Kincheloe, Michigan: Kinross Charter Township RV Park in the Upper Peninsula

October 2024, two nights, weekdays

Arrival 

This township has two RV Parks; east and west. We had thought we would stay in the west section near the fairgrounds, as that area is a bit more like a campground; however, the water had already been turned off for the season in that section. We arrived from the west, so continuing 2½ more miles to the east campground was not a problem. A host trailer was on site in the east park near the registration area; however, we did not see the host at any time during our stay. We chose a site, and then registered and paid via envelopes provided at the self-registration kiosk.

Above: sunset from inside camper in East Kinross Township RV Park
Below: map overview of East Kinross Township RV Park

Campsite 12

I did not take any campsite photos, so I am including a marked photo above from google maps to show the campground. We were on the campsite circled in red.

All of the sites in the east campground are full hookup. Our campsite had a level concrete pad. There were not many campers in October, so the fact that the sites are open was not an issue. There is plenty of room between neighbors behind each site.

Petoskey, Michigan: Stafford's Perry Hotel, downtown, shopping, winery, brewery

March 2024, weekday, one night

We had a wonderful stay in Stafford's Perry Hotel in 2021, so we decided to book the spring getaway package for this stay. The weeknight Classic King room rate of $159 included: a $25 breakfast voucher, $40 in Noggin Bucks, and $50 in downtown shopping dollars. We thought this was a fabulous rate!

Views from guestroom 426 in Stafford's Perry Hotel

Stafford's Perry Hotel classic king guestroom #426

This guestroom is located on the top floor in the northwest corner of the hotel. We had a partial view of downtown and of the bay. Although it was not as spacious as the bay view guestroom we had in 2021, and it did not have a balcony, this was still a great room. It was clean, and we appreciated the views. 

Guestroom 426 in Stafford's Perry Hotel in Petoskey, Michigan

The comfortable bed was topped with good quality sheets and pillows. The room was well soundproofed, and the sleep quality was excellent.

Guestroom diagram on back of door in guestroom 426 in Stafford's Perry Hotel
Below: entrance to library across the hall from guestroom 426

Ports of Call from Carnival Venezia: Princess Cays, Grand Turk, Amber Cove, San Juan, Miami, Nassau, Freeport

January and February 2024

Princess Cays on Carnival Venezia January 2024

Princess Cays, Bahamas: January 8AM - 4PM

Princess Cays is a tender port, and we received a printed paper with tender instructions the night before. The paper actually contained information about priority tender boarding for passengers with excursions. I presume they just used the same notice for platinum and diamond guests, too. After breakfast, we walked to the showroom boarding area, where boarding was already in process. We arrived on the island before 9AM.

Princess Cays January 2024

We walked to the right after getting off the tender boat, as we had heard this area is less crowded than the main side. It was definitely less crowded. In fact, we decided not to have lunch on the island after we saw how crowded and busy the main area was later in the day. The lines for lunch looked like utter chaos. Some in our group stayed; however, my husband and I returned to the ship.

Princess Cays January 2024 from the less visited side of the island

This was our first visit to Princess Cays. The water is beautiful; however, the island and beach area is much smaller than Half Moon Cay. If you just want to enjoy the beach and water, there are plenty of lounge chairs available on both sides of the port dock.

View from our pool chairs at Margaritaville in Grand Turk

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos: 11AM - 6PM

We have been to Grand Turk several times, and you can find more information about this port by clicking on the label at the bottom of the post. We have previously done beach days at this port, as well as the Junkanoo Party Bus, Rum Mixology & Beach shore excursion. This time, we decided to just have margaritas at Margaritaville. 

Carnival Venezia at Amber Cove January 2024
Below: Amber Cove pricing - visible if you click on it to enlarge

San Antonio, Texas: Hampton Inn & Suites Riverwalk, Dining, Attractions

October 2023, weekdays, two nights, king suite 727

Reservations, arrival, diamond perks

I had two reservations for this stay, because one night was a paid stay, and the other night was a points redemption. The same guestroom type was not available both nights, so I had to reserve two different room types. I wanted to reserve a [king] balcony room; however, since a balcony room was not available, I reserved a Jr. suite with a king bed, and a Queen double. I called the hotel a few days ahead of time to make sure the stays were linked together, and to check the availability of a balcony guestroom. Although there were no balcony guestrooms available, the agent told me she could assign us the same Jr. suite for both nights, so we would not need to change rooms. She said this would probably be on floor 3. 

Hampton Inn San Antonio Riverwalk guestroom diagram;
star is location of guestroom 727

When I checked in on the app the next day, the only available guestroom choices were as the agent had stated; guestrooms 320 and 321. On floor 3, guestroom 320 overlooks the roof of the building next door, and 321 sets back in the building corner. I chose guestroom 320 to complete the check-in process. We had to go to the front desk when we arrived to complete check-in, because we needed an elevator key. The agent did not say anything about my guestroom location or type, although she did say something about it being the room I had chosen when I checked in on the app. Imagine my delight when she handed me a key for guestroom 727! We had been upgraded to a one-bedroom suite in a much better location. I also received bottled water and snacks.

