some owners, others renting either seasonally or by the night). We really took a liking to our next door neighbors, from Magnolia, Texas. He’s a beginning fly fisher, and they are quite active in their large Methodist church in The Woodlands in Magnolia. I volunteered to provide fly casting instruction to him when schedules permitted. Two other couples with whom we became acquainted were from Quincy, Illinois, and Conroe, Texas, respectively. By the way, heavy hors d’oeuvres were served and included dips, chips, cheeses, pastry, and pork barbecue sliders with wine, beer, and/or soft drinks—dinner!

With one more day in Mackinaw City, we both stated our desire to pack up and depart for new horizons. Regretfully, we have reservations and a schedule (a lesson to be learned). Digressing a bit and waxing philosophically, we’ve done most of the RV-related items on the bucket list, except for Washington and Oregon. I’m at a point in our travels, and life, where it’s great just to take the RV somewhere for several weeks, establish semi-residence, and really experience the area; I think Kay feels the same way. And we like spending time at home and with family, particularly in the spring, early summer, and early fall. This might account somewhat for our “hitch itch.” Having said that, Door County, Wisconsin, really struck an accord with us, and it’s a place to which we definitely want to return, perhaps for 6 weeks or so.

Last evening, wind from the northwest began after the partly rainy day, and continued through the night.  It was in the low 50s this morning, and winds were gusting at 15 to 20 miles per hour, making it seem even colder.  Isn’t there a happy medium somewhere?  We drove south again today—our third time—for Kay to further explore Petoskey and Charlevoix, and for me to ride Michigan’s Little Traverse Wheelway. The Little Traverse Wheelway is a paved bike path extending from north of Petoskey south some 23 miles to Charlevoix. Locals reserved much of the waterfront in the 1880s and 1890s for a walking and bicycling path before the railroad claimed it for a railway after the turn of the century. Then when the railroad abandoned it, locals reclaimed it and converted it into a great bike trail. The Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan (shown above) shoreline is visible from much of the trail. Just before Petoskey, we pulled onto a side street, unloaded the bicycle, donned helmet and day pack, and bid each other farewell. The trail through Petoskey was awesome, with the high seas crashing against the shore. Winds on the order of 20 miles per hour were forcing the 4 to 5 foot waves directly onto the rocks, and made for spectacular views, but made for very difficult riding when the bicycle trail changed directions and the wind blew directly towards me.  Bicycle traffic was heaviest near Petoskey and Charlevoix, but sparse in between. There was little foot traffic. Though only 16+ miles, this was an incredible ride, taking about and hour and a half. It’s definitely worth doing. Kay had just pulled into a parking space at trail’s end as I arrived—great timing.

Kay’s exploration and the bicycle ride ended our activities in the Mackinaw City area. Back at the RV, the tanks were emptied,  the RV interior cleaned, and most items stowed for the short trip to Empire, Michigan, tomorrow. That leg of the trip will end our Wisconsin and Michigan tour.

P.S. Michigan has some 1200 miles of bicycle trails, and those we’ve ridden have provided an enjoyable riding experience. They also have a large number of campgrounds, and their residents take advantage of the camping opportunities. We saw lots of young families camping here, in Munising, and in Copper Harbor, and the family units are large by our standards, with each young couple having 4 or 5 children. The Little Traverse Bay area of Petoskey, Charlevoix, and Bay Harbor exude wealth and affluence, and one can only guess that the large houses are mostly summer places for Michiganders (almost all license plates in these places were from the state of Michigan) since there are lots of exclusive golf courses, the summer weather is coo, there doesn’t appear to be any significant business enterprises except for tourism, and the weather here is very cold and snowy from October thru mid-May!

The owners of the RV park, Mill Creek Camping, also own significant stock in one of the companies that ferry people between Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island. Consequently, they sell tickets, and have shuttle stops for transporting people and bicycles from the campground to the ferry landing. We were the only riders for the 8:40 AM pickup, and arrived just before the big jet-powered boat departed for the island. The first couple of trips of the day usually follow a route that includes passing under the Mackinaw Bridge, and it is an awesome structure, with the main span larger than the main span of the Golden Gate Bridge by 2,000+ feet.

Upon arriving at Mackinac Island, disembarking, and picking up our bicycles, we loaded up and began an 8-mile ride circling the island with bright sunny skies.  The number of people and horses made for a too crowded condition in the pier area, and the stench of horse urine and manure was overwhelming. This changed as we left the shopping and residential area, but the number of bicyclists was significant. And, many of the riders, and particularly the children, had no idea of cycling etiquette, with many near crashes almost happening—enough said as I shall not dwell upon it! Since no automobiles are allowed on the island, the highway is actually a pedestrian and bicycle path. Most of the island is a national park, the nation’s second in fact, operated by the state of Michigan as a state park.

