Round We Went - Second Stop the U.P.

Second Stop - Monday and Tuesday
Packed up camp and drove to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We stayed one night in Manistique and one night in Curtis. Full trip overview here.

After packing up camp Monday morning in Door County, we headed to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, also known as the U.P.  We had great views of Lake Michigan during our drive and stopped to have a picnic at a roadside park.

We eventually arrived in the small town of Manistique, which is situated right on Lake Michigan. We stayed at Gray Wolf Lodge, which has the only indoor pool in the area. I have to admit, that was the draw for us. Isabelle really wanted to go swimming in a pool, but first we had to find a place for dinner. Since it is a small town and it was a Monday night, our choices were limited. We ended up at Big Boy, where kids eat free and they serve a tasty strawberry pie. After dinner Isabelle was highly entertained with the moose and teepees outside the restaurant.

About as close as we got to seeing a moose.

Next up was "swimming pool"!!! We had the pool all to ourselves and swam and swam and swam until we were all worn out.

The next morning for breakfast we went to Three Seasons Cafe, right next door to the hotel. It was full of regulars and the food was traditional breakfast fare (French toast, omelets, blueberry pancakes, etc.) and it was plentiful. We even bought a Isabelle a cute moose t-shirt that says Moosely I'm Cute.  Couldn't resist! After breakfast we took a walk along the foggy lake. We also got our first taste of the Yooper mosquitoes.

After packing up the car we drove about 14 miles east to see the Seul Choix Point Lighthouse. We took a quick tour of the lighthouse where at one point three families used to live together. Tight quarters! Tom also climbed up to the top to check out the view.

Isabelle and I both fell asleep during the next leg of our journey, but when we woke up Tom had taken us to Tahquamenon Falls State Park to see the largest waterfall west of Niagara Falls. We had a short walk to see the upper falls, but we were very glad we brought the bug spray. Those Yooper mosquitoes were out in full force! It was kind of funny to see everyone swatting/walking and carrying huge cans of bug spray. Isabelle even had the routine down. She would lift her shirt when she saw I was ready to give her a spritz.

Can you tell she had just woken up?

After we viewed the falls, we had lunch at the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery, situated right by the park entrance. It was designed to feel like an old logging camp. The food was great, but for Tom the highlight was trying the flight of beer. He wanted to take some home, but alas they only had growlers, which would not keep until we arrived back in Chicago.

After lunch we made our way to our home for the night in Curtis. Chamberlin's Ole Forest Inn has a large back porch and beautiful views of Manistique Lake. Our room was on the top floor, had a private bathroom and it faced the lake. It even had a nice nook for Tom and I to hang out and watch the sunset while Isabelle fell asleep. Isabelle's favorite part of the inn was the larger than life doll house on the second floor landing. It was hard to pull her away and we had to entice her with a trip to the park. 

Thank goodness for the step stool!

We found a park at the local elementary school and when it started to spit rain we went to the ice cream parlor for a little dessert before we had dinner at the inn. The service was top-notch and there were plenty of people (who were clearly grandparents) in attendance to dote on Isabelle. One even offered to buy her a stuffed animal from the gift shop to distract her from running to doll house on the second floor.  I didn't think a stuffed animal and food were a good mix, but it was such a nice offer! We had a great stay at Chamberlin's Ole Forest Inn and one more important note, a hot breakfast was included with our stay and it was delicious! We also had a chance to chat with the owner and they even pulled out a bunch of toys for Isabelle to play with. It made packing up the car much easier!

You know you're up north when it's still light out at 10:08 PM.

WHERE TO STAY

Gray Wolf Lodge
6770 W US HWY 2
Manistique, MI 49854
Phone: 906-341-2410

Chamberlin's Ole Forest Inn
N9450 Manistique Lakes Rd (aka Hwy 33)
Curtis, MI 49820
Phone: 906-586-6000


WHERE TO EAT

Three Seasons Cafe
6770W US HWY 2
Manistique, MI 49854
Phone: 906-341-3463

Tahquamenon Falls Brewery
M-123 Upper Falls Dr
Paradise, MI 49768
Phone: 906-492-3300

Chamberlin's Ole Forest Inn
N9450 Manistique Lakes Rd (aka Hwy 33)
Curtis, MI 49820
Phone: 906-586-6000
 

Round We Went - First Stop Door County

First Stop - Saturday and Sunday
Drove to Door County, Wisconsin and camped in Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek for two nights. Full trip overview here.

