Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Cades Cove Campground, Hiking, Biking, and more

 May 2024, 6 nights

Cades Cove loop in Smoky Mountains National Park

We had originally thought we would stay in Look Rock Campground to visit the Smoky Mountains because it is the only National Park campground with electricity, and we wanted to stay for about a week. After more research, we decided to go with Cades Cove Campground instead. One reason we changed our minds is because there is more hiking directly from the campground in Cades Cove, and we had read there is a lot of vehicle noise by Look Rock from Foothills Parkway.

Above: Abrams Creek across from campsite
Below: campsite 68 in Cades Cove Campground

Cades Cove Campground, campsite 68 and more

I had about six campsites as top choices in Cades Cove. Campsite 68 was on this list, although it was not near the top of the list. Some of the other sites on our list were 21, 42, 69, 70, and 79. Lucky for us, most of the other sites had been reserved by the time we could make our reservation (6 months in advance). After we got to the campground, we decided campsite 68 is one of the best sites in loop B! 😄

Above: view of campsite 68 from road in Cades Cove Campground
Below: looking toward campsite 69 from campsite 68 

Free Michigan Camping in Upper Peninsula: St Ignace Casino, Bond Falls, Sturgeon River National Park

May 2023, 9 nights

Kewadin Casino campground in St. Ignace, 2 nights, weekend

We had initially planned to camp at Hog Island State Forest Campground. The weather turned very cold and rainy the two nights we were in this area, so we decided we wanted a camping location with power instead of a primitive site. This camping area next to the casino has power, a dump station, and picnic tables (after it opens May 15th). We were there before the 15th, so no amenities were available except the electric. There was also no charge for our stay! 😊 The cost used to be $10 a night, and now the website says it is $20. We were able get a few tasks completed during this stay: there is a decent laundromat in town with free wifi, and we grocery shopped at Cedarville Foods after visiting Les Cheneaux Distillers. The grocery store had a decent selection with good prices for this rural area. You can find more info about the market and distillery by clicking on the "Cedarville" label at the bottom of this post.

The casino campsites are along the perimeter of the lower parking lot (some might complain that this is parking lot camping). Since we had lousy weather with no opportunity to be outside, and there were only a couple of other campers during our stay, this was not a problem. The wifi signal from the casino is not strong enough to use from the camping area.

Eagle in Brevort Lake National Forest Campground

Hog Island State Forest and Brevet Lake National Forest (neither of these are free)

We checked out these campgrounds after our casino stay on the way to our next destination. Hog Island did not appeal to us, and we were glad we had decided to stay at the casino. The sites are small, not very level or private, and some of them were wet with standing water. We would have stayed in Brevort Lake NF, except it was not open for the season yet. We walked through the park, and observed many spacious sites on the lake. 

Bond Falls campsite from road

Bond Falls west campground in Haight Township, 4 nights, site 20, weekdays and weekend

This was one of my favorite campgrounds during our 6-week trip. It is a primitive campground with only vault toilets and trash receptacles. There is an old hand water pump in the campground, which looked like it has not been working for awhile. Park information does not say that fresh water is available. Sites are all first come, first serve.

Bond Falls campsite

Carnival Elation 7 Day Eastern Caribbean Ports of Call: Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, Nassau

January 2023

We have been to all of these ports more than once prior to this trip. We did not book any excursions this time, and you can find more information about any of these ports by clicking on labels of interest at the bottom of this post.

 Carnival Elation in Grand Turk January 2023 

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos: 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM

You are supposed to have had COVID-19 vaccinations to disembark in Grand Turk. We received a letter the day before our arrival, saying that we needed to go to guest services to show our vaccination cards, if we wanted to go ashore. This information was then linked to our sail and sign cards that are scanned when disembarking. When we disembarked, people in the line next to ours were not being allowed off because they had not done this. This caused a brief holdup in that line while they were taken out of line to return to guest services or stay on the ship. Different passengers on shore told us they had not received the letter, and that they had not shown proof of their vaccination to anyone. They said they are vaccinated, so I am not sure if this had been taken care of by their travel agent, or another way, and they just did not recall it.

