Camping Weekend in Holly, MI!

September 28-30, 2012

The new trailer went on its maiden camping voyage!  We spent the weekend camping at Holly State Park.  Everyone else must have had the same idea for a fall camping weekend, the park was nearly full – good thing we reserved a site earlier in the week! The camper set up really easily and we had no issues with anything. We got to try out the heated mattress – setting 6 gets quite warm!

Saturday morning we took a walk around the campground and did one of the hiking trails. The park has a few hiking trails, some are on the campground portion of the site and others are across the road in the day use area of the park. The park is very hilly and chances are that if you do a lot of hiking you will feel it later in the day or the possibly the next. There are also mountain biking trails and a disk golf course (9, 18, and 24 hole routes) offered at the park. The park had a few activities scheduled throughout the weekend – group hikes, nature presentations, etc. Check the website to find out the activities in advance, or they are also posted at the restrooms.

For dinner we went to Homeboy BBQ in Flushing (#3 ranked BBQ place in Michigan 2012). It was a bit of a drive from the campground, but well worth it! My husband and I both had a combo – Brisket and Pulled Pork. The meat and BBQ sauce was excellent! I would have to say that the Brisket was probably the best I have ever had. The sides (many to choose from) were just okay – we tried the coleslaw, red potato salad, green beans and mac & cheese. The place is mostly a carry out place, but there were some tables that you could eat at. They are only open Wednesday – Saturday from 11am-8pm. The staff was very friendly. I can hardly wait to go up north just so we can stop by for more BBQ!

The rest of the trip was not to eventful, just the normal camping activities – hiking, biking, fire…

New RV!

September 22, 2012

2013 Shamrock 23SS by Forest River

My husband and I bought a new camper! After much research and RV viewings we decided on a 2013 Shamrock 23 SS by Forest River. It is a hybrid trailer that can sleep 7. We looked at other types of trailers, but we really wanted to sleep at least four people comfortably. The trailer also has a slide out feature, which provides us with some extra floor space. The trailer has space to store our bicycles when traveling, which is a great perk! Prior to this new trailer we had a 1997 Camplite by Damon Pop-Up which we were fortunate to sell within a couple of days of posting it on Craigslist. The upgrade sure is nice!

2013 Shamrock 23SS by Forest River

Erie Shores Weekend!

September 15-16, 2012

The weekend adventure took us down to the Erie Shores of Ohio. We hopped on the “Jet Express” from Port Clinton, OH. The catamaran took us about 20 minutes to get across to Put-in-Bay. The boats leave about every 30-45 minutes. Parking is charged on an hourly basis, with a $10 maximum daily charge. The Jet Express is by no means cheap, it is $14.99 one-way.  If you show your AAA card, you will save $2 per round-trip ticket. Children under 5 are free, ages 5-12 are $2.50 one-way. There is another “Jet Express” departure point in Sandusky, OH.

Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial

Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial

Once arriving at the island, you can decide if you would like to rent a golf cart or bikes. The rental places farther from the boat landing are cheaper. We noticed a $20 price difference! We opted not to rent anything since we mostly just went over to check out Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial. The memorial recently re-opened from renovations.  The memorial was established to honor those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie, during the War of 1812, and to celebrate the long-lasting peace between Britain, Canada and the United States.  The memorial observation deck is open July to October. Upon entering the memorial, you will have to climb 37 steps and then take an elevator to the open air observation deck. There is a $3 fee to ride the elevator; however if you purchased the annual National Park pass it is free. The observation deck provides an excellent view from each side. You can stay on the observation deck for as long as you would like; however, be prepared to wait in line for both going up and coming down. During the weekend park rangers, dressed in period clothing, also offer interpretive talks about the Battle of 1812 outside of the monument hourly from 11am to 5pm. There is also a visitor center building that has some nice displays and a video. We did not spend much time in the visitor center, since we had a 6-year-old, Tommy, with us for the day. Tommy enjoyed the memorial and liked the park ranger in costume, but did grow a bit tired of sitting and listening to the presentation.

Marblehead Lighthouse

After visiting the National Park site, we went in search of lunch. We decided on Hooligans, one because I love Irish food and two it had great trip advisor reviews. The prices seemed reasonable considering we were on an island. The bar décor was enjoyable, but the place was a bit loud (it probably did not help that the Ohio State football game was on). We tried the Irish Nacho’s (Potato Skins layered with Beef Brisket and Hooley Cheese Sauce. Topped with Shredded Lettuce, Roasted Red Peppers, and garnished with Shredded Cheese) – they were AWESOME! I had the Reuben sandwich, which was good. The meat was tender and not fatty in the least. The sandwich also came with chips and a pickle. Mike got the fish n’ chips basket, he enjoyed it a lot. The portion he received was very large.

Put-in-Bay has a big playground for children near the Jet Express loading area, and we spent some time there people watching before, leading back to the main land. Once back, we drove over to the Marblehead Lighthouse. The Marblehead Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse (1821) in continuous operation on the Great Lakes. There are picnic tables and restrooms available on-site. Lighthouse tours are offered, but the hours and days very so be sure to check on-line if you want to go inside. From this site, you can see Cedar Point off in the distance. After the lighthouse, we headed out for ice cream. I was told that we needed to check out Toft’s Dairy for some of the best ice cream around. Toft’s ice cream parlor is in Sandusky, OH and is open from 8am-9pm daily. 8am for ice cream!! That sounds like my kind of place! Toft’s has been around for more than 100 years. The ice cream was good and had many flavors to choose from. Beware – the small size is 4 scoops!

Erie Shore

We stayed overnight with friends in the area and then on our return home from the weekend, we stopped by the somewhat new River Raisin National Battlefield Park in Monroe, MI. The park has a small visitor center, with displays and a short fiber optic map presentation. The site remembers the devastation that occurred in Frenchtown