travel usa in a van
On my way to Joshua Tree National Park, I stopped to visit a brother who lives in Phoenix. It just so happened that my son was in Scottsdale for a company Christmas party (2019) and the three of us were able to meet up. We had a good time.
Pics from the visit:
Off to Joshua Tree!
Situated between Flagstaff and Phoenix off of I-17, Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well are two parts of the same National Monument, about 11 miles apart. If your travel time allows, these are well worth a visit.
Montezuma Castle:
Montezuma Castle is an excellent example of a pueblo built into a cliff alcove by the Southern Sinagua farmers. It was built between 1100 to 1300 a.d. The cliff dwelling sits 100 feet above the valley floor and has 5 stories with 45 to 60 rooms.
The Southern Sinagua left the area around 1425 and migrated elsewhere as did many other cultures around this same time period. American settlers assumed (incorrectly) it was Aztec in origin and named it Montezuma Castle. The monument was established in 1906 and tourists were allowed access until 1951. A visitor center and short (1/3 mile) walking trail are available.
Montezuma Well:
One can only imagine the joy of discovering a lake and lush vegetation in the middle of a desert. The lake is fed by springs which continuously supply fresh water. Water from the lake was used by the Southern Sinagua to irrigate crops. One can still see the traces of the irrigation ditches. A 1/2 mile loop trail allows access to the area.
It is believed that 100 to 150 people lived in the surrounding area. In the above picture, you can see a pit house at the back of the lake.
A closer view of the pit house:
Gordy and I entered the USA through Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. Our plans called for spending three nights in Michigan before arriving at Gordy’s house in Ohio. We had no reservations and were playing things as they came.
Sault Sainte Marie :
Sault Saint Marie is the oldest city in Michigan. The city sits on the St. Marys River which joins two of the great lakes (Superior and Huron). The river has a 21 foot drop between the two lakes and this created some pretty bad rapids for any boat travel. At first, travelers would portage from lake to lake. Then, in 1855, a series of locks were built to allow continuous passage between lakes. In due time, the locks were updated for modern shipping and are now the busiest locks in the world.
We stopped to take a look at the locks and to set plans for Michigan. Our planning took place at Soo Brewing Company.
Wilderness State Park:
While driving through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we chose Wilderness State Park (from a map) as our first stop. After crossing the Mackinac Bridge, we headed to the park. The park is located on Lake Michigan, just west of the city of Mackinac. One can imagine the strategic importance of Mackinac back in the day, providing control of water movement from one great lake onto the next. Lot’s of back and forth between nations took place here.
The bridge is 5 miles long and is the world’s fifth longest suspension bridge in the world, pretty impressive. The bridge crosses the Straights of Mackinac (narrow waterway connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron) and connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. The birdge opened to traffic in 1957.
Upon arrival at Wilderness State Park, we were immediately impressed with the location, setting and park services. Given it was mid-September, we were able to grab a spot that fronted Lake Michigan. This is a park where I say “Just Go!”
To curb our appetite and thirst, we headed to Biere De Mac Brew Works. We found really great food and brews.
Traverse City
Gordy had never been to Traverse City, so we decided that was our next destination. Traverse City started from a Lumber Mill in the 1850’s and is now a year round destination for outdoor activities.
Just outside of Traverse City, we stopped at Short’s Brewing Company to get the lay of the land.
We then drove into downtown Traverse City and stopped at Workshop Brewing.
I had parked on the street near the brewery in what I thought was a legal parking spot. A traffic enforcement officer was moving from vehicle to vehicle, writing tickets. When she stopped at mine, I quickly approached and politely asked if I was parked illegally and she noted that I was. I mentioned that I must have missed the no parking sign and she pointed out that the sign was at the beginning of the street. I asked if I could move to a legal spot and she said sure. She then pointed to a city parking lot and said that given it was a Friday, anyone could park in the lot through the weekend if wanted. I thanked her and moved the van two blocks to its new home.
Given the green light for parking the van, we now had a place to camp for the night. As such, we decided to explore the downtown.
When we headed to the city parking lot for the night, the van was the only vehicle in the lot. The next morning, I got up and was wondering to myself where I could get some coffee and breakfast. Gordy was still sleeping and I thought I would surprise him by bringing some back.
