Camping is defined as “the activity of spending a vacation in a camp, tent or camper.” So says one dictionary, anyway. For some of us, it’s simply getting away from “home base” for a night, preferably in nature. Below, in photos and captions, some recent one-night getaways in Michigan’s far-north (Upper Peninsula).
This lighthouse, captured from shore in a setting sun, marks the north end of the Portage Canal which runs by my hometown and creates an island of the Keweenaw Peninsula — which is, nonetheless, called a peninsula. 😄
It’s located in McClain State Park, in the heart of the Keweenaw on Lake Superior, about an hour and 20 minutes from Camp Many Moons.
One advantage of camping there is these beautiful sunsets on the big lake, called Lake Superior today but “Gitchee Gumee” by the native Ojibwa tribe. (It’s musical, don’t you think?)
A week or two later, we ventured further up that peninsula, along a rutted road with a few deep puddles. It was a slow and bumpy ride…
…but so worth it to reach the very tip of the Keweenaw.
This must be one of the most remote camping spots in the U.S.! I imagine that it looks like the coast of Prince Edward Island in Canada.
The water was warm enough for a swim, and the rocky shoreline interspersed by wildflowers…
…but it wasn’t that remote, since many other campers joined us. I guess anyone who braved that bumpy ride deserved to be there, but I admit I would prefer to have it to myself! 😉
We spent two nights, a few weeks apart, on the Slate River. I read half a book sitting here…
…but the 2nd visit, at a different spot, I just looked. No book. We also took an excursion on the dirt road using E-Bikes to visit some nearby sites. A week after that…
…back to Lake Superior again, but in a different spot. The mouth of the Huron River is just 30 minutes from Camp Many Moons and offers both a river and the big lake.
This time, I used my tent while he used his truck camper. We had paddle boards along…
…and the Huron River was calm and beautiful…
…while the Lake Superior shoreline was calm at sunset.
But the next morning, it was riled up. The wind blew all night and I didn’t sleep well in the tent.
A few weeks later, we returned to that same spot – this time, with a friend and his kayak. We all enjoyed a paddle, and then….
…Aurora Borealis! What luck to be out here at the right time. You can see the Huron Islands, and their lighthouse, in this photo. (Taken through phone camera in night mode.)
The “Aurora” app tracks activity, and 5 or above is good. I keep an eye on this app when they are predicted, but this time, we just lucked out. That’s the thing about camping. You never know what you’ll see…but you know you won’t see anything if you don’t get out there.
It is good to see you enjoying the great camping spots within a day’s travel from Many Moons, and to know you are in the company of others or alone by choice. Beautiful photos, especially of the Aurora Borealis! Thank you for posting.
For Many Moons 
It is good to see you enjoying the great camping spots within a day’s travel from Many Moons, and to know you are in the company of others or alone by choice. Beautiful photos, especially of the Aurora Borealis! Thank you for posting.
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