traverse city state park Archives - Cruisin with the Colemans

He Said What? She Said What?

Posted on March 20, 2019 by Cruisin Michelle

Questions answered from both Brian and Michelle

As we travel and talk with people, we often get many of the same questions. This week we decided to answer some of those questions in a “she said, he said” format because as you all know men are from Venus and women are from Mars. Ok, maybe, maybe not, but we don’t always agree or have the same stories. So here’s what he had to say…and what she had to say too.

How did you get into RVing?

Brian: We have loved to travel and spent many years as tent campers. We got to a point where we wanted to be able to be gone longer and go further, but the tent was a little limiting due to weather and other conditions so the decision to upgrade to an RV was an easy one.

Michelle: This is a funny story actually and I can’t believe Brian didn’t tell you first! As you have probably read in our blog posts we hiked across Spain on the Camino de Santiago in 2017. When we laied in bed in the evenings, resting our bodies, we talked about how much we loved being outside and seeing the world and we didn’t want the adventure to end. However, we talked about how challenging it was to only camp in a tent because of weather and determining if it was worth gathering all of our gear up “just to go out for the weekend.” We lived in a condo with very little space so our gear always had to be tucked away in our basement. We also didn’t have the the space to spread out our gear to let it dry out (and something always needed to be dried out!). So I started watching a lot of YouTube videos about RV’s and researching how much they cost. Then one day on the trail I said to Brian, “what would you think about buying an RV?” He said what I knew he would say, because this is his standard answer, “Absolutely!” We continued researching for the perfect RV, in our budget, over the summer, made our list of “must haves,” and the day we got off the plane from Spain we started shopping. Within a week we found the perfect RV, bought it, and have already put on over 8,000 miles. Best decision ever!

Our REI Kingdom 8 tent was the perfect fit for many years.

Brian: Michelle forgot to mention that CC (Casa del Camino) is not even our first RV. We actually left the lot with a smaller RV initially and immediately regretted the decision. After a stressful weekend in that camper, we bought our F-150 and upgraded to our Apex 269RBKS.

Michelle: Ugh, Brian. I wasn’t going to tell them that story! Geez, have some dignity. Hahahaha

Our first RV was not the right fit and lasted only a week.
Casa del Camino, our forever RV… for now.

What was your biggest RV newbie mistake?

Brian: Last Christmas on our way home from Florida we were really struggling with when would be the best time to winterize. In Tennessee, the weather forecast said that the overnights temps would drop down to about 30 and we knew that we would be OK. The temperature actually dropped down to the mid-twenties for most of the night. The next morning, I couldn’t get the valves open to drain the tanks because they froze. Even with a space heater and blow dryer, I had no luck. We decided to drive knowing that things would warm up as the morning progressed. When we stopped for lunch, there was a giant icicle hanging off the dump valve. I was terrified that it was a poop-cicle. It turned out to be from the gray tank, but it was still a pretty expensive mistake!

Michelle: Yeah, that possible poop-cicle was quite a scary moment and a costly mistake but at least it was only gray water. But that was not our biggest mistake by far! Learning about x-chocks and tire blocks and a million other things it seems like you need to know so your RV doesn’t move while it’s parked was quite overwhelming. We knew very little before we bought an RV since our outdoor home had always been a tent (and a really nice one I might add). I assumed that all RV spots were pretty level since we had always found pretty level tent sites. The problem is that even “pretty level” with an RV means you better make sure the rig doesn’t move. <insert facepalm> as I prepare to relive this story.

We were camping at Winton Woods campground in Cincinnati. We had an absolutely beautiful campsite on the lake. The site seemed pretty level but we needed a couple of leveling blocks on one side, then we put our x-chocks in and lowered the tongue jack. Brian unhooked his chains from the truck and I was about to unhook mine when the entire RV rolled backwards! Yes, our rig was headed for that beautiful lake we had to camp next to, I can’t believe it but we almost lost our rig into the lake. Fortunately, I had not taken off my chain and the truck saved us. The problem? I will take some of the blame. I didn’t tighten down the x-chocks enough. But from now on we always us x-chocks and we put chocks behind and in front of the tires. The sad part is, that isn’t the only time the rig has moved. Don’t even mess around with your set up, always make sure the rig is 100% secured before you unhook it from your truck. Live and learn, thank goodness we still have our CC.