As we neared the end of the circle ride, it began sprinkling; we stopped at the library, parked and locked the bicycles, and dug out raincoats. As we began perusing the various shops, a full-blown rain began, making the covered sidewalks and shops even more crowded. Kay walked through several shops, and we both sampled fudge at a few of the many candy stores. As the rain intensified, the pungent aroma of fudge, horse urine, and liquefied horse manure was unforgettable! We both had to take showers to get the odor out of our noses.

Fort Mackinac was one of our favorite destinations on the island. Established by the British in 1780, the United States took control in 1796. It was the scene of the first land engagement of the War of 1812, and the British recaptured the fort. Despite attempts by the United States to retake the fort, the British maintained possession until returning it after the war. It was used as a prison camp by the Union during the Civil War when then President Andrew Johnson had 3 prominent Tennesseans held captive there. The fort was deactivated in 1895. Some of the fort is original, other parts date back to the late 1700s, and the remaining parts date to the late 1800s. While we were there, re-enactors demonstrated period music, held a court martial, and performed a marching and shooting drill.

From Fort Mackinac, we walked the manure-littered roadway to the Grand Hotel, famous for the longest porch in the world, and site of much of the 1979 filming of Somewhere In Time starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. For a small fee of $10 each, they allowed us riffraff to have run of the place, consisting mainly of shops and cafes, and of course the famous porch and chairs—pretty expensive sitting!

We walked back to the library, unlocked the bicycles, and caught the next ferry to Mackinaw City. We’re sure glad we visited Mackinac Island, but we don’t understand all the fuss. Our favorite part of the experience was the 8-mile bicycle ride.

After horse urine and liquefied horse manure odor cleansing, i.e. showers, we drove to Cross Village for dinner at the historic Legs Inn, so named for the inverted wooden look alike stove legs forming a border above the first floor roof.  The Polish food was as good as advertised, and we were delighted to have made a second attempt to eat there.  After dinner, we walked the beautiful gardens overlooking Lake Michigan.  Kay will give them an outstanding review on Trip Advisor. We highly recommend it, and would eat there again.

After a long, leisurely morning followed by a late hearty breakfast, I succeeded in getting a partial satellite signal so we can at least record some of our favorite summer television shows.

We drove across the Mackinaw Bridge to St. Ignace, Michigan—except for ferry transportation to Mackinac Island, there’s not much to do in St. Ignace. The state park offered a nice vista of the Mackinaw Bridge, and there were hotels, shops, and restaurants on the waterfront, but not too many people. It appears that the primary appeal of this area (St. Ignace and Mackinaw City) is for access to Mackinac Island. Of course, there are attendant facilities such as hotels, shops, and restaurants, but…

Driving back across the bridge—$4 toll each way—we stopped briefly at the RV park, loaded the car with laundry, soap, and quarters, and Kay took off for Cheboygan to do laundry and buy Sudafed at the nearest Walmart. (Different states, and even different counties within states, treat the sale of Sudafed differently.) In Cheboygan, it can be bought over the counter, but through the pharmacist. Kay’s doctor recommended that she take the Z-pacs, Sudafed, and Tylenol to fight this CRUD thing. Meanwhile, I donned a daypack and began what was to be a 16+ mile bicycle ride from the RV park to Cheboygan. One thing great about most of the places we’ve visited this trip is the availability of hiking and biking trails, and this area has the Northern Michigan Rail Trail which runs along the upper shoreline of Lake Huron. The trail was mostly level, with a smooth small crushed limestone surface. At Cheboygan, I exited the trail and called Kay to get directions, twice, before finally hooking up with her at the laundry near Walmart. The average speed of just over 10 mph was slow, but sure beats walking.

Afterwards, we drove the short distance to Mackinaw City, and walked around the various shops which hawked T-shirts, fudge, caramel corn, and Mackinac Island souvenirs.

Tomorrow, we go to Mackinac Island; consequently, we spent the rest of the evening packing lunch and riding gear for the all day trip.

It’s moving day again as we leave the south shore of Lake Superior to the north shore of Lake Michigan.

Kay woke up sick this morning, as she still has not recovered from the crud that’s been plaguing her since before we left. She began another round of antibiotics and Sudafed as the doctor ordered. Hopefully, this will pass quickly.

Without hook-ups, there’s not too much to do to get ready to move: retract the slides, lift the jacks, stow the jack pads, connect the car, and check the lights.

