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RE: Yellowstone or Grand Canyon
Grand Teton National Park is my preferred park. And if you have an extra day or two you might want to check out Yellowstone (and fight the crowds).
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Parrothead Mike
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05/21/12 09:24pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Hwy 287 from I-80 to South Yellowstone Entrance
I agree with the 287/26 route. Took it last summer. The construction will be the last portion of your ride after Dubois. The part of the highway that is done is very nice. There will be a delay for the construction, but it's not too bad. Just relax and enjoy the views.
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Parrothead Mike
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05/16/12 02:27pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Lake Superior Circle Tour
I posted this on another U.P. related thread, but since these are campgrounds on Lake Superior I thought I'd tag them on to your thread.
In the U.P. I would suggest Brimley State Park in the small town of Brimley. This is located about 15 +/- miles west of Sault Ste Marie. It's located right on Lake Superior's Whitefish Bay. Nice beach, clear water, and you can see some of the lake freighters coming and going into the Soo Locks. The sites are nice and grassy too. Further west is the small town of Grand Marais. They have a very nice city campground right on the shore of Lake Superior. I don't believe they take reservations. We'll be there in mid-July. Grand Marais is located about 25 miles straight north of the tiny town of Seney.
Further west of Grand Marais is Munising. There you'll find Pictured Rocks Nat'l Lakeshore. The city has a nice campground located about 2 miles west on M-28. The campground is on the shores of Lake Superior. There is a nice view of Grand Island. Be sure to take the Pictured Rocks cruise. Cruise boats leave the city dock right in downtown. There are plenty of waterfalls in the area too.
Marquette, the largest city in the U.P., doesn't really have much in the way of camping. There is a nice campground about 45 miles west of Marquette along M-28/US-41 on Lake Michigamme (pronounced Mich-e-gomme) called Michigamme Shores Campground. RV Park Reviews.com has all 8-10 ratings and the price is in the mid-30's with FHU's. This is a very large lake in a rural forested area----Beautiful!
To the west and north, at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula (that jut of land that sticks way up into Lake Superior), is Copper Harbor. There is a nice state park there, Fort Wilkins, and a private campground, Lake Fanny Hooe Resort & Campground. The drive up to Copper Harbor, through the Houghton/Hancock area is beautiful. Many views of the lake, rivers, old mines, and lots of trees. The area gets lots of snow during the winter, and I mean LOTS of snow.
The Porcupine Mountains State Park is located south of Ontonagon. If you enjoy hiking you will definitely enjoy the Porkies. There is a state park on the north end, Union Bay, that has electric only and a rustic campground on the south end. I've only camped on the south end because I like the trails around that part. Both campgrounds are near the lake. This is a huge state park. It's considered a wilderness park and has over 60,000 acres, much of it virgin forests.
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Parrothead Mike
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05/15/12 03:39pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Sunny Brook RV Park, South Haven, Mi
I've never camped there, but have driven by. It's located east of South Haven a few miles and is fairly new. I believe they're trying to encourage customers to come and give it a try. Click on the RV Park Review.com I have below and scroll down to Sunny Brook for some actual camper reviews. Several give it a positive rating. Once at the RV Park Review site you can click on the campground's website and also see a overhead photo "map" of the park.
http://www.rvparkreviews.net/regions/Michigan/South_Haven.html
From what I read on their website it looks like they have plans to expand. When we drove by two summers ago they appeared to be more than half full. It's pretty much out in the open yet without a lot of trees, but their pool looks nice. The review website shows that people were paying in the mid-$40's for an overnight. South Haven is a resort area so I suppose that's not a bad price, but of course the state park is less with electric only.
South Haven is a nice area. It's the blueberry capital of the U.S. and have a festival in early August. The berries themselves will be early this year so I suspect you can find some in very early July thru mid-July.
We camp at Van Buren State Park just south of South Haven every year. We'll be there at the end of June/early July this year and again in September. There is a nice beach at the state park, but the city has two beaches downtown on either side of the Black River, which flows into Lake Michigan.
If you get down there be sure to take a drive north along the lakeshore on Blue Star Hwy to Saugatuck. This is a small artsy tourist village along the Kalamazoo River before it empties into Lake Michigan. There is a large marina there, plenty of shops, places to eat, and art galleries. It's not real big so I would suggest parking your vehicle and walking around the downtown area and along the river.