When I opened the van door, I was in for a complete surprise coming from many different directions. It turns out that the city park area next to the parking lot is used for a farmers market on Saturday mornings. The lot was completely packed in with vehicles. We were surrounded! A pretty sound sleep, I guess!
Now the really great surprise was the food truck parked at one end of the parking lot. Breakfast burritos and coffee with very few steps.
Gordy and I had a good laugh over breakfast!
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park:
Our next stop was Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. This is another “Just Go“. What a beautiful area. The park sits of a 35 mile stretch of Lake Michigan coastline and also includes the North and South Manitou Islands.
We only gave the park a drive through. A person could easily spend a week or more. We stopped at the Maritime Museum which highlights history of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, U.S. Coast Guard, and Great Lakes shipping.
The 7.4 mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Loop Drive is a must, as the pics highlight. Many people were cycling the loop.
Lake Michigan Recreation Area:
From Sleeping Bear, we drove to Lake Michigan Recreation Area. A stop here for the night brought back memories. Gordy and I use to take our kids here when they were young and we would just turn them loose.
Lake Michigan Recreation Area is located on the Lake Michigan shoreline between Manistee and Ludington. The area has multiple campgrounds with easy access to beaches and sand dunes.
We stopped in Manistee for a brew and then set up camp for the night.
The next morning we were off to Ohio and then Colorado for me.
After leaving Montreal, Gordy and I headed for Algonquin and Killarney Provincial Parks in Ontario.
ALGONQUIN PROVINCIAL PARK
Algonquin is Ontario’s oldest provincial park. It is loaded with forests, bogs, lakes and rivers. There are really two Algonquin parks, the developed part and the backcountry. Given our short visit, Gordy and I spent time in the developed part along the Highway 60 Corridor.
It would be great to see the park via the backcountry sometime. The backcountry has over 1,200 miles of canoe routes, ranger cabins for rent, and 2,000 campsites. You can do portage and / or non-portage experiences.
We camped at Lake of Two Rivers Campground. We arrived late afternoon and spent the first night setting up and hanging around camp. The next day (rainy) we checked out the Logging Museum and Visitor Center. The third day we spent canoeing on the lake. Given the time of year (mid-September), the park was not crowded.
Logging Museum – The museum reception building has a theater which plays an excellent video regarding the significance of logging in Algonquin. Outside is a walking tour with life size exhibits. This include a reconstructed logging camp and also an understanding of the complete process of cutting and squaring the logs, hauling the timber down frozen lakes and driving them down flooded spring rivers to the Ottawa river. One stop on the tour is The William M which is a surviving example of a steam-powered warping tug that was used to winch giant log booms across lakes.
Campground and Lake:
We really liked the Lake of Two Rivers Campground. As it was later in the season, there were very few campers. The lake abuts the campground. You can call private outfitters and they will drop canoes for your use. We spent one day on the lake and had a great time.
There is a 10 mile bike trail the follows the bed of the historic Ottawa, Armprior, & Parry Sound Railway. The trail stretches from Rock Lake to near Cache Lake and is accessible from the Lake of Two Rivers. It would be fun to try this some time.
The last night at the campground we celebrated the eve of my birthday. The evening started like this:
And ended like this:
Killarney Provincial Park:
The next morning we were up early and off to Killarney Provincial Park. The park is located on Georgian Bay which is at the northeastern tip of Lake Huron. The park offers year round activities for everyone, hikers, bikers, water crafters, cross country skiers and so forth. Like Algonquin, the park offers canoe-in backcountry experiences. A person could spend weeks in this park.
The park straddles the La Colche range, large rounded white quartzite hills that dominate the landscape. The white peaks and cliffs contrast with the pine and hardwood forests and the boggy lowlands that surround the park’s many lakes.
We only stayed at the park for one night and used our time to check out the quartzite hills from Lake George. Our plan was to take turns using my inflatable watercraft. However, luck came our way and our camping neighbors offered their sea kayaks for our use.
The next morning, we headed into the Village of Killarney for breakfast before heading to Michigan via Sault Ste Marie.
And now headed back to the USA after close to 3 months in Canada. My journey through eastern / central Canada was outstanding. So much to see and such great people!!
vantravelusa2 