Trip Overview
September 11-18, 2025 | 2,600+ miles | Northern Michigan, Voyageurs National Park, & Ontario A spontaneous route change led us through some of the most beautiful wilderness we’ve ever experienced, including a magical night on Dryweed Island and unexpected bear encounters across three states and provinces.
The Original Plan
What Actually Happened
September 6 – Cincinnati to Five Solas Farm, Belleville, MI
Our adventure began with a tech hiccup this morning – CarPlay decided to take a vacation just as we were leaving Cincinnati! After some quality time with Subaru customer support resetting the system, we finally hit the road around 9am.
Made a delicious stop for lunch at Souk Mediterranean Grill & Bar in Toledo – the wild mushroom risotto was amazing! Rolled into Five Solas Farm, our Harvest Host for the night, around 4pm. This cute little farm had us stocked up with goat milk soap, fresh eggs, and honey. Perfect evening for some reading and relaxing after our delayed start.
September 7 – Five Solas Farm to Fisherman’s Island State Park, MI
Early departure from the farm this morning, grabbed coffee and pushed northwest. Decided to skip our planned Traverse City detour to make better time.
Fisherman’s Island State Park did not disappoint – our rustic site (#10) was just a stone’s throw from the beach! Before our hike, we gave Frida a short walk – away on her wagon and then walking back to the camper. My intention was to reserve any of the beachside sites in the north side (9, 26-31), but even months in advance they were all taken.
After a short beach hike, we enjoyed a veggie and tofu stir fry dinner right by the water. Spent the evening hunting for Petoskey stones and watched a beautiful sunset. I love retirement!
For those unfamiliar, Petoskey stones are Michigan’s state stone – fossilized coral from 350 million years ago when Michigan was covered by a warm sea. They’re found along Lake Michigan beaches and are easily recognized by their distinctive honeycomb pattern, especially when wet.
September 8 – Fisherman’s Island State Park to Charlevoix
Woke up early and had a nice breakfast of pancakes and eggs from the Five Solas farm, along with a morning latte. We got a new portable battery with solar panels (EcoFlow Delta 2) which now allows us to use our Nespresso in rustic sites – we love nature, but technology has its advantages!
Went out on a 6.5 mile hike at the Fisherman’s Island Nature Trail that meanders through the woods parallel to the beach line – it was lovely. When we came back, had to stop at the ranger station to buy our Michigan State Parks passport (it always bums me out that the passport is valid for the calendar year and we end up buying it in September).
In the afternoon, we had a relaxed time in the town of Charlevoix where we had lunch at Bridge Street Taproom and a cortado at Hardwood Gold Store and Cafe. We also visited some local shops and went to take a shower at the Community Pool. On the way back to the campground, we stopped at Friske’s Farm Market to get our fix of Michigan cherry pie, which has been our dessert on several dinners since. We spent the evening at the beach, recharging our portable solar battery (our campsite had lots of tree coverage, which is nice, but blocked direct sunlight) and relaxing. We prepared dinner on the campfire. A perfect day!
September 9 – Fisherman’s Island to Munising
Sandra and I woke up around 4am and since we couldn’t fall back asleep, we decided to take a hike on the beach with a latte in hand, under the light of the full moon – it was an extremely peaceful and different experience. With the early start, we were able to leave before 6am.
Our first stop was Kitch-iti-kipi, which is a huge water spring with the clearest water we have ever seen and some huge trout, plus a hand-operated viewing platform. My plan was to take pictures from above using my drone, but it seems I wasn’t the only one with that idea, as there was a huge drone-free zone sign as we arrived.
From there we headed towards our next stop in the trip, Munising, MI. For some reason Apple Maps thought it would be a good idea to route us through about 10 miles of dirt roads – nothing our Subaru couldn’t handle, but not what we were expecting.
We arrived at the Munising Tourist Park in time to meet with the Rover pet sitter we had reserved (who was also staying in the same campground). The campground is not the most beautiful, but our site was awesome, right at the lake’s edge.
We made it to the trailhead around 3:30, which meant we wouldn’t have enough time to do the 10-mile Mosquito Falls Chapel Falls loop, so we opted for the shorter (7 mile) Chapel Beach loop, which is also beautiful, although it rained the whole time, which meant limited chances for photography. Got back to Munising and stopped at Dogpatch for a whitefish and soup dinner. Eventually made it back to our campsite, where we called it a night after a hot shower.
