Marquette, Michigan: Tourist Park Campground, Biking, Hiking, Breweries

 September 2022, Weekdays, 3 nights

Beach and sunset at Marquette Tourist Park Campground

Marquette Tourist Park Campground, Campsite 77

I attempted to make an advance reservation online; however, the website for this campground is not user friendly, and it did not work properly. Apparently, I am not the only one who has had trouble with the reservation system, as I read complaints about the process from others when I researched this campground. Fortunately, I was able to reach someone in the office who was helpful with adjusting our reservation after it did not process as expected.

Marquette Tourist Park Campground
View from inside our camper on campsite 77, looking toward campsite 75 

Campsite 79 is a secluded site along the back tree line with electrical hookup. Most of the waterfront sites were already reserved when we made our reservation. During our stay, we were glad we had not chosen a non-secluded waterfront site, as it was quite windy and cool, and the wind was stronger at the sites closer to the water. Campsite 13 on the water had looked like a good site online; however, when we looked at it during our stay, it did not look like it would have been a good site for our trailer. It is not very level, and the camper sitting side would not have been facing the water. This is probably a great site for people with a truck camper or tent.

Beach area in Marquette Tourist Park Campground

This campground is located on the Dead River basin. It has a sandy beach with swimming area, and there are kayaks for rent inside the park. The paved bicycle trail alongside the park (Marquette City Multi Use Path) is well maintained and connects to Iron Ore Heritage Trail. 

Presque Isle Park in Marquette, Michigan

It was an easy bike ride of about 2 miles one-way to Presque Isle Park. There are a couple of stopping points along the way, and the Presque Isle Bog walk is located just before the park entrance. Inside the park, there are hiking trails along the water and rocks, and there are hilly trails through the woods in the center of the park. Most visitors just stopped along the loop drive to explore the areas along the water and close to the road. We passed only one other hiker on the hilly inside loop trail. It was easy to hike all of the trails, other than a few steps or mild hills for the interior portion.

Lafayette, Indiana: Homewood Suites

September 2022, weekdays, 3 nights, building 3, king 1-bedroom 335 

Sunrise from guestroom 335 in Homewood Suites in Lafayette, Indiana

Check-in and arrival

This hotel has three buildings. I prefer top floor guestrooms, so I chose floor 3 in building 3 when I checked in on the app. You can, however, have a top floor guestroom on the second floor in buildings 1 and 2. Buildings 1 and 2 are closer to the lodge, and the three buildings are not connected. In hindsight, I wish I had taken a bit more time to look at the hotel building layout.

Guestroom diagram in guestroom 335 in Homewood Suites in Lafayette, Indiana

Building 3, king 1-bedroom 335

This guestroom is a corner room, and the view faces east. There were screens in the windows, which could be partially opened. We were glad to be able to open the windows, as the room had a strong perfume odor when we arrived. We had our room cleaned once during our stay, and fortunately, the scent was not present when we returned that day.

Guestroom 335 in Homewood Suites in Lafayette, Indiana

Troy, Ohio: Holiday Inn Express, Greenville Falls, Moeller Brew Barn

August 2022, weekdays, 2-nights

View from guestroom 333 in Holiday Inn Express Troy, Ohio

Holiday Inn Express, king guestroom 333

This is an extended guestroom near the center of the hall, overlooking the hotel entrance. 

King guestroom 333 in Holiday Inn Express Troy, Ohio

The guestroom was comfortable, spacious, and clean. 

King guestroom 333 in Holiday Inn Express Troy, Ohio

Magnolia, Arkansas: Holiday Inn Express-Lake Columbia, area and dining

August 2022, weekdays, 2-nights

Sunrise from guestroom 304 in Holiday Inn Express in Magnolia, Arkansas

Holiday Inn Express, king extended guestroom 304

Guestroom 304 is on the top floor near the end of the hall. The bed was comfy with good quality pillows and bedding.