Carnival Elation in Grand Turk January 2023

Our experience in Grand Turk was peaceful, and we enjoyed it more than prior visits. We walked on the beach on both sides of the port, and not one person tried to rent us overpriced chairs or umbrellas. There is no charge to use lounge chairs at the cruise center or Margaritaville. You can find more information about this in my posts from February 2020 and 2022. The beach area to the right after you get ashore is less crowded; however, the swimming area on this side is also stonier, than the busier area on the left. You can read about the Junkanoo Party Bus, Rum Mixology & Beach shore excursion that we took last year in the February 2022 blog post.

Carnival Elation at Half Moon Cay January 2023

Hessel and Cedarville, Michigan: Kewadin casino campground, Les Cheneaux Distillery, and more

September 2022, 1-night, weekend

Kewadin casino campground in Hessel, Michigan

Kewadin casino campground in Hessel, Michigan

After camping in Mackinaw City with no facilities, we needed a place to recharge our camper and dump our holding tank. Although we are not huge gamblers, this seemed like one of the better options available for just a one night stay. We paid $20 for a campsite with electricity, and I see the rate on the Kewadin website now says $22. We joined the players club after we checked in, and each received $10 in free play.

Kewadin casino campground in Hessel, Michigan

This campground has vault toilets, and a sanitation station on-site. I am not sure why the website says the dump station is off-site. We were on the first campsite against the woods on the right, although I do not recall the campsite number. The only other people in the park the night of our stay were a few campers together in the center lots. Apparently, there are no rules about how to park campers because the campers in the center were not actually parked within their sites, and they had their fire in another fire pit, which was not on the campsite of any of the campers. 

Mackinaw Bay Nature Preserve in Cedarville, Michigan

Battle Creek, Augusta, and Galesburg, Michigan: Fort Custer Recreation Area, Biking, Breweries

May 2022, Weekend-weekdays, 4-nights

Campsite 23 in Fort Custer Recreation Area

Fort Custer Recreation Area, Campsite 23

We arrived at this campground from Waterloo State Recreation Area without having dumped our tank or filled with fresh water, since the sanitation station in that park is not near the campground we stayed in. Upon arrival at this park, we learned there had been a construction issue a few days before our arrival, and there was no water at the sanitation station. We were able to dump our tank with no rinsing, and then had to drive a mile back out to the ranger station to fill our water tank. It would have been nice, if the state had sent an email providing this info to incoming campers before arrival! I mean, they do send us many confirmation and reminder emails before arrival. 😳 In talking with the staff member at the check-in booth, we learned that the campground host would be delivering fresh water to campers that needed it later that evening. I was glad I had learned about this, and then observed the host delivering the water, because he did not stop at our site. He stopped to give a case of water to campers across the road from us, who already had water from the days before, and then prepared to exit on his cart. I walked up to talk with him, and then we received a case of water, as well. Nice that our state park provided this; sad that the campground host was not doing his job.

Campsite 23 in Fort Custer Recreation Area
Fire pit on the right in the bottom photo is on site 21

Most of the campsites in this campground are quite nice with shade and privacy trees. We made our reservation last minute, and site 23 is just an okay site, in my opinion. It is secluded on the two backsides, and open to the road and campsite 21. It is level, and the ground covering is mostly dirt. Fortunately, campsite 21 was not in use during our entire stay. Two different campers stayed for only one night each during our four-night stay.

 Whitford Lake picnic area in Fort Custer Recreation Area

Northwest Michigan Experiences: Hiking Nature Preserves, along with Beer, Wine, and Spirit Stops

 March 2021, Weekday - weekend

Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve

Hiking

We hiked a couple of new trails this trip: Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve in Arcadia, and Misty Acres Trail in Benzonia. 

Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve

Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve is an easy and beautiful boardwalk hike. The entire walk, out and back again, was just a little over 1½ miles. We parked in the parking area on M-22. There is also a parking area at the east end of the boardwalk on St. Pierre Rd. There are several benches and viewing platforms along the boardwalk. We observed signs showing three different types of trout in the waters, although we did not see anyone fishing. We saw swans, birds, and muskrats.

