Paradise, MI

Thursday, September 7, 2023

Our day began in Marquette, Michigan at Tourist Park Campground. It was a nice place to stay, conveniently located close in town, but a little on the noisy side. A city garbage truck woke me up around 5:15am Eastern Time (which is really 4:15am for my body’s internal clock), so I decided to get up and do something with my time. Except, the inside of our RV isn’t big, so it’s hard to do anything without waking up the rest of the family. Andi and I joked yesterday that we need to find our travel legs again — it always takes us a few days to get into the groove being on the road.

Andi and I let the kids sleep until 8:30am EST (7:30am Central), and then started our routine of getting dressed, brushing teeth, and transforming Aden’s bed to the dining table for breakfast. I read Chapter 2 of The Mystery of the Great Lakes aloud to Tory and Aden while Tory finished styling her hair and makeup. Neither Andi or I realized how many accessories and makeup she shoved into her sleeping nook above the cab of the RV before we left — she brought a lot of stuff!

Already in the past 24 hours, I’ve realized some differences in traveling with tweens vs. younger kids. Tory’s makeup and skin-care routine is one change. Physically, the kids’ bodies are bigger and they take up more space in the RV. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but in a small 24 ft. space, it’s noticeable. I realized this when I packed the RV that the small closet we have for clothes is completely full. Andi and I used to have about 10 shirts and coats combined hanging from the bar. Now, Tory and Aden’s sweatshirts and coats hang there, too, and they’re more adult-sized than they used to be.

There may come a time that we’ll need a different setup for our family if we decide to continue traveling in a RV. For now though, we really love this layout and the flexibility a smaller Class C provides us.

While Andi filled up the RV with more water, Tory, Aden, and I began learning about the Great Lakes. We completed a map activity together, and then made our way over to Presque Isle Park in Marquette, MI to see Lake Superior up close.

Presque Isle Park is a 323-acre public park in Marquette, located right on the shores of Lake Superior. Today’s weather was a chilly 55 degrees with a misting rain, and the lake waters were violently churning and sloshing against the marina break wall. It’s hard to believe a lake can be so big that it looks like an ocean.

We learned lots of facts about Lake Superior during our visit to Presque Isle Park, like how the entire state of Maine can fit inside Lake Superior. So can Lake Erie, 25 times! Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world when measured by surface area, and is also the deepest and the coldest of the five Great Lakes. Because of the cold temperature, there are less animals and organisms living in the water than the other lakes. This makes the water very clear.

The kids played around on the rocks by the water, and we spent time taking pictures and admiring the view. Tory recently got a new camera for her birthday, so Andi gave her a few photography tips. After a while, we walked further up the shoreline and stopped at a scenic overlook. Wow, is Lake Superior impressive!

The four of us walked back to our RV parked in the Presque Isle Park lot. Andi made a phone call while Tory, Aden, and I completed a few more worksheets about the Great Lakes. Then, the four of us continued our journey through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Next, Andi and I had planned to stop at the infamous Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, but the weather was so crummy and cold (cloudy, 55 degrees, with misting rain) that we weren’t sure it’d be a good time to go. The real way to see Pictured Rocks is by boat, and that wasn’t a place we wanted to find ourselves today given the size of those Lake Superior whitecaps. At the last minute, Andi and I decided to change plans and continue on toward Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Paradise, Michigan. This is exactly why we don’t make a lot of plans while traveling — having a more flexible schedule with less reservations gives us the freedom to pivot for the weather or other circumstances happen along the way.

Even though we decided not to see Pictured Rocks today, we still stopped in the town of Munising, MI for gas and a few groceries. The deli counter at the Munising grocery store didn’t look half-bad, so we purchased lunch there. Andi and Aden were thrilled to split a plate of sesame chicken and egg rolls while Tory and I opted for splitting a chicken caesar wrap. We ate our meals inside the RV, and then continued on to Tahquamenon Falls.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park is home to one of Michigan’s biggest waterfalls, and more than 35 miles of trails surrounding the falls. We didn’t have a camping reservation for the night, but we were lucky enough to score one in the Portage Campground. After picking out a spot and parking our rig there, we walked from our campground to the Lower Falls trailhead. The park was busy with tourists also here to see the beautiful root beer-colored falls. All four of us were impressed with the quality of facilities in this state park — there was even a gift shop! “Very national park-esque,” Andi commented.

Andi, Tory, Aden, and I hiked around the Lower Falls for the next few hours, taking in the waterfalls from various angles. Aden entertained himself by building boats out of sticks and leaves to sail down the rushing water while Tory took photographs and worked on building a dam with sticks and logs. It’s these moments while traveling that I sit back and reflect how lucky we are to be living this lifestyle. Happiest when we’re making memories together.

Around 6:00pm, the four of us walked back to our campsite and made dinner. Andi grilled chicken breasts and foil packet potatoes on the grill while I prepped green beans on the stovetop in the RV. We ate outside at the picnic table together and watched all the hubbub happening around us in the campground — people having campfires, kids riding bikes, etc. The campground host stopped by to ask “if we got the kids settled in alright.” His midwestern way of checking to make sure we had everything we needed for our stay.

Andi and I walked one more loop around the campground together before he took Tory and Aden to the bath house for showers. They had high hopes for an epic shower experience given the clean restrooms and private stalls, but Tory sadly reported back that the water was cold. Aden said the lights turned out on him half-way through his shower.

We watched an episode of Heartland together as a family before calling it a night around 10:00pm. Tomorrow, we plan to check out the lighthouse near Paradise, and visit the Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point.