Kitch-iti-kipi
September 10 – Pictured Rocks Kayaking Adventure
Got up later than usual and had a nice coffee on the beach. After getting ready and giving Frida her morning walk and leaving the key for the pet sitter, we left to check in at Pictured Rocks Kayaking Co. for our next adventure.
After the mandatory safety training, the boat left at 10am towards Pictured Rocks. The crew split the group into 4 groups with two persons per kayak, and off we went. By now we’ve seen Pictured Rocks many times, from land and from a boat, but seeing it from the kayak where you could go into the caves was totally different. After approximately 3 hours of kayaking, we headed back to port, tired but extremely happy. We highly recommend this experience!
After a hot shower, we had to do some laundry at the local laundromat, as we were starting to run short on clean and dry clothes. Back at the camp we had roasted chicken on the campfire. Another wonderful day!
📸 More pictures from Pictured Rocks
September 11 – Munising to Porcupine Mountains
Our last morning latte on the Munising beach (for this trip anyway – we may be back!). Since we’d packed up the night before, we were able to hook up and hit the road by 9am.
Made a quick detour to see Wagner Falls right outside Munising – such an easy walk and beautiful waterfall. Then stopped at Muldoon’s for the local specialty: pasties! These are basically Michigan’s version of empanadas, and the vegetarian ones made for a perfect road trip brunch.
Restocked our pantry at the Marquette Food Co-Op – what an amazing selection of local and quality items. Highly recommend this place if you’re passing through!5tbv cx
Our Spanish picnic lunch was a highlight: salad, jamón Serrano, manchego cheese, crusty bread, and Rioja from our trusty bota. Our motto remains: if you’re going to eat, might as well eat well! (Don’t worry – I handled the wine, Sandra handled the driving 😉)
Arrived at Union Bay Campground in the Porcupine Mountains and our site (15) was absolutely perfect – direct lake access with spectacular views and close to facilities. Sometimes planning months ahead really pays off! Decided to skip our planned hike and instead visited the State Wilderness visitor center to get our bearings Please note that sites at Union Bay that are not lakeside, can be very cramped.
Ended the day with a campfire, grilled chicken, and just soaking in the incredible beauty of the bay. This is what retirement is all about!
September 12 – Porcupine Mountains Adventure Day
Started the day with breakfast and a Frida walk, then headed out for our first Porcupine Mountains hike. We skipped the popular Lake of the Clouds Escarpment Trail (did that a couple years back) and instead tackled the West River – East River trail at Presque Isle River.
The normal park road was closed for repairs, so we had to drive around the entire park – but honestly, with these gorgeous fall colors, the detour was half the fun!
This trail has officially become one of our all-time favorites. Less than 3 miles, but what a payoff: the majesty of Lake Superior, incredible old-growth forest, and a series of picture-perfect waterfalls. Pure Michigan magic.
Back to camp for lunch with Frida, then restocked on firewood and ice cream at the outpost shop (priorities!). Our second hike was the 4.5-mile Trap Falls trail – not quite as spectacular as Presque Isle River, but still beautiful.
Kept dinner simple since we’re packing up tomorrow, then spent the evening just watching the lake. Nature put on quite a show as a thunderstorm rolled in from the west – absolutely spectacular to watch from our perfect lakefront site. Once it reached us, we were cozy in bed, and thankfully it passed quickly.
Two amazing hikes, fall colors at their peak, and a front-row seat to Mother Nature’s thunder and lightning show. Not a bad day at the office!
📸 More pictures from Porcupine Mountains
September 13 – Porcupine Mountains to Voyageurs National Park
Up before dawn which allowed us to catch an absolutely gorgeous sunrise over Lake Superior before hooking up and heading west. The journey through the west side of the UP and Wisconsin was spectacular – vibrant fall colors and amazing lake vistas made every mile a treat.
Coffee stop in Ashland at the Black Cat Coffeehouse – what a delightful find! Quirky decor, excellent coffee, and fantastic pastries. Hit the local farmers market where Frida in her wagon was the star of the show (everyone wanted to say hello!). Small market but so pleasant, and we’ve never seen so many creative uses for garlic before.