Misty Acres Trail

Misty Acres Trail is on the north side of N. Manistee County Line Road/M602 in Benzonia. This hike is a hard packed dirt trail, which is slightly hilly. Even so, it was still an easy hike of about ¾ of a mile. We caught a couple of small glimpses of Betsie River down the hill near the start of the loop portion of the trail. 

We passed many preserve and trail signs this trip: Green Point Dunes, Arcadia Dunes Nature Preserve, Upper Herring Lake Nature Preserve, and more. We missed hiking two trails where we had planned to stop because my husband and I both had extreme fatigue symptoms following our COVID-19 vaccination the day before this trip: Arcadia Dunes Baldy Trail in Arcadia, and Fruithaven Nature Preserve south of Frankfort. I had read that the Baldy Trail overlook has a great view of Lake Michigan. These are just a few of the many beautiful outside areas in Manistee and Benzie counties!

Pickle Chips at North Channel Brewing Co. 

Traverse City, Michigan: Visiting on a Budget!

January 2020, Weekday-weekend

Traverse City is not always an expensive place to visit, if you pick an off-peak date and watch for deals. We made most of our choices this trip based on discounts we found from places such as, the Visitors Center, WHATSUP, and the Michigan Brewvine Passport that we had purchased before our trip. The passport cost is $31 with tax and shipping, and there is often a passport BOGO purchase special around the holidays. The AAA rate at Hotel Indigo where we stayed, was less than $150 before taxes.

Pulled pork sandwich from Dickey's BBQ Pit in Traverse City

Dining

We had lunch one day at Dickey's Barbecue Pit because we had a coupon for BOGO pulled pork sandwich. We got the no-cost coupon from the local deals section on the AARP rewards site, and you do not need to be a member to join this site. This was probably not one of our better dining choices in Traverse City, although it was acceptable and inexpensive.

Breakfast at Green House Cafe in Traverse City

We were very pleased with our accidental breakfast choice at Green House Cafe. We had planned to have breakfast at Blue Heron with a coupon from the Visitor Center; however, this restaurant has closed. None of the restaurants we passed in town as we walked by looking for another breakfast place had menus posted, and we chose Green House Cafe totally by chance. We had been hoping to find a place that would not cost $10+ per person, and as luck would have it, Green House Cafe fit the bill! The food was delicious, and the cost for both meals was less than $10 total before tip.

Wolverine Flatbread at The Filling Station

We enjoyed a beer and a half-priced flatbread at The Filling Station--the discount came from the Michigan Brewvine Passport. The beer, service, and food were all excellent!

Beverages: breweries, wineries, distilleries, Happy Hour...

On Mission Peninsula, we visited Peninsula Cellars, Chateau Grand Traverse Winery, Bowers Harbor, and Jolly Pumpkin. The Brewvine Passport contains coupons for all of these locations. There was no charge for the tastings at any of the wineries we visited, and the Jolly Pumpkin coupons we used were for half off.

Jolly Pumpkin in Traverse City; Brewvine Passports on counter

Benzie County, Michigan: Betsie River Campground, Betsie Valley Trailway, Betsie River, dining, and more

September 2019, Weekend, 2-nights, Campsite 57

Water conditions in Frankfort the weekend of our stay.

Bestie River Campground reservations and check-in

We had hoped to take our boat to Frankfort and stay at Harbor Lights Resort Marina (details in one of my previous Frankfort posts); however, the boating forecast was not good, so we decided to camp instead. Just a couple of days before the weekend, we called, and were able to reserve the last available pull-through campsite at this park to accommodate our 5th wheel. The owner said that the sites along the perimeter against the woods are not large enough for us. I thought the cost was a tad steep; $37 a night for 30 amp with water hookup, and $35 for 20 amp with water. Friends of ours stayed here a couple of years ago, and told us the breaker kept blowing on their 30 amp site. We did not have that problem, although the campground website says the following for 20 amp sites: If ya try to run a toaster, hair dryer, coffee pot and microwave all at the same time while eating pop tarts and watching satelite TV...well ur gonna watch us flip breaker switches. If you can camp without all of the bells and whistles goin' at the same time you will be fine.