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Parrothead Mike
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05/12/12 03:24pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: RV Expenses
Looks like you've been given plenty of suggestions. All I'd like to add is that you should try to take the time to keep your camper in good working order. I've seen plenty of campers that only get taken out once or twice a year and the owners obviously don't keep it clean. If they don't keep it clean they probably don't check the air pressure in the tires regularly, monitor appliances to keep them in proper working condition, or check it over thoroughly before and during trips. These characters are begging for problems when towing or camping right about the time they really want to be enjoying themselves at their campsite.
If you read this forum often you'll see plenty of questions about refrigerators that aren't cooling properly, water heaters that aren't heating, or furnances/AC that don't work right. Pay attention to these items and you'll benefit greatly in the long run.
I carry one of those little cans of air (for dusting off computers, etc). At the beginning of the season I will be sure to give the area around the burner on my frig a good blast of air. (An RV mechanic once told me that road dust and gunk gets around the area where the gas comes out and clogs the opening & all he did was blast it with air.) Also you might want to have a basic tool box. I also have one of those plastic storage organizers (kinda like some you might use for fishing lures, etc) that I carry spare screws, nuts/bolts, light blubs, small tube of caulk, wire, fuses, electrical tape, and whatever you think you might need in a pinch. Oh yeah, don't forget to carry some duct tape.
Your camper is really just another vehicle whether you have a motor in it or not. Maintenance is key to having a good time when you and your family are out in the sticks or at a nice campground. I'm sure you'd rather spend your time hunting or fishing rather than trying to figure out why your food isn't staying cool in the frig.
Happy camping!
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Parrothead Mike
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05/11/12 09:16pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Water's Edge Campgrounds, Michigan and It's UP?
In the U.P. I would suggest Brimley State Park in the small town of Brimley. This is located about 15 +/- miles west of Sault Ste Marie. It's located right on Lake Superior's Whitefish Bay. Nice beach, clear water, and you can see some of the lake freighters coming and going into the Soo Locks. The sites are nice and grassy too.
Further west is the small town of Grand Marais. They have a very nice city campground right on the shore of Lake Superior. I don't believe they take reservations. We'll be there in mid-July. Grand Marais is located about 25 miles straight north of the tiny town of Seney.
Further west of Grand Marais is Munising. There you'll find Pictured Rocks Nat'l Lakeshore. The city has a nice campground located about 2 miles west on M-28. The campground is on the shores of Lake Superior. There is a nice view of Grand Island. Be sure to take the Pictured Rocks cruise. Cruise boats leave the city dock right in downtown. There are plenty of waterfalls in the area too.
Marquette, the largest city in the U.P., doesn't really have much in the way of camping. There is a nice campground about 45 miles west of Marquette along M-28/US-41 on Lake Michigamme (pronounced Mich-e-gomme) called Michigamme Shores Campground. RV Park Reviews.com has all 8-10 ratings and the price is in the mid-30's with FHU's. This is a very large lake in a rural forested area----Beautiful! Web site below.
http://www.michigammeshores.com/
To the west and north, at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula (that jut of land that sticks way up into Lake Superior), is Copper Harbor. There is a nice state park there, Fort Wilkins, and a private campground, Lake Fanny Hooe Resort & Campground. The drive up to Copper Harbor, through the Houghton/Hancock area is beautiful. Many views of the lake, rivers, old mines, and lots of trees. The area gets lots of snow during the winter, and I mean LOTS of snow.
The Porcupine Mountains State Park is located south of Ontonagon. If you enjoy hiking you will definitely enjoy the Porkies. There is a state park on the north end, Union Bay, that has electric only and a rustic campground on the south end. I've only camped on the south end because I like the trails around that part. Both campgrounds are near the lake. This is a huge state park. It's considered a wilderness park and has over 60,000 acres, much of it virgin forests.
There's another state park a bit further south on Lake Gobebic. This is another large lake and is known for good walleye fishing.
The campgrounds and areas I've pointed out are definitely more rural than what you'll find around the Macinac Bridge area and Sault Ste Marie. Those areas are nice, but more touristy than further west in the U.P. Mackinac Island and the Soo Locks are great places to visit, but the campgrounds are more crowded in those areas.
Last year we traveled to the Rockies and in '09 we went thru Canada to New England. This year we're heading up to the U.P. for a few weeks. I used to live up there back in the 80's and traveled that area extensively until about 10 years ago for my job. It's time to get back to da U.P., eh? Let me know if you need to know more.
