Looking ahead to 2014, several local trips on the radar

Reviewing my post from earlier this year on where I'd like to go in 2013, I realized only one of those trips actually happened. It happens, but with less vacation time this year because of a trip with my new wife to Hawaii, I suppose it was bound to happen. And no, I don't regret going to Hawaii. Fantastic place to visit.

Going forward, with less planned on my calendar in 2014, here's hoping I can find a way to visit a few other sites that I haven't seen or it's been a while since I was last there. I've got some places I plan to see, what I'd like to see and what I probably won't see.

What I plan on seeing

Island Lake State Recreation Area

This is an annual trip, but it's one I enjoy so much that I've practically gone every year for the last 15

Here's hoping there's snow this year.

years. Usually in the third weekend in January, the weekend consists of sledding, cross-country skiing and tobogganing, as long as the weather holds up its end of the bargain with providing snow.

Combine the winter activities with a group of great people and some tasty eats, and it's a trip. The backwoods cabins tucked in the back of the park make for that up-north feel when you're only in Livingston County. No electricity inside means lanterns light your way. The sounds of snowmobiles and mountain bikes come through the brush along the trail. It's a great place in the winter.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park

It's been almost 10 years since I last visited this park with the same group, but they are planning on returning for a weekend trip in May. The falls are a spectacular view and visiting Lake Superior is something I always long for, with it being my favorite Great Lake.

For a weekend trip, Tahquamenon Falls is a lengthy drive, but will hopefully be worth it. Seeing the shipwreck museum near Whitefish Point is something I enjoy seeing, and hiking in the spring will be a new experience for me up there.

What I'd like to see

Sunset near Oscoda.

Michigan's Sunrise Coast
I was able to make it to Oscoda this past summer for a long weekend, but there's no guarantee that I'll
make it up there again this year. I've spent many summers driving the stretch of US-23 along the eastern coast of Michigan's Lower Peninsula and find it more fulfilling than visiting the west coast of the state. It's less crowded and there are more hidden gems to find.

Bay City State Park

It's been several years since I went to Bay City State Park when I lived in Bay City, but going back to view the Saginaw Bay is up there on my list. While it might not be the cleanest water, the view is great and it's located nearby Bay City, a town I really enjoyed living in, albeit for four months.

Grand Haven State Park

The pier at Grand Haven.

I've been here several times, the last being in 2012. The pier is beautiful and the walk along it to the lighthouse is well worth it to see the view of Lake Michigan. Watching the boats come into the harbor on the Grand River is beautiful. One of my favorite places in the entire state.

Places I probably won't see

Mackinac Island

It's been several years since visiting Mackinac Island, and this year will probably be no exception. While I've wanted to take my wife north of the Mackinac Bridge, with costs and other life events getting in the way, I don't see a trip to Mackinac Island in the future. But it would be nice.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Another wonderful place to visit, especially off-season. I don't envision a trip here this year, but it's always great to dream. I've been to the dunes several times, and always enjoy exploring the park and the surrounding area near Traverse City. But probably not this year.

Port Crescent/Sleeper State Park

It's been many, many years since my last trip up here, but it's a place I've talked about going for three years now with a good friend of mine. There's not much at the tip of the Thumb, but the view of Lake Huron is great and I've heard Port Austin is a quaint town.


Is there another area I should explore this year? I'd love to hear some suggestions, I'm always looking for new places to explore.

Oscoda and Lumberman's Monument: a visit to Michigan's Sunrise Coast

The view of Lake Huron from the cabin resort just south of Oscoda. It just seems the water goes on for miles.

I've always spent time on Michigan's Sunrise Coast, driving US-23 to Presque Isle almost every summer to spend a week at Camp Chickagami with my family and members of my church, something I've written about here before. But this was an opportunity to see an area I've always driven through and explore a bit.

My wife's (yes, I just got married three months ago) family has spent many of their summers in Oscoda on Lake Huron, and she's always loved going. So this year, we both were invited to come for part of

One of my favorite wildflowers, the Indian Paintbrush. We
found this at Lumberman's Monument.

the week. We stayed three days up north, and I found Lake Huron to be as inviting and beautiful since the last time I saw it.

We stayed at one of the little resorts that dot the northern half of US-23. I've always been curious to see some of the conditions of some of them, since I've driven by them for many years. The place we stayed at wasn't the most attractive on the outside, but the cabins had charm. Besides, you're there to rent the location of the cabin, not the cabins themselves.

The lake was inviting, albeit cold for most of the weekend we were there. The lake was chilly this past Sunday, where it seemed I was the only one along the entire lakeshore that decided to swim. The currents a week ago had some shoots of cold water near the lake bottom, but the top of the water felt warmer.

It was a warm three days, save the rain that poured on the lakeshore the day we left. The cabins were quiet, and the days could be spent working on a puzzle, sitting by the waves and constructing a campfire.

Lumberman's Monument in the Huron National Forest.

My wife also took me to Lumberman's Monument, a location about 30 minutes west of Oscoda that's dedicated to lumberjacks that cleared lands near the Au Sable River and shipped them for development, especially out west. The site is located in the middle of the Huron-Manistee National Forest, and is complete with a ranger station, information cabin and the monument itself.

The site also have a great view of the Cooke Pond Dam, a part of the Au Sable River, and Horseshoe Island. The path had a set of several hundred stairs leading to the base of the cliff,

The view of the millpond from the Au Sable River.

complete with an overview of  the sand dune that loggers used to roll the lumber down to the river.

The base of the stairwell has a small hut filled with samples of the food eaten by lumberjacks, and showed more of the lives of the loggers. It was a fairly complex day, with time only really to eat the food prepared for them.

The visitors center had several attractions, including a local banjo band that was performing under the shelter for some local music:

Lake Michigan is typically the more popular lake, but Lake Huron has something special to offer visitors as well. It was fairly quiet the entire time we were there, considered a holiday weekend. The towns along the Sunrise Coast, starting with Standish and going all the way to Alpena, each have unique charm if you know where to look.

It's a great spot to get away, and not too expensive if you're looking for some lakefront property to wake up to every morning. We fell asleep to the waves crashing on the shore each night, something everyone should experience.