Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was our primary destination on the shore of Lake Michigan. As you know, I’m all about collecting the national park stamps and I didn’t have any of the National Park site stamps in Michigan except for River Raisin. When we put together the trip, my priority was getting the stamps …
Orchard Beach State Park in Manistee, Michigan
On our travel day, Tom and I were meandering around on our way to Orchard Beach State Park in Manistee, Michigan. It is only 118 miles from Holland, and we weren’t supposed to check in until 3 p.m. so we had plenty of time to explore. After spending time in Montague we also wandered around …
Knit and Spin in Montague, Michigan
Another great reason to stop in Montague, Michigan, is to visit the Knit and Spin. Ever since my local yarn shop in Columbus closed, I stop at all the local yarn shops I can find. I don’t need that much yarn, but I try to find something to buy to support a local, in-person shop. …
World’s Largest Weathervane in Montague, Michigan
During our travels in Michigan, Tom and I stopped to see the “World’s Largest Weathervane.” We often joke that if you put enough qualifiers in front, everything is the largest, oldest, tallest something. We take those designations with a grain of salt. But “The World’s Largest Weathervane was on our way to our next campground, …
Sunset and Moonrise at Ottawa Beach
On a beautiful evening in September, Tom and I walked down to Ottawa Beach to see the sunset. The day had been clear and warm and the evening promised more of the same, with no clouds in the sky. I took my “good” camera (not my cell phone) hoping to get some really good pictures …
Holland State Park, a Perfect Place to Stay
Tom and I picked the perfect place to stay when we picked Holland State Park. We stayed in state parks most of the time we were in Michigan and loved all of them. Michigan has 106 state parks and most of them involve water in one way or another. Holland State Park was the furthest …
Ottawa Beach, Walking from Holland State Park
During our Michigan trip, Tom and I were never far from one of the great lakes. When we stayed at Holland State Park, we could walk to Ottawa Beach, on Lake Michigan. The town butts up against Holland but is in a another socio-economic category. The houses, as most houses on lakefronts these days, are …
Dune Dogz at Ottawa Beach, Michigan
The day the tandem broke, our first day of riding in Holland, we rewarded ourselves for making it back by eating at Dune Dogz. Dune Dogz is a nice little fast-foodish place just next to the state park. Perfect for campers who don’t feel like fixing lunch or supper one night while they are camping. …
Waverly Stone Gastropub and Garen Huis Yarns
On the day we visited Windmill Island Gardens, Tom and I ate at Waverly Stone Gatropub and visited Garen Huis Yarns. Although Tom and I enjoyed Windmill Island Gardens very much, we were done there by noon. So we decided to ride the tandem to downtown Holland, Michigan, and check it out. We wanted to …
Windmill Island in Holland, Michigan
The day after Tom and I got our tandem fixed, we rode the bike to Windmill Island Gardens, just east of downtown. Although Windmill Island Gardens is the #2 thing to do in Holland, Michigan, according to TripAdvisor, we were already staying at the #1 thing to do. Windmill Island Gardens is a city park …