michigan Archives - Cruisin with the Colemans

Kayaking the Sea Caves of Lake Superior at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Bayfield, Wisconsin

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Cruisin Michelle

One of the coolest things we did this past summer 2018 was to check out the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore by kayak. We were thankful this was scheduled for later in our trip because as of early and mid-July that year, the “sea caves” that we witnessed were still “ice caves.” We were there on a perfect 72-degree day in early August.

The company we chose to go out with was Lost Creek Adventures. They offer half and full day trips, as well as camping tours and SUP tours. We decided on a half day but will definitely do a full day trip next time. The half-day trip does an out and back vs. the full day trip starts in one spot but ends in a different spot so the views are always changing! The full-day trip is $119 a person and the half-day trip is $60 a person. They provide you with a wet suit, tadem seak kayak, basic kayaking instructions and a guide.

Which trip is right for you? If you are not an experienced kayaker, it is important to get some experience before you kayak at a destination location. The non-experienced kayakers can slow the group down significantly because they don’t know how to paddle and don’t have the stamina to keep up. If you have some experience kayaking, definitely try out the half-day trip. And if you are up for an adventure, the full day trip is fantastic and what we really wish we would have done.

If you have read our blog post on the Pictured Rock National Lakeshore, you know we love getting out in a kayak to view these natural wonders made of rock. There is something to be said about overwhelming the senses by getting in the water (or at least in a kayak) and touching the rock, going in a sea cave, and seeing the colors up close. At Pictured Rock they have a lot of colors but they don’t have sea caves. Check out the video below to see what I am talking about when I say, “sea caves.”

Entering our first sea cave

This was one of several sea caves we kayaked through. Some of the caves were quite narrow, some were open on top but quite high, and some we just zipped in and back out. The way these rocks have formed, and continue to take shape, is something everyone should see. There was one cave Brian and I chose not to go through because you had to lay your body flat against your kayak in order to get inside. We are not that flat and it looked way too intense for us. But everyone who did go it said it was cool, maybe next time for us.

It would be great to experience this in the winter months, which is most of the year in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I cannot imagine walking on this water but we sure would try if given the opportunity.

The water was quite choppy, as a matter of fact, the Apostle Islands are known for the weather which is one of the reasons we suggest going out with a guided tour. The weather can change rapidly. It may look like it’s going to be a perfectly calm day but a storm can blow in from seemingly nowhere. We were very lucky that day and just had choppy water. Fortunately, the guide had a few ginger chews to help my unsettled stomach. Next time I will be prepared!

On the half-day tour you either get to see Romans Point or Houghtons Point, depending on the weather and wind. I think, and I should have taken better notes, but I think we went to Houghtons Point. If you can tell from the pictures and know which formation this is, please comment below. Thanks!

Inside a narrow cave with breathtaking color and height

This is someplace everyone should visit and there is more to do than just sea kayaking. We camped at Buffalo Bay Campground and Marina where there is also a hotel and casino, you can find out all about the campground, hotel, marina, and casino at the Legendary Waters website. We loved this campground! We were within a short walk from the hotel where we could use the showers, the indoor/outdoor hot tub, and the swimming pool. They only have 34 RV sites so I would encourage you to book early in the summer. You can rent canoes and pedal boats at the marina.

We fell in love with the little town of Bayfield, Wisconsin even though we had very little time there. There was shopping, a marina, and fantastic food! We spent most of our time in Joanne’s Scandinavian Store, grabbed lunch at The Fat Radish which had outstanding local food, and made sure to get out National Parks stamp at the Apostle Islands Visitors Center. We will definitely go back to Bayfield!

We hope this has inspired you to want to visit the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. If you do, tag us in a photo at #cruisinwiththecolemans. If you have already been there, tell us what you liked during your visit!

Until next time, keep cruisin’!

Where We Have Traveled

Posted on January 20, 2019 by Cruisin Michelle

Click here to open an interactive map of our travels

It was 2008 when we took our first big vacation. The plan was to be gone for almost a month. It was an overwhelming thought because we had no clue what we were doing, we were traveling with one of our two kids, staying in hotels, and a month is a long time to be gone. Questions filled our heads – Could we stay on budget? Could we be gone that long? Is there is really that much to see? I laugh now because we have learned that we never stay on budget, but we know how to do it much better, and there is too much to see and never enough time.

We have put all of the places we have traveled on one big map by clicking on the image above. We have visited 44 of the lower 48 states in the United States and 6 countries. We also have individual maps of all of our trips and a map of the national parks we have visited. To see them click here.

