August 15, 2023
After a very busy July in Massachusetts we hit the road for Michigan. We had to make up time, as we left a day later than originally planned, on the evening of July 31st. The reason for the delay was that we had to wait longer than expected for a part for our Jeep tow break lights. So, we cancelled our original reservations and drove four hours until 10pm the first night and grabbed some sleep at a rest area in New York. We woke up at 4am in the dark and in a dense fog and continued to drive for 15 hours switching off the driving to make time up to meet friends. We made it to Petosky, MI at 7pm on August 1st. Having two drivers certainly made it bearable. But we both agreed we will try to avoid that type of travel in the future. We don’t recommend that pace of travel at all. It’s not a norm for us, as we like to drive a maximum of 5-7 hours in a day and arrive by 2 or 3pm in the daylight.
We were greeted by friends at Hearthside Grove Luxury Motorcoach Resort in Petosky, MI, which is a small town on the edge of Lake Michigan. It is a great owners resort, taking it to the next level of relaxing and enjoying the good life (as they say). Most sites had lush landscaping, views of a pond, a bungalow, waterfalls and so much more. Our site was in a new section and had not been fully developed.
During the week we connected with an RV neighbor we met from a previous resort in South Haven, MI, that owns a fabulous lot at Hearthside Grove. There was a social evening where we visited them for drinks before heading to a sponsored meal and tour of some coaches, hosted outside their clubhouse.
I jumped ahead a little, so we need to go back to the first night we arrived in Petosky…. That first evening we made it an early night, as the next morning we were headed to Mackinac Island. The island is on the northern tip of Lake Huron. The ferries leave from south of Mackinac Bridge in Mackinaw City or north of the bridge from St Ignace. Catch whichever is easiest, so as to avoid any bridge traffic. Once you step off the ferry onto the island you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time. Other than the fire trucks, no vehicles are allowed on the island. Even the store deliveries are made with horse drawn carriages.
At the top of the bluff is Fort Mackinaw where you can stroll through the buildings where soldiers and their families lived. Stop and chat with a staff member in period military costume to learn about the history of the fort. If you are hungry, there is a restaurant in the fort with light fare and a gorgeous view of the city.
At the port, you can get in line for a horse drawn carriage that takes you to specific locations on the island, where you can jump off to look around, then jump back on another carriage to see other sites such as the famous Arch Rock.
Your other option to see the island is to bring or rent a bicycle and take a relaxing pedal around the island for a different view. Either way you travel the island, be sure to stop off at the Grand Hotel to take in the sights. It is stunning. For $10 (at the time) they do offer a tour of the hotel common areas.
Next, we visited the sweet seaside town of Charlevoix, along Lake Michigan, where we had a wonderful dinner, watched the local ferry on the canal and enjoyed some brief shopping. If you have time, check out the unique stone structures designed by Earl Young, a Charlevoix native. These homes are also called the Mushroom Homes.
Although there is so much more we want to explore in the area, we had more caravanning fun planned, and headed further north in Michigan.