On day one of our trip we left Chicago and headed north to Door County - our first stop on the Lake Michigan Circle Tour.  For lunch we had a picnic at Renard's Cheese in Sturgeon Bay, WI. We had packed a lunch, but had to buy some fresh cheese curbs (come on, we were in Wisconsin!), then spread out on a picnic table right by the play set. We ended up spending a lot more time there than we thought. The slide was a big draw for Isabelle, a trend that would continue throughout our trip.  

After Ranard's Cheese we made a few more stops for beer and fudge in Egg Harbor, then drove down to Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek. When we made our reservation at Peninsula State Park we couldn't get a site for two nights, which meant we would have to pack up and move camp on Sunday. Luckily when we arrived the wonderful people at the camp office found a site we could stay at for two nights in a row and it was right across from the bathroom. Amazing luck for pregnant me and it turned out there was another pregnant mom camping on the other side of the bathroom. We both had the same bright idea to bring an air mattress. Best idea I ever had and because we have a electrical adapter for the car, so we brought along an extension cord and blew the air mattress up right in our tent. 

Relaxing on the air mattress.

For Isabelle we did the same set up as last year where she slept in the pack n' play, but this year she also had her very own 20 degree sleeping bag. The nights were chilly! Setting up the tent was much easier this year. Mainly because Isabelle was on her best behavior and even helped us by holding the bag with the tent stakes. 

There were a few things to remind us we were camping with a toddler.

1) She liked to run off, usually towards the road that runs through the campground, so one of us was constantly watching her.

2) She woke up with the birds and before the sun rose. That's right, Isabelle was up around 5 both mornings.  We bribed her with the iPad to stay in bed with us for a bit, but we were still up, out of the tent and off to breakfast before most of the other campers were awake.

3) We had to give her a shower in the handicap stall with me swatting away mosquitoes while Tom manned the water.  I still can't believe she didn't freak out!

Breakfast at Al Johnson's - yummy!

Here's how we spent our days...

On Saturday after we pitched the tent we took a walk to see Eagle Bluff Lighthouse. Isabelle loved running around, picking dandelions and playing with the rocks. We went for an early dinner in town at Cooper's Corner and the weather was so nice we ate out on the deck. The food was delicious and the restaurant was surprisingly kid friendly. Isabelle's meal was even served on a Frisbee that we got to take home. After dinner we wandered around town and picked up some fudge, are you sensing a trend here? Back at the campsite we put Isabelle down to bed and made a nice fire.

The next morning our first stop was Al Johnson's in Sister Bay for a breakfast of Swedish meatballs and pancakes. An amazing combo! Then we went for a walk to look at the boats, played at a park (slides!) and then went to church.

After church Isabelle fell asleep in the car, so we went roading to get Tom's favorite smoked fish. After she woke up we picked up some picnic supplies and had lunch at a park (hello slide!) in Fish Creek. After lunch we picked up a kite at the Fish Creek Kite Company, visited the Nature Center at Peninsula State Park and went to the beach to fly the kite (and play on the slide). It was a great afternoon!

Exploring at the Nature Center.

For dinner that night we went to Wild Tomato for amazing pizza and salad. Once again the weather was amazing so we ate outside. After dinner we made a campfire and Isabelle got to hang out with us for a bit before her bedtime.

Our last morning in Door County was spent at a new spot in Fish Creek, Linger Coffee House and we definitely lingered. Coffee was just what we needed after another early morning and the fresh pastries were a bonus. Isabelle had a blast exploring every inch and especially enjoyed the kid's nook. After breakfast we went back to camp and packed up. We can't wait to go back next year!

WHERE TO STAY

Peninsula State Park
9462 Shore Rd.
Fish Creek, WI 54212
Phone: 920-868-3258


WHERE TO EAT

Fish Creek Cooper's Corner

4170 Main Street

Fish Creek, WI 54212

Phone: 920-868-2667

Wild Tomato

4023 State Hwy 42
Fish Creek, WI 54212

Phone: 920-868-3095

Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant 

10698 N. Bay Shore Dr.

Sister Bay, WI  54234

Phone: 920-854-2626

Linger Coffee House
9431 Spruce Street

Fish Creek, WI 54212
Phone: 920-868-5068