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Parrothead Mike
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05/10/12 08:40pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Balance Between Planning the Trip and Being Flexible
We were out west last July (from Santa Fe to Yellowstone) and only had a reservation while in Santa Fe (Santa Fe Skies campground - nice place with FHU's). We weren't gone as long as you're planning. If you're willing to use rustic forest campgrounds from time to time you will find plenty of vacancies. State parks are also a possibility, but weekends can always be busy. While in the Tetons we camped as Gros Ventre campground for 5 days and they do not take reservations. Plenty of open sites in the middle of July. For full hookups you'll need reservations.
If you have a computer with you use RV Park Review.com for checking out campground possibilities for areas you're heading. You can not only see how they've been reviewed by other campers, but you can also click on the campground's web site for more info & phone numbers in case you want to call ahead for a reservation.
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Parrothead Mike
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05/09/12 07:53pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Santa Fe to Taos to Pagosa Springs - Roads?
We did the Santa Fe - Taos - Pagosa Springs route (64 & 84) last summer with our 5th wheel. Only the section from Tres Piedras west over the San Juans had any elevations and they weren't that bad. Very delightful ride.
If you need to stop for groceries, etc in Taos be sure to stop on the south end before you get into the downtown area as there is little space for your rig in that area. Once you get through town on your way out there are places to pull over if necessary, but not many reasons to stop. One place on the way out of Taos that we did stop for was called Pepe's House. It was on the right side of the road and kind of a large place full of outdoor wrought iron pieces, ceramic tiles inside with plenty of the unusual if you like that kind of stuff. I picked up some mexican ceramic tiles for some artsy project(s).
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Parrothead Mike
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05/09/12 07:39pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Matching a truck with a fifth-wheel
Hey, give the guy a break, he's new here and doesn't know how smart we all are. :B Like it says on his NH license plate - "Live Free or Die". But I kinda like the old "Live and Learn" one myself.
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Parrothead Mike
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05/07/12 09:15pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Friday night fluff-Wolf Creek Pass
Now I see what I missed last summer. Instead of taking the Wolf Creek Pass route I came up on US-64 from the Taos area to Pagosa Springs. Then headed over to Durango and north on Hwy 550. I'd say that 550 more than made up for it.
Great song. Had never heard it before.
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Parrothead Mike
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05/07/12 08:55pm |
RV Lifestyle
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RE: Bristol Race Camping
One of the problems at Bristol is that they increased the seating to somewhere around 160,000 (should have kept it around 90,000 or so). They thought race fan demands called for increasing the seating, but they over-thought the whole thing. They also wanted to make more money and thought they could. Unfortunately the economy dropped and the average race fans realized they couldn't afford the travel, over-priced motels & campsites, high ticket prices, expensive food, drinks, & souvenirs, traffic jams, etc.
By the way, IROC intended to have generic cars. The idea behind that was to put champion race drivers from various types of racing into similar cars so they could compete on the same level. It worked for a while, but it really didn't draw a lot of fan interest.
I am a race fan, having attended races for about 20 years (only Michigan, the Brickyard, and Bristol). We camp in the infield at Michigan twice a summer. Fan numbers are down big everywhere. Michigan over-built, but not to the extent that Bristol did. Michigan actually took down a big section of grandstands within the last two years. They also haven't increase ticket prices. That has helped, but there are other reasons that fans aren't coming back. I'm not sure whether it's the sport itself, the similar cars, or the economy. Maybe all of that. Besides, it can be boring to watch (and I call myself a race fan).
This is our last year of two races a year at Michigan. We'll drop the June race in 2013 and keep the August race. We dropped the Brickyard tickets three years ago because it was a long haul with the camper, camping prices were high, they charged more for entering the track for practice & time trials, and it was always hotter than heck down there. We only did Bristol once and that was in a tent for a March race about 5-6 years ago and it was cold and snowy.
Watching a race at home costs less. The bathrooms are closer and the beer is cheaper. If you want to enjoy some racing attend a local track. You can't beat the prices, you can sometimes take in your own coolers, and the racing can be lots of fun. Nascar races last for hours where as local tracks have shorter races with several different classes of race cars/trucks.
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Parrothead Mike
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05/06/12 07:25pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: horrable rv park
Here is a suggestion about letting others know about nice or nasty campgrounds. Use RV Park Reviews.com This site, once you register, allows you to post reviews about specific campgrounds you've used. In fact, you may find out that a lot of others feel the same way you did at the campground you're posting about. The site is clickable below. Once there you can click on the state and then the city you want to know about in regards to campgrounds. From there you can read about the various campgrounds.
http://www.rvparkreviews.net/
PS: You don't have to register to read about reviews of campgrounds by other posters. It's a great site for checking out campgrounds in areas you might want to camp. It also allows you to click on the campground's own website.