Guestroom 304 in Holiday Inn Express in Magnolia, Arkansas

The guestroom was spacious, comfortable, and clean. 

Guestroom 304 in Holiday Inn Express in Magnolia, Arkansas

The beverage center contained a microwave, K-cup machine with supplies, and a good size fridge. The well-lit bathroom contained a long vanity and bath amenities.

Shawnee National Forest: Cabins, Garden of the Gods, Rim Rock Trail, Pounds Hollow Recreation Area

August 2022, Weekend, 2-nights

Shawnee Forest Cabin #2
Amazing view from the hot tub!

Shawnee Forest Cabins, two-night stay in cabin #2

When reserving a cabin at Shawnee Forest Cabins, you need to pay 50% down, and the balance is due two weeks before the stay. We wanted to make sure we were going to be able to visit before we made our reservation, and the only cabin available when we made our reservation was cabin #2. This is a great place to stay; however, I would not suggest this cabin, if you have another choice. This is the least private cabin, and the yard is the sunniest. We did not use our picnic table because of the heat from the sun and the lack of privacy. If you have never been here before, it is difficult to discern how the cabins are laid out. I have included a labeled screenshot above from google maps to assist with planning. The cabin numbers are located on the front of each building, and are visible when you get directly in front of each one.

Shawnee Forest Cabin #2

The view from the hot tub was amazing, and many things were provided with the rental: towels and amenities for bathing, kitchen supplies, charcoal grill, and firewood. We brought charcoal, starter, and a lighter (a lighter is one thing we were surprised not to see provided) to use with the charcoal grill. We also brought coffee to use with the provided coffee pot. Although dish soap had been provided, there was no kitchen cloth or towel when we arrived. We received an email to check on us the first morning, and when I answered that, I mentioned that I was surprised we did not have kitchen cloths. These were apparently supposed to have been provided, as someone brought me the supplies within an hour.

Shawnee Forest Cabin #2
Bottom photo shows cabin 2 fire pit and table, and cabin 1 beyond

Cadillac, Michigan: State Park, Dining, Brewery

June 2022, 2 nights, weekdays

Views from campsite 36 in William Mitchell State Park in Cadillac
Tent above is on campsite 40

William Mitchell State Park, Campsite 36

We have stayed in this campground many times before, and you can find more park details in my previous posts by typing the park name in the search box, or clicking on one of the labels at the bottom of this post. We made our reservation last minute, and initially booked campsite 11, as there were not many sites left. When we arrived, we asked about open sites, drove through the park, and then changed to campsite 36. We had a decent view of the lake our first evening, as there was only one campsite taken between us and the lake. 

Campsites 38 (tent on left) and 36 in William Mitchell State Park in Cadillac

Atlanta, Michigan: Clear Lake

 June 2022,  3-nights, weekdays, campsite 164

View of Clear Lake from the trail behind campsite 164 in state campground

Reservations and arrival

This was our first visit to this campground, and we had a difficult time deciding between the lower and upper campground. We ended up choosing a site in the upper campground, and would definitely choose that area again. The lower campground is closer to the water and beach; however, we decided that area would be busier and less private. There was not too much activity during our stay mid-week, although reviews I have read online do indicate that there is more activity in the lower campground on weekends.

Arrival and check-in was super easy. The only thing out of the ordinary was that we were given a paper about ATV rules, as there are many ORV trails near this campground.

Clear Lake State Park campsite 164
Below: view of campsite 166 through side window

Campsites

We thought our campsite, 164 in the upper campground, was one of the best in the park. It is secluded on all sides, and it was easy to walk down the short path to the water where we tied up our inflatable boat. Initially, we had thought the lower campground sites would be closer to the water for this; however, they are actually not significantly closer.

Clear Lake State Park campsite 164
Above: trail to lake from campsite

There is a trail next to campsite 164, and behind it; however, there are plants between the trails and the campsite, so it is still partially secluded from walkers.