We were off at 8:30 for the 140-mile trip south and east to Mackinaw City, Michigan, on the shores of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Kay routed us south and the roads were very good. At Manistique, Michigan, a left turn took us to US Highway 2, one of American’s most scenic highways, crossing the US and passing on the southern border of Glacier National Park in Montana. Weekend traffic increased along the way, but abated near St. Ignace where we paid the $14 toll to cross the Mackinac (also pronounced “mackinaw”) Bridge. Tall enough to allow ocean-going ships to transit, but narrow enough to be scary, it was a stress inducer because of the expected high winds blowing across Lake Michigan. Fortunately, this proved to be unfounded, but one could imagine the possibilities.

We were quickly at our RV park, Mackinaw Mill Creek Camping, and Kay registered at one of many “windows” (it’s that big of a campground) while I unhooked the Honda. Making the way through the campground, an idiot driving from the opposite direction glared at me for not giving him the right of way and yelled “back up” as if moving the 35-foot motorhome was that simple. The dusty gravel roads were narrow, and the directions were unclear. After much consternation, we found our site, and set-up. Despite trying a myriad of locations, we could not find a satellite signal; no television for 4 days!

Lunch was leftovers from Thursday’s Walmart deli, and Kay followed with a brief nap.

We opted to spend the late afternoon driving south to Cheboygan, a quaint little city on Lake Huron, then south to Indian River, west to Petoskey and Charlevoix, and returning north along the shore back through Petoskey, to Harbor Springs, Good Hart, and Cross Village where we planned to eat German food at the famous Legs Inn; regrettably, the wait was an hour and a half, too long for too late in the day. Along the way, the signs of extreme wealth and affluence were obvious at the small lakeside cities and villages. Even the RV parks were expensive at $70+ per night—too much for an Arkansas redneck—and they probably wouldn’t have let us enter anyway! A paved bicycle trail follows the lakeshore the entire way from near Petoskey to Charlevoix. The large, old, historic, and well-maintained houses overlooking Lake Michigan reminded me of St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, complete with well-manicured grounds. Lots of folks were scurrying around at the open-air markets and galleries—Kay’s kind of place, but definitely not mine. From Harbor Springs north, we drove a lakeside road that is called a tunnel road because of the trees overhanging from both sides. It’s unique, but of course we have River Ridge Road in Norfork. Much of the property and many of the houses were for sale—perhaps a victim of the economy. In Mackinaw City, we found the center of action with lots of hotels, shops, and restaurants, but that was all. Maybe we’ll go there tomorrow.

Up early, we had coffee in bed and read the news of the day on smartphones; what would we do without them! When quite hours lifted, we ran the generator to recharge the batteries from yesterday afternoon and last night’s use—our first night of dry camping in this motorhome.

At about 9:00 AM, we drove to Munising, purchased tickets for the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Cruise, and waited in line. The excursion provided a good overview of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, but except for the multi-colored sandstone bluffs and a few unique formations and caves, the shoreline was overshadowed by the clarity and turquoise color of Lake Superior, the world’s largest body of fresh water. And, of course, it is the lake itself which create these formations with it’s constant battering with swells and waves which can reach 30+ feet.  And there were dunes, over 100 feet high.  

Subsequent to the 2+ hour cruise, we ate lunch at the recommended Muldoon’s, which specialized in homemade pasties. Kay had beef, I had chicken, we both had slaw, split a side of gravy, and added a cherry pastie to go. They are a very hard dish, and as the Cornishman from Eagle Harbor said, best served when the weather is lousy.

After the filling—and heavy—lunch, we drove to Grand Marais, the eastern terminus of Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore, turned around, and drove back west, stopping at the various viewing areas along the way, including those we saw on the cruise. Also, there were many waterfalls in the lush forest with heights up to 70+ feet along the lakeshore making their way to Lake Superior.

Back at camp, we ran the generator another hour, and I hiked the 3-mile Songbird Trail. Though there were not many birds along the way, it was a good hiking trail through the Hiawatha National Forest, and the last mile or so was adjacent to the Au Train River.

With no television, Kay read while I wrote new entries for the blog to end the evening.

P.S. Lake Superior was indeed awesome as we had been told:

• Able to see clearly to depths of 40+ feet
• Cold, with surface temperatures ranging from 43° to near 60° 
• Docile at times, then quickly raging with 30+ foot waves

The Uppers (pronounced “you pers”, people from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) were friendly, with few signs of wealth and affluence; just good, hard-working folks dispersed with a few rednecks, just like home. We found them to be very likable. On the other hand, this is another case where we’re glad we came to this area, but in all likelihood won’t return; just not enough to do. And while the views of the lakeshore were good, they did not compare to those in Lake Powell, in our opinion. Would we have come had we known what to expect? Probably not. But, we can now check it off the bucket list!