There has been a lot about this year that’s been extremely unpredictable. Our annual family camping trip, however, was quite the opposite. Every year around this time we take a week and head north across the Mighty Mac into the Upper Peninsula for some recreation, change of pace and family time.
Our trip this year began much like our trip from 2019 with two nights of tent camping at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. We were joined by the Kirkpatrick Family this year who are former Rosewood neighbors of ours. Their kids Gwen and Robbie are the same ages as Natalie and Thomas which worked out perfectly for playtime around the campsite.
After setting up camp Thursday afternoon we took a walk down to the Upper Falls which remains impressive no matter how many times you see it. This year we brought the kids scooters (highly recommend) and because Tahquamenon is one of the only Michigan State Parks that allows alcohol on site we enjoyed the walk with a roadie in hand.
The next morning we took a little road trip north to White Fish Point Lighthouse and Shipwreck Museum. It took about 20 mins from our campsite - the perfect amount of time to finish my Yeti of coffee and enjoy the view as we drove along Lake Superior. At White Fish Point we found a little settlement where we paid $13/ticket for entry into the Shipwreck Museum, the Lighthouse Keepers Quarters and a third building displaying the history of the Coast Guard. There was also a fantastic board walk overlooking the big lake and beach where the kids enjoyed most of their time.
We spent the rest of our day back at the Tahquamenon Lower Falls exploring the island that was walkable from our campsite. Because we visited last year we knew to pack an appropriate amount of snacks and beverages in our backpack cooler so that we could hang out and explore the falls as long as we wanted. If you’re planning to visit the falls with younger kids our advice is to bring a wagon, water shoes, a dry sack for your towels and a cooler that you can carry on your back. The few hours we spent at the falls was my personal favorite part of our week because it was adventurous, fun and a little bit magical.
Tent camping has become a cherished tradition for our family and something we look forward to every summer. It’s a treat to be able to sleep under the stars (well, under a nylon tent anyway), cook hobo pies, roast marshmallows, not worry about getting dirty, explore new parts of our state and spend time together outdoors. It’s so completely opposite of our day to day that we end up becoming more grounded and grateful throughout the experience.
On the third day we packed up camp and drove the remaining four hours to my parents cabin near Ontonagon located in the Porcupine Mountains - which are actually more like really big hills. Visiting here each summer has been a Smith Family tradition since before I can remember. We didn’t take many family vacations growing up but like this blog post began, our annual trip to the U.P. was always one we could depend on. I know it gives my parents great joy that we continue our visits there together each summer.
Activities at the cabin range from preparing really big breakfasts like cast-iron waffles, chocolate chip pancakes or Spam eggs benedict to working on various cabin improvement projects. This years big project was installing the solar panels on the roof. My Dad has a saying that, “If it’s worth doing then it’s worth overdoing,” and the solar panel addition was no exception to that rule. We also spent a lot of time reading on the porch while the kids played outdoors with their new binoculars that my parents gave them, grilling various kinds of meat and sitting in the sauna at after dark.
We also made a visit to Lake Superior for a beach day in Ontonagon at a family-friends cottage but spent little time in the water as it was super cold. Natalie was the only brave one who suited up and jumped in head-first! My parents also hosted their friends for a low country boil back at camp which is always a very tasty meal enjoyed by all each year.
On our return trip home this year we stopped in Mackinaw City for a night, again to divvy up the 8 hour trip. Natalie was very excited about staying the night in a hotel which we found hilarious because the place we booked was so-so at best. During our stay we took the kids to Fort Michilimackinac and found it to be quite informational. Natalie asked a ton of questions as we toured the fort and Thomas was just happy to be out of the car and running around – me too! The fort provides a stunning view of the Mackinac Bridge and we had fun watching the live demonstrations of a rifle and a cannon being fired. I do think this is something we could do again when the kids are a bit older and we could have more conversation about the history that occurred there.
On our last leg home Jeff and I chatted about the highlights from the week gone by and chatted about ideas for next years trip… wondering when the kids will be the perfect ages for Mackinac Island or for kayaking to pictured rocks. We discussed different places we could tent camp and other tourist sites we could visit. I’m extremely grateful for the fond memories we continue to build beyond the bridge and equally as happy when we catch that first glimpse of the Grand Rapids skyline heading south towards home.
