Category: State Parks

Posted on

Nuclear North Dakota – Cooperstown to Nekoma

In my time in the state, I learned that North Dakota is about three things: Agriculture, Air Force and Indians. (It turns out there is a fourth, but more about that in another post)

The Eastern border of North Dakota is formed by the Red River and dominated by two sizable cities on its banks.  To the South is Fargo, at the intersection of the only two Interstates that cross the state. Fargo boasts the top North Dakota population of 120 thousand, about the same as Athens, GA. The economy of Fargo is based on healthcare and education. To the North lies Grand Forks, where most folks work for the government. Specifically, a lot of them work at the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

Continue reading “Nuclear North Dakota – Cooperstown to Nekoma”

Posted on

Michigan Southern UP – Lake Michigan

When I moved from Lake Huron directly to Lake Superior I felt like I had skipped over Lake Michigan, so I headed South by SouthWest. After an unremarkable layover at Indian Lake State Park where rain kept me in the camper, I arrived at Fayette Historic State Park on the Northern shore of Lake Michigan.

Here I found a nice wooded campground with a site next to a local with a big yellow lab named Sugarbear, and a spectacularly preserved company town from the turn of the Century to explore. Continue reading “Michigan Southern UP – Lake Michigan”

Posted on

Michigan NorthEastern UP – Whitefish Bay

As much as I enjoyed what I’d seen of Michigan so far, it was time to leave the Mitten and experience the fabled Upper Peninsula, or UP.  It was a surprisingly easy drive from Alpena to my next campground on Lake Superior. To reach the UP you must cross the Mackinac Bridge, which spans the mile wide Mackinac Straits that connect Lake Michigan to Lake Huron.

Crossing the Mighty Mac into the Upper Peninsula.

This bridge is often referred to as being difficult to navigate with an RV, including tales of white knuckled crossings to days long delays due to weather. My own experience was remarkable only in it’s lack of drama. It was a bright sunny day with mild winds, and they were repaving half the deck, so traffic crawled along the single open lane at no more than 20 mph.  Frankly it seemed a lot like rush hour on 285 in Atlanta. Continue reading “Michigan NorthEastern UP – Whitefish Bay”