Hampton Inn and Home2Suites San Antonio Riverwalk
Above, view from Hampton Inn guestroom 727 

I had a difficult time choosing a hotel and guestroom, so I am sharing a couple photos of the hotel and guestroom diagrams with labeled details. The Hampton Inn is located in the same building as Home2Suites. I originally chose Home2Suites, because we like the roominess and full kitchen that brand offers; however, I changed to the Hampton Inn, because it did not look like the Home2Suites guestrooms had balconies. Both hotels do have balcony rooms, although there are more balcony guestrooms in the Hampton Inn, and these rooms are also closer to the river.

King one-bedroom suite #727 in Hampton Inn San Antonio Riverwalk

Carnival Paradise 5-day Western Caribbean Ports of call: Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras and Cozumel, Mexico

 January 2023

This is a brief post, as I have already shared information for both of these ports in several previous posts. I am sharing some new information here, and you can click on the links at the bottom of this post to find more details about areas you are interested in.

Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan from Carnival Paradise

Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

We had a casual day at this port; we walked to the port beach after lunch for a few hours. We were the only ship in port, so there were plenty of loungers available in the shade without having to rent an umbrella. Wifi is available for the day for $5. You can purchase with cash at a booth, or online with a credit card. I suggest purchasing with cash, as the credit card purchases were not working correctly. After I agreed to the terms and payment, the page reloaded and told me to pay $5 [again]. When I went to the booth to get this corrected, I waited behind another passenger being helped who had had the same trouble. The staff member got her account signed in, and then she fixed mine. If you purchase wifi at the booth, you are given a one-time access code to sign in with (which is pretty much what the staff member did after confirming we had actually made the purchase). Local beers were available at the bars for $5. Wine and mixed drinks were available too; however, I do not know the cost, since we did not purchase any. We have previously gone on the Tabyana Beach shore excursion at this port, which I recommend, if you are looking to get away from the ship dock. 

Iguana in the Cozumel port shopping area

Activities in Jekyll Island, Georgia

January 2023, weekdays, Tuesday - Friday

Views from observation platform at information center
Bridge in distance in bottom photo is the bridge to Brunswick

I discovered this island purely by accident while researching another area nearby. We visited during off-season, so our experience is likely different than during busy times. Overall, we had a great visit, and I am sure we will visit again. The information center at the island entrance is more of a gift shop than a place for information. We were unable to get trail maps, or any better maps than the ones shown online. If you want printed maps, I suggest printing the online maps before arrival. There is a nice observation platform beside the information center, and there are restrooms inside the building. As I mentioned in my previous post, there is an $8 entrance fee to drive out to the island. I assume the entrance fee does not apply to bikers and walkers, as the only fees listed at the gate are for vehicles. We observed many people on bikes every time we arrived or departed the island.

Jekyll Island trails and signs on south portion of island

South Jekyll Island hiking, biking, beaches

The main island roads (Riverview Dr. and Beachview Dr.) go pretty much around the perimeter of the entire island. There are hiking trails in the center of the island between the roads. We stayed at Hampton Inn & Suites, and spent two days hiking the south portions directly from the hotel. 

St. Andrews Beach Park entrance and Wanderer Memory Trail

Howell, Michigan: Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Breweries

 March 2022, 1 night, Friday-Saturday, king whirlpool suite 322?

Reservations, platinum perks, check-in

I do not remember our guestroom number for sure, and I do not have a bill to check it because we used points for this stay. We made the reservation online the day before our stay using only 17,600 points. I previously stayed in this hotel 10 years ago in January 2012. 

Before we arrived, I noticed on the IHG app that our room had been upgraded to a whirlpool suite. The agent also informed me of this during check-in. She provided efficient and professional assistance.

Howell, Michigan Holiday Inn Express whirlpool fireplace suite

King whirlpool suite

This spacious guestroom is located on the top floor next to the elevator. We did not hear any noise from the elevators during our stay. There is a large window in the bedroom and in the living room. Both windows could be opened a few inches, and they both faced toward Tanger Outlet Mall and the expressway.

Howell, Michigan Holiday Inn Express whirlpool fireplace suite

Birch Run, Michigan: Best Western Plus of Birch Run/Frankenmuth

January 2022, weekday, 1-night 

I do not typically stay in Best Western hotels, and after this stay, I am even more convinced to avoid them. Last year, I traveled to a remote city for work. My lodging choices were either Best Western in the area, or I would need to add about two hours drive time to each day, if I wanted to stay in a Hampton Inn or SpringHill Suites (I also checked all the local hotels, including Bed & Breakfasts, Airbnb, etc.). I decided to see if I could get a status match at Best Western, and then I chose that hotel. With the status match and promotions Best Western had last year, I ended up with $75 in lodging credits to use before the end of March 2022. We had a few days with no plans after Christmas, so I looked at all the Best Western hotels in Michigan, to try and see which one looked best. Unfortunately, this hotel turned out to be a poor choice.

