Our 2022 U.P. family camping trip is in the books! We tented two nights at Fayette State Park & Harbor followed by five nights at my parents cabin in the Porcupine Mountains near Ontonagon. We had great weather (and no bugs!) and lots of fun exploring a few new hidden gems, as well as enjoyed some favorite past times.
Fayette State Park & Harbor has a wonderful little campground about a walk a half mile walk from the historic settlement. The campground was simple, clean and had power hookup which is important mostly for making coffee in the morning. A big part of our family camping experience is setting up camp together: pitching the tents, setting up the sleeping bags and unloading the cooler. Over the years Jeff and I have gotten really efficient in setting up and breaking down camp and each year the kids have gotten more and more helpful. Thomas in particular loves helping put up the tents.
Another big part of our camping experience is cooking over the campfire. This year we did hobo pie pans with pizza as well as cinnamon rolls in the morning for breakfast. As it turns out… our whole family doesn’t like hobo pizza pies. Jeff says they, “Taste like hot pockets.” So, maybe grilled cheeses next year? Now accepting all expert suggestions.
We spent a whole afternoon exploring Fayette’s Historic Settlement which is an old iron smelting town. There are more than 20 buildings on site that have been preserved for touring. Buildings include a two story hotel, supervisor offices, the factory, general store, family housing, a theatre, barber shop and more. There is also a visitors center with a really cool replica depicting the town when it was at it’s full glory. We love a bit of history so this was totally up our alley. We even made ourselves one of those super sweet pressed pennies! :)
We also really loved checking out Lake Kitch-iti-Kipi - about a 35 min drive from our campsite. The water raft itself took about 25-30 mins out and back and works off a cable/wheel system operated by the passengers. All the kids on the raft loved taking turns winding the giant wheel. The viewing space was incredible… you could see clear down to the bottom of the lake where there were multiple spots where the natural springs billowed from the ground below. There were huge fish swimming below which reminded me of a shark tank at an aquarium. We were happy we went and excited to check this gem off our list.
One of the best parts about Fayette are the beaches. In one direction of our campsite was beautiful sand and a swimming area - something we skipped with Natalie’s casted/broken arm. And in the other direction a half mile of slate rock perfect for climbing and building rock towers with. The view of Lake Michigan from the northern shore was beautiful. One of the nights Jeff and I put the kids (exhausted) into bed and sat together on the beach watching the sunset. I cannot recall the last time we’ve done that together. It was magical.
After two nights in a tent and campground bathrooms we packed up set out for my parents ‘palace’ of a cabin in the woods. For those first reading about Camp Whiskey Hollow… this place has been a part of my Dad’s core since before my brother and I were born. It began as his annual deer hunting retreat and has slowly become their home away from home. We went from an outhouse to a flush toilet. From kerosene lanterns to solar power. Coolers on the back deck to a propane refrigerator. And the latest addition… he got a tailgate satellite dish and TV to ‘watch the football game,’ he says.
One of my favorite parts about the cabin is being off the grid. There’s no cell phone service, no computers and until recently… no TVs. However, despite the latest addition we restricted it’s use to the weather channel in the mornings. Up North we have time to sip coffee on the porch and read books. We play tic-tac-toe and Jenga with the kids. We bake homemade pretzels and ridiculous, over the top breakfasts. It’s glorious and where waistlines go to die. The kids learned how to play dominos and we took them fishing. I caught a fish and took it off the hook with my own two hands… mostly because I wanted the kids to see me do it. Otherwise, gross.
This year we had a tremendous wild thimbleberry crop and spent an afternoon picking the berries and baking a pie from scratch. The kids decorated it and it was delicious.
We visited the infamous Stubbs Museum Bar where the kids got multiple helpings of M&Ms and kiddie cocktails. Visiting Stubbs reminds me of the old TV show Cheers… where everybody knows your name. It’s a joy to visit once a year and grab a hug from my parents local group of friends.
One of our favorite past times is jumping in Lake Superior. Friends host us on their beach for a cookout and this year we had perfect weather. While Natalie was beached due to her casted, broken arm she had a riot rock hunting with Mr. Ted on his kayak. With temps in the 80s and full sunshine a dive in the cool water was super refreshing. We played bags, took a long walk down the beach and cooked brats for dinner. It was a perfect U.P. summer afternoon.
This year we also took the kids to Bond Falls for a little hike and some ice cream. Bond Falls is about a 40 min drive from the cabin and the perfect destination for a field trip outside of camp. We loved it. The easy hiking trail was perfect for our kids - about 45 mins total. Afterwards we stopped at a local corner store for some ice cream on a stick.
Thomas’ favorite part about the trip this year was trail riding. A shout out to my brother Jason for loaning us his 4-wheeler so we could ride trials with the kids. We toured the mountain and Grandpa showed us all the best hunting spots. Thomas even climbed up into Grandpas tree stand. We checked out some of the newly opened logging trails and hiked to the top of the bluff. And one of my favorite stops was the hidden waterfall that I remember hiking to when I was a kid.
Our trip North always serves as a wonderful refresh for our family. It’s good to visit and it’s also good to be home. Until da next year, eh?!