Where is your favorite RV location or adventure?

Brian: So far I would have to say that some of the campgrounds we found in Michigan have been my favorites. I really loved the Munising Tourist Park Campground in the UP of Michigan. Our site was about 100 feet from the water and we had beautiful views of Lake Superior. I also really love camping at Traverse City State Park. The sites are a bit tight (click on the link to read a previous blog about these sites) but you are across the street from Lake Michigan and right on a bike path that will take you just about anywhere in Traverse City. I have also really enjoyed the Zion River Resort in Virgin, Utah. We have only tent camped there in the past but it is definitely on our list for our next trip to Zion National Park.

The view from the Munising Tourist Campground

Michelle: We always like to say that our favorite adventure is the one we are on right now. We try to live in the moment but we are always thinking about what’s next. We leave in a few days for Gatlinburg, and oh, how we love going down there to camp and hike. The best part is now that we have an RV we can spend more time there since we are not paying for a hotel. We can camp over our Thanksgiving break and Spring Break in our rig when normally those are times we would have to find a hotel. On this trip to Gatlinburg we are camping only 5 miles from the downtown strip and on the trolley route. I love trying out new campgrounds while we are there. The next thing I am looking forward to in our Summer 2020 out West trip. We have traveled out west 3 times but only going by hotel or in our tent. It is very exciting to think about taking our rig, our cats, all of our gear, and seeing the countryside. We hope to boondock and stay at Harvest Hosts. Which means our next RV upgrade is going to have to be a generator. Oh the money you spend when you are an RV’er.

Cosby KOA, near Great Smoky Mountain National Park

What is your best RV upgrade?

Brian: This probably sounds funny coming from a guy, but I love the new curtains that we just put in. The wooden window boxes that hid the top of the blinds were so bulky and made the RV seem very impersonal. Our new curtains soften the interior and make the room feel so much bigger and bring more of our personality into Casa del Camino, our home on wheels.

Michelle: If you are not a cat owner, this may sound utterly ridiculous but my favorite upgrade is what we have done for our cats. When you travel with two cats and they are not happy, they will let you know immediately. The first big change we made was converting our outdoor kitchen into a litter box and storage area and adding access through a cat door in the bathroom. This space is completely theirs when we are parked and there is plenty of room for our outdoor grill and cooking tools while we are traveling. This keeps the litter out of our rig and it’s easy to clean because we do it all from the outside. The second change we made was adding a cat tower. Fortunately, we have room for one in our rig and the cats love running from one end of the rig to the end with a bonus run up the tower. We have leashes for them and we get them out when there are opportunities but the tower really helps when they are cooped up in the rig for several days in a row.

The cat tower is an important place to watch what is going on in the RV.

Do you plan to go full-time?

Brian: We would both quit our jobs and go full time tomorrow if we could. Unfortunately, there are bills to pay and we do both really love our jobs! I like to say that we live like we’re retired on weekends and any break that we get from school, which is why we spend as much time as possible on the road.

Michelle: Absolutely! There are a lot of decisions to make before we can go full-time, mainly those decisions revolve around finances. We both have been teaching for more than 20 years and are well-vested in our retirement plans. Therefore, quitting our jobs and going full-time is something that will happen but not for a bit. The best part is that for a couple of months a year we get to live like full-timers since we are both off in the summer.

With Half Dome in the background, we are always looking forward to the next adventure.