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Parrothead Mike
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05/06/12 06:59pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: best western michigan state parks for a first time visit??
I would like to offer posters a suggestion about posting Internet addresses. When you post it by just typing the address, for example: www.yahoo.com This makes for a more difficult method of going to that site.
RV.net offers a much better method. Instead of using the "Quick Reply" method use the "Reply to topic" selection. This will give you several boxes above the message typing area. The little box left the envelope box which has kind of a round blue thing with two smaller round "links" will allow you to enter a URL address of the site you want to refer the other readers or the original poster to. Such as this one for RV Park Reviews.com:
http://www.rvparkreviews.net/
You can copy and paste the URL link or you can type it in the upper box. It will look a little funny after it shows up in your message box, but it will now be a clickable link for everyone to easily access.
Now on to the topic of the original poster. When you're in the Traverse City area you might want to take in Sleeping Bear Dunes and National Lakeshore area. It's located west of Traverse City about 40 miles. Take M-72 west of TC to either Empire or a little further north toward Glen Arbor. There is a neat dune climb along M-22 at the west end of Glen Lake. The kids will love it.
You might also want to take a ride up M-22 from there to Leland. This is a little fishing village (now converted to tourism, although there are still fishermen there) with shops to visit. There are also wineries in the area. It's a beautiful drive in one of the nicest areas in the Lower Peninsula.
Also, Holland SP has a campground closer to the lake and one a bit further away from the lake. I've camped at the one away from the lake because it was fall and the other wasn't open for camping. It's nice with grassy sites and some shaded sites. The one near the lake lacks shade. That's all I know about it. Great beach though.
Here's the state park reservation website:
http://www.midnrreservations.com/
Using the reservation system takes some getting used to it, but when searching for a campground or campsite it has some good info. If you find a site for example, it will tell you a little bit about the size demensions, whether it's grassy, dirt, paved, and whether it has some shade. Also, you'll find out if the site is within 200' of the restrooms/showers as well as where the water outlets are. Most all state park sites have electric only.
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Parrothead Mike
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05/06/12 06:46pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: TOTAL NEWBIES, looking for assistance intelligently
NoMoreLurking: Those people you attempted to speak to are an embarrassment to the rest of us RV'ers that want to convey the friendly, laid-back kind of people we think we are. Still, some people go camping to "get away" from people. Some campers are loners and prefer to keep to themselves. Some might just be so "friendly" and you can't get them to go back home. You never know what's bound to happen when you randomly throw a bunch of people from God knows where together in a fairly confined space for 24 hours to a week or more.
On the other hand, there are some real fun types out there. It's kinda like your typical neighborhood where some households are extremely private and nonsocialable while others are at each other's door all the time or hanging out in the backyard. You're going to find all types while camping.
You sound like nice people with a great sense of humor. If you came up to me while I was sitting outside my camper and asked me the types of questions you asked some of those snooty campers I would more than likely talk your arm off. My wife, on the other hand, is more more reserved, but friendly. I enjoy helping others or just talking about general topics, but sometimes I'm looking for quiet time so I can sit and read.
Please don't draw a negative impression about RV'ers from those unfriendly people.
I hope that you are successful in obtaining the information you need so that you can find the RV lifestyle of your dreams. My wife and I often go camping by ourselves, but also go camping with several of our RVing friends. We like to go to music festivals, Nascar races, travel to Kentucky to attend horse races, camp at a state park on Lake Michigan so we can have some beach time. We've taken a few several thousand mile trips to New England and to the Rocky Mountains.
I'm sure you'll develop that personal RV lifestyle that your are envisioning. Like several others have said, get out there, learn, make mistakes, laugh, and enjoy whatever it is that turns you on. Happy trails!
PS: We loved the keys when we were down there about 10 years ago. Stayed in KW and got to see and speak with Captain Tony himself at the bar with his name on it. Maybe we'll get our RV down there sometime in the next couple of years. You're lucky you get to live in what many believe to be paradise. But then again, I'm a parrothead.
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Parrothead Mike
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05/01/12 09:33pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: St Ignace or Mackinaw City area Michigan
Skid809: Click on the link below for an RV Parks Review.com connection to a listing of Mackinaw City area campgrounds. Scroll down the page to the TeePee Campground. To see more than the three reviews click on the "see more" at the bottom. Some of them are dated, but they may give you an idea. Plus you can connect to their web site.
http://www.rvparkreviews.net/regions/Michigan/Mackinaw_City.html
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Parrothead Mike
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05/01/12 08:13pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: First time road trip Arizona, Utah and Colorado
I'll post this again since the one on the Beginner threat was ended.