It’s interesting when you put your travels on “paper” so to speak. We experienced many emotions when developing this map. I was reminded of all of the repeat trips because of family obligations. Seriously, I love Michigan but I don’t need to travel there again anytime soon. Hahaha

This was 2018, many of our travels have included Michigan because of family obligations

I was reminded we are the type of people who love to revisit places we have been because we know there is always more to see at one destination. For example, you can’t see all Yosemite National Park or New York City have to offer in one trip! We also know we are more confident the second time around. We are more willing to take risks, dig deeper, and see more when we go somewhere the second time. When you plan all-new destinations in a trip it can be overwhelming. But if you plan to re-visit a few of your past favorites then you have something special to look forward to seeing again.

Finally, I was reminded of how big this world is and how little we have actually seen so far. Even the United States, we have visited all but 4 states in the lower 48 and we still need to get to Alaska and Hawaii, yet I feel like there is so much more to see in this country. The little villages, bigger cities, and a lot of national parks still to see. My inner conflict reminds me the world is huge and we have many countries we still want to see. Will we have time to see it all? I don’t know because tomorrow is not promised but we are sure going to try.

Why didn’t we start blogging a long time ago? Good question. Maybe confidence, maybe it felt like work, maybe it wasn’t time yet. We traveled together for 10 years before we started this blog so we have a lot to write about going forward. In that same sentiment, going forward, we are thrilled to bring you along.

Enjoy looking through the maps we have created, we will continue to develop them and continue adding new destinations. We know it will inspire you to travel. If you like what you see, click the like button below. If you have a question about any of our travels, leave a comment. If you are looking for a travel planner, drop us an email at info@cruisinwiththecolemans.com.

Happy travels!

Check out our other maps!

Mackinaw City/Mackinac Island

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Cruisin Michelle

Two places where we have never seen so many fudge stores! As a matter of fact, the residents of Mackinac Island are called “fudgies.” Yes, fudgies! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. We started with a day in Mackinaw City which is a small little town. In our opinion, the draw of this town is the Mackinac Bridge with views of both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron and the ferry to Mackinac Island. For us, there isn’t a lot to do in the city, and I don’t know how, but we managed to leave without even sampling a piece of fudge.

We stayed at a fantastic campground called Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground which has been run by the Rogala since 1964. This campground was the largest one we have ever stayed at, but it felt surprisingly small; it was also the one of cleanest and nicest campground with plenty of staff around to take care of business. Mill Creek has campsites for all types of people – on the beach, on the lake, in the woods, primitive, full hook up, and cabins. There were easily over 700 campsites. They had playgrounds, a pool, a beach, mini-golf (though it could have used a serious face lift), and a huge camp store. The best part for the kids was an old time fire truck, re-named the fun truck, which drove kids around most of the evening. We had a lake front campsite, made friends with fellow Apex owners, and enjoyed a couple nights around the campfire by the lake visiting with them. I seriously love camping on the lake, it is so relaxing just listening to the water.

On our first full day we decided to walk in to Mackinaw City from our campsite. The town was 4 miles away and I believe we walked about 7 miles that day. We planned to walk on the bike trail but it was a haven for mosquitoes so we had a nice walk on the shoulder of the road, really it was nice because we could see the water for much of the walk. We spent the day wandering in to gift shops, smelling the fudge, visiting the pier, and watching the sailboats come in. Then we took a free shuttle back to the campground which was fantastic, thanks to Star Line Ferry!

The next day we rode our bikes in to town and took the Star Line Ferry to Mackinac Island. This island is one of a kind with no motorized vehicles on the island (except for a fire truck and an ambulance). You can get around the island on your bicycle or a horse drawn carriage. I was told there are 600 horses that reside on the island in the summer and there are 492 permanent residents on the island.

You can stay busy with one day on the island as there are gift shops, fudge shops, a state park, you can have afternoon tea at the Grand Hotel, wander through the historic fort, and of course, make the 8.2 mile trek on your bike around the island. I have to pause here and tell you that I will not do this island justice in my blog post. I can only tell you it is gorgeous. It is a step back in time and will mesmerize your soul. The buildings, homes, and hotels are in pristine condition and all belong on a post card. I could easily see spending a quiet, romantic weekend on the island.