We paid one night's deposit when making the reservation, and the balance at check-in. We were allowed to check-in early, as there was no one on our campsite from the night before.

Campsite 57 at Betsie River Campground.

Betsie River Campground site 57

The pull through sites in this campground are set up to face each other (with alternating connection locations), and the fire rings can be placed wherever you want. There were at least six fire burn spots on our site. The alternating hookups are great, if you are camping with others; however, we had hoped for more privacy, since we were camping alone for the first time in several weeks.

Another view of campsite 57 at Betsie River Campground.

West Michigan Distillery and Winery Visits

September and October 2018

A shout-out for a couple of new locations we visited this fall!

18th Amendment Spirits Co.
Picture above fireplace

18th Amendment Spirits Co. in Muskegon, Michigan

This was our first visit to the craft distillery that opened in downtown Muskegon, Michigan in 2017. We only had beverages this visit. We self-seated at a tall bar table, and each tried something from the menu. The beverages were flavorful and good quality. I hope to visit again soon for dinner, because the photos they post on Facebook look amazing! 

18th Amendment Spirits Co.

Grand Rapids, Michigan / Lodging, Dining, Brewery, Meadery, Distillery, and more!

September 2018, Weekend, 1-night, 2 days

You can find more posts about the Grand Rapids area by clicking on labels at the bottom of this post. I am sharing a few brief details about new experiences here.

View from guestroom at JW Marriott Grand Rapids

JW Marriott, 2-Queen bed guestroom #1318, Gold status

This is the first  time we have stayed in a room with two queen beds, and it is also the first time I did not receive an automatic upgrade to the concierge floor at this hotel. I did receive an upgrade to a river view guestroom. I am not sure if three adults in the room had something to do with the concierge upgrade. After I inquired, the front desk agent said there were not any concierge floor rooms available with two queen beds; however, she would code our keys for access to the lounge. We were not in the hotel that evening, so we missed the concierge social hour. It was nice to have access in the morning for speciality coffee and continental breakfast. The only difference I could see between a king and queen guestroom is that the queen guestroom contained a chair and footstool instead of a chaise lounger. Both beds were super comfy, as usual!

2-queen bed guestroom at JW Marriott in Grand Rapids

My Marriott app has not been working properly since the Marriott-Starwood merger. Following is what happened this stay: After I checked in on the app, it was still saying I needed to check-in. Additionally, the guest information showing was incorrect after I checked in; it said 1 guest on the app, and 6 guests in my website confirmation. My reservation had been made for 3 guests, and the hotel confirmed it was correct on their end. When I arrived, I was told that it showed I had checked in. I did not receive a notification that my room was ready via the app, and I never received a bill after checkout. Usually, I receive a bill via email after checking out on the app. I had the same check-in and similar checkout app experience with a recent Marriott Courtyard stay.

Hog Heaven pizza at Mitten Brewing Company

Northern Michigan Dining, Breweries, Wineries, Happy Hour, and more!

August 2018

We visited Suttons Bay and Traverse City two different times in August (7 nights total). This post covers some new beverage and dining venues we discovered. I will have separate posts about recreation and other topics. We learned about some of these places from the Visitors Centers, and some from What's Up Michigan's website. I am not sure how well the What's Up Michigan site is maintained, as I also found several expired or invalid links within their site. Make sure to check dates when looking for information.

Blue Tractor Slider for $3 ~ delicious!

Dining and specials

We visited Blue Tractor Barbecue in Traverse City because we had a coupon for a free slider. We were surprised when we arrived and saw this is a restaurant/bar. For some reason, we had expected a food truck. We also ordered a Bloody Mary, and learned when we received the bill, that Bloody Marys are on special for only $1.50 on Sundays!

Blue Tractor menu

The slider was amazing, and the regular cost is only $3. We had planned to stop again during our second visit to the area; my husband wanted another BBQ, and I wanted to try the Tractor Salad. Unfortunately, things did not work out for us. The service was excellent, as well. We thought Blue Tractor Barbecue was an excellent find, definitely worth visiting again.