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.

Grayling, Michigan: Lake Margrethe State Forest Campground, Hanson Hills Recreation Area, Local Breweries

May 2022, 3 nights, weekdays-weekend

Picnic/beach area from road in Lake Margrethe State Forest Campground

Arrival at Lake Margrethe State Forest Campground, campsite 5

This campground is about 1½ miles off M-72 west of Grayling. The picnic and beach area is located across from the check-in spot before the campsites.

Campground map of Lake Margrethe State Forest Campground

The campground has three loops. If this is your first visit, I suggest stopping at the check-in board to view the map (photo above) to see how the park is laid out, because there are no sign posts with lot numbers or info at the drives in. The only signs at the campsite loop entrances and exits are one-way signs. This was our first visit, and fortunately, our instincts took us to the last loop in, and the first waterfront site was vacant.

Campsite 5 in Lake Margrethe State Forest Campground

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

Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Brecksville, Ohio

May 2022, Weekend and weekday

This park is along the route we took to West Virginia with easy access from I-80. We had initially planned to stop on only one day; however, our plans changed due to construction at the falls. Our original plan was to visit Boston Mill Visitor Center and Brandywine Falls by car, and then hike Ledges Trail on the way to our nearby hotel. When we arrived, we learned the parking lot at Brandywine Falls was under construction, and that the only way to get to the falls was a 5-mile hike (roundtrip). We did not have enough time to hike both areas, so we hiked Ledges Trail the first day, and then stopped again on our return to hike to the falls.

Cuyahoga River behind Boston Mill Visitor Center

Boston Mill Visitor Center

The visitor center was open when we stopped on Sunday afternoon; however, it was not open when we stopped in the afternoon on a weekday. It was fully staffed on Sunday, and employees were very helpful. There is no charge to enter the visitor center, or to hike the trails.

Ledges Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Ledges Trail

It is quite easy to hike this entire trail, although many people walked to just the main viewing spots. It is a beautiful hike. The entire loop was less than 3 miles.

Ledges Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Overlook near picnic area below