We decided to start our visit by riding our bikes around the island. It is an easy ride if you only consider the terrain. However, they rent bikes to anyone and everyone. They rent tandems, mountain bikes, small bikes, and regular bikes. No biking experience required. Every single visitor wants to rent a bike and ride it around the island – which is a big challenge. The perimeter loop is set up like a road with a yellow dashed line down the middle. The problem is that tourists think since there are no cars they can ride where ever they want on the road, even 5 people wide, with no regard for oncoming bike traffic. They also randomly stop on the road without warning. Needless to say I had two very close calls and I was done with biking the island ever again. I don’t need that kind of stress on my bicycle.
Once we put our bikes up we enjoyed a fantastic lunch outside at the Pink Pony overlooking the marina. This was the highlight of our day as we watched the sailboats come in. The Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac was going on and sailboats were coming in all day long. This is a 333 mile distance race from Navy Pier in Chicago to Mackinac Island. About 300 boats participate with more than 3,000 sailors. Needless to say, we left the island before the parties began that evening. 😉 After lunch we once again wandered the gift shops and smelled the fudge before we left the island. All I can tell you is if I don’t see anymore gift shops or fudge shops on this trip, I will be just fine.

We are heading to the Upper Peninsula next to see the fifth Great Lake to complete our tour of all five of the Great Lakes! We are excited to see Pictured Rock National Lakeshore again, it is a true natural wonder!

Parking the RV (sometimes it isn't easy)

Posted on July 17, 2018 by Cruisin Michelle

This space looks roomy enough, and seriously once you are in the site it is very roomy! But do you see those trees on the right side of the image? We almost had the small one permanently imprinted on the bumper of CC. If you don’t know, the name of our rig is Casa del Camino or CC which means “Road House” or “House of the Journey” and a perfect name for our rig. We will blog about how CC got her name later this fall.
This week we have been at Traverse City State Park. We love this park! The location is wonderful if you want to walk across the street and play in Traverse Bay. If you want to bike, the TART Trail is right behind the campground. If you want to take a long walk, there is plenty to walk to including mini golf and zip-lining. But that is another blog post, look for it later this week.
Back to parking CC. We are not experts by any means. We purchased CC in August 2017 and have backed her in to a site at least 25 times plus every time we park her in the storage lot. We are newbies. But we have back up assist on the truck and Brian is pretty darned talented. However, we have plenty to blog about over the next year about our biggest mishaps like the time we almost dumped CC in to the lake and the time we almost let her roll down the hill. We are experts at mishaps that is for sure.
We do have a system for the process of backing up. It begins with me (Michelle) getting out of the truck with my cell phone and calling Brian on the phone. We have learned calling on the phone is better than hand signals that he may or may not see or yelling at each other so the whole campground can hear us. Then there are the cats who love to lurk out of the windows while we tried giving directions while yelling, “watch out for Lola” or “Pepe is going to jump out of the window!”
I assess the site situation and if it looks complicated I have Brian join me for the assessment. Sometimes I look at the site and have no clue how we will get in to it so the brainstorm helps us both. The complicated part of my job is watching both sides of the trailer and in a sharp turn watching both sides of the truck. Here is a case in point as we watched another couple back in!

What you need to notice is how narrow the road is at this park. It is literally no wider than our 8 foot trailer. Our trailer is only 30′ long but with the truck and the fact that we are new at this, sometimes it is overwhelming. On days like this one, I can’t believe that we both want a bigger rig. For our retirement RV we want a class A and will tow a car. That will be interesting. 🙂
We have watched a lot of people get very creative as they parked their rigs in this state park. We have also watched a lot of bystanders help and in here it was welcomed by the driver. What’s deceptive is that the sites are large enough but the road is narrow, the sites are close together, and trees are plentiful.
On this particular day my biggest problems were: (1) We had been driving for 7 hours and we were both crabby and hungry which is never a good combination when you need to calmly communicate with your partner. (2) I was behind the rig and there was a small tree that neither one of us could see behind the truck and when Brian made the sharp turn I told him to make, that small tree almost took out our back truck bumper. Thankfully he saw it at the last minute. (3) When I felt things were good in the back I walked around to the front to watch Brian brush the front bumper with another tree. Thankfully it was a small brush and didn’t leave a mark. (4) Finally, there were the bystander helpers. Yes, we needed them. Yes, they empathized because they both had the same troubles. But when you don’t know who to listen to, sometimes helpers can be stressful.
I talked to two other wives after this backing up ordeal and the consensus among us was that backing up is always hard and there is always an argument. The Communication professional in me hates that idea so we will continue to improve our communication and our system. It is all about learning and growing – and not denting the rig. Thankfully we did not end up with a dent this time around.