Les Cheneaux Islands – Cedarville, Michigan. – July 30 to August 1, 2011
For our UP camping trip this year we spent 3 nights at Loons Point Campground in Cedarville, Michigan and then 5 nights at Woodland Park Campground in Grand Marais, Michigan. Loons Point Campground and the Les Cheneaux Islands area was quiet and not very busy. This was our 3rd year in a row going up to Grand Marais and this was the busiest we have seen it. The campgrounds filled up every night and there were a few nights where people were camped along the road waiting for a site to open up. We had to go a few weeks earlier this year and this may have been why there were more people. Also, H-58 between Munising and Grand Marais is now open and paved the entire way which makes it much easier to get around the Pictured Rocks area.
At Loons Point Campgrounds they put us in site #52 in the 3rd row. You must have to be a regular or stay longer than 3 nights to get one of the sites on the water. It ended up being ok because we never had anyone right next to us, which was good because the sites are so close here that your awning would almost by touching the trailer in the site next to you. There were two campers parked behind us, but they must have been seasonal sites because no one was there during our stay.
Another shot of Loons Point Campgrounds. Overall we enjoyed our stay here, the bathhouse was a little bit of a walk up the drive, but it was well maintained and it even had a laundry room.
The beach area and dock at Loons Point.
On our first morning Reese learned to ride her bike without training wheels for the first time. She had been practicing without the pedals on her bike and pushing with her feet for 2 weeks before we left. We put her pedals back on and she just rode away. The rest of the time she kept busy riding laps around the campground.
Paddling past one of the boathouses in the Les Cheneaux Islands. Back when boats were all made from wood everyone built boathouses to keep the sun from damaging the finish. Classic wooden boats are very popular up and there are boathouses similar to this everywhere.
E. J. Mertaugh Boat Works in Hessel, Michigan was the first Chris Craft dealer in the country in 1925.
One of the classic wooden boats docked at the marina in Hessel.
We spent an afternoon at the beach on Albany Bay in the Gerstacker Nature Preserve. The water was warm and shallow, perfect for swimming and playing frisbee.
Another from the Gerstacker Nature Preserve Albany Bay on Northern Lake Huron. Located about half way between Cedarville and De Tour right off from M-134.
Running around in the shallows.
Exploring the Les Cheneaux Islands with the girls in the tandem kayak. The next time we go back here we would like to take a boat so we can see more of the area than we were able to from our kayaks.
One more boathouse shot from the kayak.
Regan would not give up until she caught a fish from the dock. She was even out there one morning in her pajamas, but still no luck.
The new camper can also be used as an easel for art projects.
Baby bath time.
When ever we are some place new we always like to try some of the local restaurants. In Hessel, Michigan we chose The Islander Bar mainly because it was the oldest. It has been around since 1917, so we figured it must not be too bad. They had just a small menu of bar type food, but our burgers and sandwiches were all very good.
Reesey enjoyed dancing to the music from the one man band at the Islander Bar while we waited for our food.
On the morning that we left we also had tasty sandwiches at the deli in the little Hessel Grocery Store on the corner across from the marina. They also had bake goods, ice cream and fresh pies coming out of the oven the smelled very good. We didn’t get a picture because when we were leaving it was pouring rain.
Every morning and night a mom, dad and baby sandhill cranes walked by the campgrounds along the edge of the water.
Paddling over to Government Island and stopping for a break at the campsite on the north shore. There was a nice little camping area here and picnic table by the water.
Sunset from the dock at Loons Point Campground. In the morning it was on to Grand Marais. Click below for the 2nd half of the trip.
Continue along with us to our next stop in Grand Marais, Michigan and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore >>
Our Favorites:
We purchased this hammock right before our bike camping trip because I knew that comfortable places to sit are hard to come by on this kind of adventure.
Since then the kids have spent countless hours sitting in and fighting over this hammock. It is comfortable, lightweight, easy to setup and we also found that it dries fast after leaving it out in the rain for the night. It has been a great addition to our camping arsenal. We may have to buy a second one just so we can have a chance to relax in it.
Click here to find Double Nylon Hammocks on Amazon >>
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