Michigan Miscellaneous

I left the fishing derby at Republic, MI and traveled northeast to the Kewadin Casino in Christmas, MI where I had stayed last year and where the Tribe provides RV'rs with free electric hookups in the casino parking lot.  I got there in time to snag the last of about 10 hookups, and then went into the casino to try my luck.

Not much to write home about "casino camping"...but it's free!

I pretty much broke even at that casino, certainly not my usual result but every so often I get up and leave when I'm still ahead.  The weather along the shore of Lake Superior was just ideal and I spent 3 nights there before proceeding east along US 2 where I took the following "miscellaneous" shots that have something or other to do with the Upper Penninsula.

Mmmm....pasties!  A meal in itself, try one if you ever pass through the UP.

US 2 basically follows the northern coast of Lake Michigan until it gets you to the Mackinaw Bridge.  It's kind of like the Pacific Coast Highway in California except you're in Michigan.

Beautiful Lake Michigan from a US 2 scenic turnoff.

The island is part of the Beaver Island Archipelago, not sure which one.

Eventually if you drive far enough along US 2 you get to take in this awesome view:

Big Mac and the way to the Lower Peninsula!

 Thanks for reading!

Fishing Derby!

(I apologize for the seeming break in posts but my laptop was/is in the process of going to computer heaven and any readers who have experienced the same may be able to empathize, or not.)  I proceeded across Minnesota and stopped in Wisconsin for an overnight along HWY 8 at the Hawkins, WI Lions Club Park which I wasn't too impressed by and so won't review.  The next day I continued along HWY 8 into Michigan's Upper Peninsula then north on Michigan HWY 95 to the small township of Republic, Michigan.  Republic has a campground on the west edge of the town that allows free camping AND provides 15 amp electrical hookups.  I figured I'd be one of the two or three campers for the mid-July weekend.....wrong again!

Just in time for the 24th Annual Republic Fishing Derby!

Every mid-July for 24 years the town sponsors a fishing derby with prizes for the largest catches like $1000 for the biggest Walleye and $500 for the biggest perch.  Needless to say prizes of this magnitude brought out the anglers (this year estimated to be over 400) and their families, along with their RVs.

No chance of getting lonely with close-by neighbors!

 

 The focal point of the Derby was an outdoor covered picnic area that doubled as both the prize award area and the food vending --great brats!

Prizes and food made the structure in the background the Derby focal point.

Republic has bodies of water on the north, west and southwest sides and the water was pretty thick with fisher-folk.

School Lake, to the southwest of Republic.

The Derby had fireworks Saturday night and a band called the "Slamtones" that people were street dancing to-- a beer tent might have given an assist to the latter activity.

I had an excellent time at the Republic Fishing Derby and all the carryings on.  The town itself was pretty hard hit back in the nineties when a nearby mineral mine shut down.  With the recent skyrocketing copper prices there was constant reference among the Derby-ites to a new copper mine a company called Eagle was planning on opening, which will provide a huge economic boost to Republic's economy.  Check they town's website for the timing of next year's 25th Republic Fishing Derby, it's a bonus to the free camping the town offers!

Thanks for reading!

Campground Review: Hendrum Community Park Hendrum, MN

Go about 25 miles north off I-94 along Minnesota HWY 75 and you come to the small town of Hendrum, Minnesota which is almost on the border with North Dakota.  About a half mile east of Hendrum is the Hendrum Community Park where the town allows RV camping in a small area of the park that hosts 5 RV sites and also some room for tent camping.

No Verizon signal meant no phone GPS so this was a little hard to find!

I didn't encounter very many free campsites in my travel through Minnesota, Hendrum Community Park was the exception and not only was it free to camp there the city provides free electric hookups!
Here's the Hendrum Community Park Data sheet:

Hookups:                                 15, 30 and 50 amp and water

Fire ring:                                  no

Water Access:                         yes

Fresh Water:                            yes

Trash Service:                          yes

Toilets:                                    yes - flush

Showers:                                 no

Dump station:                          no

WiFi:                                       no

Level sites:                              yes

Laundry:                                  no

Store:                                      no

Pool:                                       yes

Shade:                                    yes - abundant

Verizon reception:                   3G, ½ bar

Millenicom reception:              intermittent

Cost:                                      Free, no posted limit on duration

A nice little park with well-maintained facilities.

The park has a couple outdoor group picnic buildings, a cinder block bathroom which was clean and had flush toilets - always an upgrade from the more common vault toilets I encounter, and overall was fairly well maintained with the exception that two of the five electric hookup stations were out of service during my two day stay there (I snagged the last working one!).

The Tank sipping the free electricity from the park's hookup.

There are so many tall shade trees in the park, particularly in the RV camp area, that it was a good thing I DID have electric hookups as the shade would have made operation of the Tank's solar setup really inefficient.

Looking at a nice ball diamond through the shade trees.

I enjoyed my two day stay at Hendrum's park.  As I mentioned there are far fewer free camping spots in Minnesota than in most of the other states I've passed through, not really sure why, but that makes places like Henrdum Community Park that much more destination worthy.  I recommend it to campers with RVs not much longer than 30 feet -- I think getting a 40 foot long Class A into the very tight campsites would be a major trial.  I would definitely camp here again!

Thanks for reading!