Northwest Michigan

One of our favorite places in the country is Northwest Michigan, an area with beautiful lakes, golf courses and biking trails. We stayed for 10 days just outside of Petoskey at Hearthside Grove, one of the finest motorhome resorts in the country.

Our "campsite" at Hearthside Grove

This is an owner resort and many of the sites have been improved with bungalows and fire pits. When we arrived we learned that they lost our reservation, but this worked out in our favor as we got "upgraded" to a site with a fire pit.

We took a few side trips including one to Charlevoix, a nice town at the intersection of Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan. Boating is a major activity here. One evening we had dinner on the Weathervane deck and enjoyed watching the boats pass between lakes under the drawbridge. 

I would happy with the dinghy

We also visited Harbor Springs a few times, and on one evening noted that many sailboats were docked in town. This was because of the "Race to Mackinac" which took place last week out of Chicago. We enjoyed watching the boats as they stopped by Harbor Springs on the way home.

Sailboats in Harbor Springs after the race

There is a fantastic bike trail which runs along the Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. The Little Traverse Wheelway runs for 26 miles and is mostly flat. You can ride the whole trail or any part of it, stopping in towns along the way and enjoying the view.

View of Little Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan

It's time to leave this little slice of paradise and head "downstate" to Algonac to visit with family. It will be tough to camp in a state park after the luxury of Hearthside Grove, but it will be great to see our friends and family.