UP Michigan

[Jeff]

Dave, thank you for the visit over the last couple days. Very much appreciated and enjoyed the conversation. 

[Magicman]

  Good, I was hoping that a visit would work out.   

PatD and I had a visit set up with Dave when that hurricane came through and changed our plans.  Hopefully we can reschedule it later this Summer or Fall.

[Old Greenhorn]

Looks like the dogs had a nice visit too!

[Jeff]

Looks like the dogs had a nice visit too!

Fixated on the duck decoys!

[Machinebuilder]

I really enjoyed my visit with Jeff and Cedar. Cedar and Sox had a good time chasing each other and Gabby really liked the decoys. I'm not sure if she figured out they're fake ducks.  

I had stopped at fayette historic park. It's an iron smelter town from the late 1800's. 

I also stopped at big spring. It flows 10000galllons per minute and has some huge trout in crystal clear water

I did get a couple good pictures of the Mackinac bridge today. I'm glad I waited for the storms to go through. 

When I stopped tonight just north of Saginaw it was 90 degrees. Quite a change from being on the shores of Lake Superior

[Machinebuilder]

Y'all are welcome to stop by and visit me whenever I'm home. 
I have plenty of room for a camper

[Magicman]

For sure PatD and I will make that trip to your place that we cancelled after Hurricane Helene last year.  Late Summer or early Fall.  

[Jeff]

For sure PatD and I will make that trip to your place that we cancelled after Hurricane Helene last year.  Late Summer or early Fall. 

You could stop on your way home from my place  

[Magicman]

I read that.  

[Machinebuilder]

I took a drive through De Tour village and stopped to get pictures of the Mackinaw bridge

between leaving Jeffs late because of the storms going through and there are less campground the furthe south you go in Michigan I found a State Forest Camp a little north of Saginaw.

None of us slept well that night, it was hot and muggy. I decided to just drive straight home with minimal stops.

I did stop at Cabelas in Dundee, it's always fun to take the dogs in a Cabellas.

I got home about 10:00pm it was still 80degrees and humid, I slept great in my bed with AC.

Now to start unloading and working on pictures

[Magicman]

 on the trip and I am looking forward to seeing your pictures.  

[Jeff]

There is now another nice little puddingstone in Tennessee. 

[Machinebuilder]

I'm starting to edit pictures so here they come

my first night camp was at the White River campground just north of Indianapolis
Nice campground on a river that was running fairly high



The Next Day was an interesting drive through areas I had never been before. 
While passing Grissom AFB in northern Indiana there is a gun turret next to the road, I didn't get a picture but google to the rescue



I stopped to visit with Jack (jb616), he wanted to pick my brain about going to Alaska and the dogs and I had a great visit.
We did have to pick up his dear skulls so they wouldn't get chewed on. We went to the White river light house about sunset

[Machinebuilder]

I drove to Sleeping bear dunes National Park and spent 2 nights there, 1 night in each campground
Platt River Campground, nice campground, the sites are strange with the table and firepit set off of the parking area.



the nest morning I went to Platt point







So on to find a spot to exercise the dogs, I found a closed road to the Platt river fish weir





Sox and Gabby found a turtle laying eggs, I had to drag them away.



We then backtracked a little to the Point Betsy Light house


and the fog horn building from the top 



Then to Esch beach where the dogs are allowed, there weren't many people there and we had a good long walk down the beach





 

[Machinebuilder]

Next was the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, many very nice views along it, with one having a BIG warning sign







It is really steep straight to the water, and no I did not try it..........



I visited Glen Haven which was a lumber town and then a canning/shipping town in its day.
There is a blacksmith shop that has volunteers working in it making stuff. I think my camera battery died and I didn't get good pictures.

I camped that night at the DH Day campground, a more primative campground.

[thecfarm]

Lots to like there in pictures.

[Machinebuilder]

Thanks Cfarm

the next day was overcast rainy weather, so I mostly drove after leaving camp.

Sox and Gabby took a run on Glen Haven beach, While I drank coffee.



I took a short detour up to Mission point Lighthouse from Traverse City





I found a couple places to do some shopping in Traverse City and moved on across the Mackinac Bridge, it wasn't a good day for pictures there and ther was a line waiting to get into the campground. As much as I do not like Recreation.gov for federal campsite reservations, I was never successful with the Michigan state website. Clumsy to use is an understatement.
Fortunately Ioverlander showed a couple places not too far away, I found the Carp River fishing pier and it was completely empty. it was a pretty good place for the night.

[Machinebuilder]

The next day I found Paradise on my way to the shipwreck museum at Whitefish point.



When I got to Whitefish Point I had to use the restroom so I tied the dogs up and went in, they immediately started howling and whining.
A very nice lady was coming to check on them as I came out and I learned that they allow dogs in their buildings!!!! So Sox and Gabby got to tour the museum with me.





Gabby got bored and took a few small naps



this is a rescue cart that was hauled down the beach to send a breeches buoy to the shipwrecks

We stopped at Tahquamenon Falls

Lower


Upper


And made our way to Muskalunge State Park, then we found out it was closing the next day for a major paving project

pretty nice campground.

[Machinebuilder]

Starting out the next day taking H58 towards Grand Marius and finding out it is closed. I had to make a huge detour through Newberry

I got my first UP pasty in Grand Marius and headed to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. 
The first stop was Au Sable Falls, a over 600 step hike to the beach.







A stop at the log slide, the lower area is where logs slid down the dune to the lake


This is a big wheel used to skid logs



You can see the AuSable lighthouse from here too


At another stop I saw this sightseeing plane fly by


I was not able to use REcreation.gov for any of the park campgrounds due to no cell service, so I made my way to Bay Furnace campground for the night.

this is the remains of the iron furnace that gave it its name

[Resonator]

Nice pics! 
Like the truck, looks like an Overlander rig with the brush bar and winch.

[Magicman]

I am following along and enjoying.  I have seen our footprints/tracks at several stops.  

[Machinebuilder]

I refuse to call myself an "overlander"

I set it up to go camping in remote places, or anywhere else I like.

I put the bumper on because when I hit a deer with my 2011 F150 and had $7000 in damage, I thought it would be good to have better protection going to Alaska.
Buckstop Bumpers are the only ones I found that mentioned animal resistance.

Most of the rest was to improve things when I went to Alaska, I had really thought about it for years and prepared for years.
Most things have worked out well, After this trip I am going to work on AC for the camper, it will probably mean staying at developed campgrounds because of the power requirement.

[Magicman]

Our Outfitter pop-up truck camper has room for a 2000 watt Honda generator which easily handles the AC.  I see many different options here:  LINK

It will run all night on a tank of gas.

[Machinebuilder]

I recieved my Cybertake portable AC today, I did a real quick temporary hookup in the camper to see how well it works.
I should be able to run it off a small generator I have, I just need to try it on house power first.

It has dropped the humidity in the camper considerably and the temp about 10 degrees in a couple hours.
I think its enough I could sleep.

I picked this one because it can run in heat mode also
Cybertake S2

[JD Guy]

Just caught up to your thread and thank you I am enjoying your adventures and your pups!