We want to bring you more “He said/She said” segments. Let us know what you want to hear by leaving a comment or question below. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see gorgeous photos of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Why We Love Traverse City, Michigan

Posted on July 18, 2018May 26, 2024 by Cruisin Michelle

The first time we visited Traverse City we came for the wine but we have kept coming back for the fun! There is so much to do here in the summer (which is the only time of the year we have been here so far). From the Traverse City Cherry Festival, the Traverse City Film Festival, the TART and Leelanau bike trails, lake activities in Traverse Bay, the wineries, breweries, and distilleries, and all of your other normal tourist activities. This is our third time visiting the area and we always find something new to do.
Every time we visit we stay at Traverse City State Park. We have camped in our tent the first two times and the third time has been with our new rig. Check out our blog post about parking the rig if you are looking for a laugh.
The first time we came we stumbled in during the cherry festival – what fun it was to taste everything cherry flavored! The second time we researched a bit better and learned we were coming during the film festival. Fortunately we researched early and scored tickets to two different films! This time we are too late for the cherry fest and too early for the film fest but that is fine with us because there was still plenty to do!
I (Michelle) wasn’t feeling too good at the beginning of the week, I was thoroughly exhausted from our son’s wedding festivities that were the week before. But that’s ok because we meandered around the state park, walked across the street to the beach, and walked two-tenths of a mile to play mini golf at Pirates Cove Adventure Golf (where you can also zip-line, climb the challenge course, ride go-carts, and play bumper boats). We visited a few wineries on Old Mission Peninsula. We have a few favorites on Old Mission including Chateau Grand Traverse and Brys Estate Vineyard. But seriously, they have wine for every palette.
After I was feeling better we decided it was time to get some real exercise in; what you will learn about us is that we are very active. We love to walk, hike, and bike anywhere! It was Saturday morning and the farmers market was going on in downtown Traverse City so we decided to lace up our shoes and head out. It’s 4 miles just to get downtown and we love a day that involves a long walk for exercise and fun things to see and do when we get there. We ended up walking 10 miles on Saturday! We could have spent the entire day there between the farmers market, downtown shops, food trucks, wine/spirits tasting, and the beach.
On Sunday we were itching to bike because it had been two weeks since we had gotten any real cycling in. From our campground Suttons Bay on the Leelanau peninsula is 21 miles. The Leelanau trail is 17 miles so you are on the TART trail for the 4 miles. We weren’t too confident in our abilities to ride there and back because we haven’t been biking a lot lately and it was going to be a hot day. Therefore, we opted to use their bike-n-ride program. We parked our truck at a bus stop, rode 17 miles to Suttons Bay, wandered around, and when we were ready to leave we put our bikes on the bus and we rode back to our truck. This made for a gorgeous day of riding and enjoying the quaint little town of Suttons Bay!
One of the new activities we have learned about on this trip is that you can “Kabrew” – don’t know what that is? Neither did we! It’s kayaking from brewery to brewery! Check out The River Outfitters to see more about this activity. Of course you can always do a bike and wine tour – check out Grand Traverse Bike Tours for information. The last time we were here we did our own bike and wine tour on the Old Mission Peninsula. Unfortunately it was about 90 degrees that day so we only hit 3 wineries and we drank a lot more water than wine. But it is still an amazing day when you are biking on Old Mission Peninsula because you spend most of the day with the water on in view.
If you want to just play in the water, there are many water activities on Traverse Bay. However, be mindful of your expectations. This is Michigan. This water is a part of Lake Michigan. It is not Florida. The water will be chilly and sometimes downright cold even when the air temperature is 90 degrees. On Monday, we rented jet skis and parasailed from TC Watersports. We have kayaked in the past and you can rent a boat, go out on a sailboat cruise, rent a stand up paddleboard, or just hang out on their beautiful Michigan beaches. The water is so clean and clear. It will certainly cool you off on a hot summer day!
I would be remise if I didn’t mention one more place we love to visit when we are here and that is the Grand Traverse Village. On the grounds of this “village,” you can hike, bike, shop, visit the arboretum, taste wine, get a great meal, or are you ready for this? You can take a guided historic tour of as this village used to be the Traverse City State Hospital. Check out their website for cool photos of the old hospital! One more thing, before you leave leave the village, go to Left Foot Charley and enjoy a glass of Reisling. Left Foot Charley has great wine, good stories, and a very cool building!
When you go to Traverse City, you can use this as your hub to visit so many other cool places. For example, Sleeping Dunes National Lakeshore is a short 40 minute drive west. You can head north to the quant towns of Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs. We are heading to Petoskey to camp for a few days. So until next time Traverse City – we love this town! Have you done something else in the area? Leave us a comment and tell us about it!

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.