Diamond perks and check-in

The front desk agent asked if I wanted a ground floor room, or the top floor. I told her top floor. I had written top floor in my reservation requests, and I assume she had not read that. She said there is no elevator, and we said that was okay. She said something about depositing my 500 points, although she did not actually recognize my status, and she did not offer bottled water. The front desk area smelled musty damp, and I hoped our guestroom would not smell like the check-in area. 

Whirlpool suite 5 in Best Western in Birch Run, Michigan 

King whirlpool suite 5 in Best Western Plus

This guestroom is across the outside drive from the lobby and check-in desk. The employee had said she was putting us in the "tower building," which did not sound like a bad thing. The guestroom was awful, and I would never stay in this hotel again. It was after dark when we arrived, and the room lighting was extremely dim, so everything was not evident when we first arrived. The photo above was taken with every working light in the room turned on. The bed sheets looked clean, the room did not have an odor like the lobby, and it had been snowing a lot, so we settled in to make the best of it.

The bed comfort was okay; however, every pillow on the bed belonged in the trash. I have never slept with such lumpy old pillows in any hotel room--ever. The cover on the bed was thin, and not warm enough for cold winter nights.

Bathroom in whirlpool suite 5 in Best Western in Birch Run, Michigan 

The bathroom was spacious. The toilet is located behind the door on the left. It took a long time for the shower water to get hot, and there were hairs in the shower stall (not observed until the next day). Soap, shampoo, and conditioner were provided.

Whirlpool suite 5 in Best Western in Birch Run, Michigan 

The fireplace did not work well. It made an extreme amount of noise, and it did not give off any heat. The ratty looking chairs in front of the fireplace were okay comfort wise. It was extremely dark where the chairs are located, as well as above the tub.

Desk chair in whirlpool suite 5 in Best Western in Birch Run, Michigan 

Grand Rapids, Michigan: Downtown Dining, Breweries, Happy Hour

December 2021 4-days

Bloody Mary special at Slows Bar-B-Q downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan

We visited Grand Rapids Downtown Market a couple of times this week. The market is less than half a mile from Canopy by Hilton, where we stayed for two nights. Local foods for sale included things like bakery items, seasonings, cheeses, meats, beverages, and more. The market opens at 11 AM, and was fairly busy both days we visited. Although all of the food looked amazing, we did not make any purchases in the market. We had Bloody Mary specials ($6 each!) at Slows Bar-B-Q in the market during one visit. The beverages were made with their own mix, which, unfortunately is not bottled for sale. Slows Bar-B-Q opens at noon.

East West Brewing Company in Eastown Grand Rapids, Michigan
Vegetable Pakoras and beers (below) from East West Brewing Company

We visited Elk Brewing Company (opens 2PM) and East West Brewing Company (opens 3PM) in eastown. This is an easy 4-mile walk roundtrip from Canopy by Hilton, if you do not mind walking. If you prefer public transportation, The Rapid has a couple of stops close to both breweries. Elk Brewing Company is listed in the HopPassport. This brewery honored the half price discount on tier 1 and 2 beers. East West is in The Reel Craft Pass, and they honored the discount on any draft beer. Their food is delicious, although we thought the beers were a bit odd.

Both foods from New Holland Brewing - The Knickerbocker

Michigan Tri-Cities Area: Saginaw, Frankenmuth, Bay City, Midland

 March 2021, Weekday and Weekend days

Covered bridge in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Recreation: hiking, bicycle trails, etc.

We loved all the hiking and biking trails in the towns we visited! We were disappointed we missed a few, which we will try to visit next time.  😊

Gunzenhausen Street Walkway in Frankenmuth looking south.
Holiday Inn Express straight ahead on the right.

In Frankenmuth, we walked through River Place Shops, over the covered bridge, along Cass River (Gunzenhausen Street Walkway, and the area north of the bridges), and to Frankenmuth Brewery. All of the walkways are paved, and beautifully landscaped. Some of the concrete and landscaping was brand new.

You can cross the river in three spots: the covered bridge, the pedestrian bridge next to Main Street, and there is a walkway alongside the road on Main Street.  

Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Riverwalk Trail is located in Heritage Park north of Bavarian Inn Lodge. We did not walk this trail because it was windy and cold out, and we did not realize until later, that we could have gotten to the park by walking through the Bavarian Inn parking lot and then out to the sidewalk. This would have been an easy addition to the route we took, if we had known. 

White peacock in front of Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Be sure to stop and see the peacocks and doves on the grounds of Bavarian Inn Lodge near the covered bridge!

Bavarian Belle Riverboat area, and River Place Shops
in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

We enjoyed a peaceful and scenic walk through River Place Shops, as the stores were still closed when we walked through the area in the morning.

Woodland Trail map in Saginaw, Michigan. 

In Saginaw, we hiked Woodland Trail [nature area]. I could not find a trail map online before our visit, so I have included a photo of the map that is in the parking lot. I suggest printing this, or taking a photo when you arrive, as the trails are not well marked. There were signs at the beginning of the trail where River Trail splits off; however, we did not see any signs when we rejoined Woodland Trail from the river.

Tittabawassee River from River Trail in Saginaw, Michigan.