Personally I would eliminate the AZ/Grand Canyon part until you have more time. Thus you'll be able to concentrate more on the other portions of your planned trip. This way you can actually get to know the places you are camping in rather than just see a lot of sights out the windows of your RV.
You can still include the 4 Corners in your trip. Take in Mesa Verde Nat'l Park. There are some nice parks in SE Utah too. Head up to the Silverton/Ouray/Telluride area of CO. This will give you a good taste of the Rockies. From there you might take in Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Park and maybe the Buena Vista, CO area. Or, depending on your time, cut out the Rocky Mtn. NP and just go to the Buena Vista area where there are nice campgrounds and beautiful vistas (as the name states). Head home from there and you'll be tired.
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Parrothead Mike
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05/01/12 09:56am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: First time road trip Arizona, Utah and Colorado
Personally I would eliminate the AZ/Grand Canyon part until you have more time. Thus you'll be able to concentrate more on the other portions of your planned trip. This way you can actually get to know the places you are camping in rather than just see a lot of sights out the windows of your RV.
You can still include the 4 Corners in your trip. Take in Mesa Verde Nat'l Park. There are some nice parks in SE Utah too. Head up to the Silverton/Ouray/Telluride area of CO. This will give you a good taste of the Rockies. From there you might take in Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Park and maybe the Buena Vista, CO area. Or, depending on your time, cut out the Rocky Mtn. NP and just go to the Buena Vista area where there are nice campgrounds and beautiful vistas (as the name states). Head home from there and you'll be tired.
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Parrothead Mike
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04/30/12 08:57pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Cross-Country Recommendations - Southern States
I'll assume that you're heading out from southern CA since you mentioned a southern state route. Starting from MI last summer and heading out to NM I would suggest the route we took, but you obviously would be reversing it.
My suggestion is this: Take I-40 east all the way to Oklahoma City and catch I-44 northeasterly through Tulsa and follow it to St. Louis, MO. From there follow I-70 to Indianapolis, IN. Depending upon where you're headed in MI, you might want to take I-69 north into south central Michigan. Take I-94 east or west, depending upon where you're going, or stay on 69 to Lansing.
Traveling from southwest MI we were in Santa Rosa, NM the evening of our 2nd day on the road. I put 10-12 hours per day into the driving pulling our 5th wheel.
We found a campground in Santa Rosa (Santa Rosa Campground & RV Park), exit #275 off I-40 and then straight east on old Route 66 to the campground. It was fine for one night. They had FHU and shower facilities, which we didn't use as we used our own and paid a little over $30. Places to eat nearby too. Our only other overnight was at a Flying J just east of Joplin, MO.
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Parrothead Mike
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04/30/12 08:27pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Light-Proofing Bedroom
The vent over our bed brought in too much light for us so we came up with this idea. Went to a fabric store and found some dark material (actually our fabric has a design on it with parrots--kinda liked that one a lot) and my wife sewed two sides of it together with some material inbetween. I got some velcro and glued 4 receiving sections to the corners of the vent and sewed 4 attaching sections into the material. Now all we have to do is stick it up over the vent for some darkness.
For the windows (something we're planning to do very soon) we'll go back to the fabric shop and get some heavier dark material. We're going to do the same velcro thing along the top of the material and on the top of the window valance. We're not trying to do anything especially pretty, just something that works to darken the room. We'll pull them off the window and fold them up once we're up in the morning.
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Parrothead Mike
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04/29/12 08:18pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Co.Rt. 550. Durango to Ridgeway ??
We took Hwy 550 last summer from Durango to Ridgway. We camped at Ridgway State Park (about 4 miles north of the town of Ridgway). The road north of Durango to Oray is definitely a beautiful trip. There are plenty of ups & downs along with plenty of curves. I heated up my brakes pretty good, but I'm glad I took that route just for the beauty. In fact, you can go onto Youtube.com and search Hwy 550 and you'll get some great videos of what it's like to travel that road.
To look for a campground in either Silverton or Ouray try RV Park Reviews.com (hit the clicky for Colorado). We liked the state park, but you may find something that fits your needs right in Silverton or Ouray.
http://www.rvparkreviews.net/regions/Colorado/
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Parrothead Mike
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04/29/12 07:41pm |
Roads and Routes
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