We’ve been to Michigan several times in the past six years – mostly staying at Thousand Trails Bear Cave in Buchanan. On our first visit, we had a star-crossed sighting and met YouTubers Less Junk More Journey and Finding Our Someday. Over the years, we’ve made FABULOUS friends there – Dennis and Mickey, Joe and Sharon – and our trips have often overlapped with WONDERFUL friends we met elsewhere, like Kelli and Bobby and YouTuber Liz Amazing.

Knowing that we needed to go through Michigan again as we headed toward Minnesota, I wanted to experience a different area, so this time we are on the eastern side of the state at Thousand Trails St. Clair.

The one downside: this RV park is literally right on the highway. At the pool, you can see traffic rushing by through the trees. And the traffic noise can be loud at times. Luckily, the warm, humid weather meant our A/C ran often enough to drown out most of the noise.

The upsides are more abundant: The staff is friendly, and they have popular weekend activities. St. Clair River is just a few miles away, with a town park and boardwalk along the riverfront where freighters glide past. Ontario, Canada is on the other side of the River. The town of Port Huron and Lake Huron are just up the road. A well-maintained but inexpensive golf course is in Marysville. And we found a lovely Rails-to-Trails bike trail that runs between Avoca and Port Huron.

We stayed here a couple of weeks, catching up on computer work and cleaning, and slowing down a little. Carl loved the golf course and played three separate times, meeting and playing alongside locals as well as travelers. I finalized a few work projects and caught up on blog posts. It has been a much-needed respite.

Other than Carl’s golf playing, we have had a few highlights. We motorbiked down to the river and walked along the boardwalk. On Carl’s birthday, we took a scenic cruise out of Port Huron that went down the river and up into Lake Huron, going under the bridge that crosses into Ontario. On my birthday, we drove to Avoca and rode on the Wadhams to Avoca bike trail, traversing over a restored railroad trestle. And we dined on the covered deck of Junction Buoy overlooking the St. Clair River.

Despite the traffic noise, we would both come back to this location. We enjoy being on the water and exploring areas on our bikes. Because of the weather, we did not have a chance to kayak on the river or Lake Huron, and we wouldn’t mind exploring more of the surrounding area.

Yes… Michigan has unexpected spots that are both fun and restful. And it is a great place to meet new, lifelong friends!