Drove past Duluth and headed northwest to Voyageurs. Had a bit of a scare when Sandra developed eye irritation, but thankfully some eye drops from a store on the way made all the difference.
Arrived around 3pm at Woodenfrog – a rustic state campground (no running water or electricity) on Lake Kabetogama. This place operates unlike any campground we’ve visited – you buy your permit online, then choose any open site when you arrive. Our first choices (34-41) were taken, so we settled on site 4 with lots of trees near the small pier for kayak launching close by. In hindsight, maybe too many trees – they blocked our solar panels from charging our battery! We’re conserving energy to keep the fridge running.
Discovered something interesting about Michigan’s UP and Voyageurs: despite lakes everywhere, you can’t find fresh whole fish for sale anywhere! (Guess when locals want fish, they just catch it themselves.) We finally found a store selling “fresh” frozen fish fillets… still trying to figure out how all those adjectives work together, but they tasted amazing grilled over the campfire!
📸 More pictures from Voyageurs National Park
September 14 – Our Voyageurs Island Adventure
Started easy with a light breakfast, then tackled the 2.4-mile Echo Bay trail. We knew it wouldn’t be spectacular (3.7 stars on AllTrails), but it was the only Voyageurs trail nearby. Sometimes you take what you can get!
Coffee and souvenirs at Pine Ridge gift shop, then back to camp to grab Frida for a trip to International Falls’ city beach hoping for public showers… closed for the season, naturally! Headed to the Rainy Lake Visitor Center for our mandatory souvenir purchase (gotta keep our National Parks solvent!) and a picnic lunch overlooking the lake.
Then came the main event! Merrit from Voyageurs Outfitters picked us up at 1:30 to take us to our camping site on Dryweed Island – and WOW! Our own private beach, two tent sites, table, fire ring, bear-proof lockers, and even a vault toilet just 30 yards away. This 2.75 x 0.6 mile island has only 8 sites spread out, and ours (R37) faces north toward Canadian territory. Of course, for her first boat ride, Frida had to dress in style.
Took turns kayaking while the other watched Frida. I was treated to a loon, a bald eagle, a couple of kingfishers, and some absolutely amazing scenery. Frida seemed to love going in and out of the water – our little water dog!
Dinner was dehydrated camping meals that were surprisingly good. We planned to wake up around midnight for stargazing and hopefully northern lights… but we slept right through it! Later learned the northern lights were indeed visible. Oh well, sometimes even retirement has its missed opportunities 😴
What an absolutely amazing day living the island life!
September 15 – Island Life to Northern Lights
Up before dawn for stargazing and discovered we’d missed the northern lights the previous night – but looking back at my predawn photos, they were actually still faintly visible! Sometimes the best shots happen when you don’t even realize it.
Sandra and I took turns kayaking at daybreak – absolutely magical on the water at that hour. Got treated to a splashing show from either a river otter or beaver (couldn’t tell from the distance, but what a performance!).
Broke camp in time for our 10am water taxi pickup. Merrit showed up right on time with a pontoon boat this time, which was much easier for Frida to board than yesterday’s smaller boat.
Back on dry land, our priorities were simple: latte and shower. Coffee Landing delivered beautifully – cute coffeehouse with decent coffee and excellent scones. The shower situation at Arnold’s RV park… well, let’s just say it had hot water in an enclosed space, but we won’t be returning anytime soon! 😅
Back at Woodenfrog, we decided to take it easy. After 10 days of hiking, kayaking, and one night sleeping on the ground, we’re both feeling it! This is what happens when retirees try to keep up with our younger selves.
This time I wasn’t taking any chances – set an alarm for 11pm to catch the northern lights! Not as intense as the night before, but still amazing, with the bonus of lightning happening nearby (check out the pics!). Perfect way to close an incredible day.
Sometimes the universe gives you exactly what you need when you need it most.
📸 More Pictures of Voyageurs in Photo Gallery
September 16-17 – Farewell Voyageurs, Hello Canada! 
Time to leave our magical Voyageurs experience behind. Dryweed Island was absolutely unforgettable – we both agreed we’d do it again, but for a couple nights next time. Pro tip for anyone considering Voyageurs: fall seems to be the sweet spot – summer brings mosquitoes and flies that are apparently quite the menace!
Last-minute decision to completely change our route home. Instead of the shortest path southeast, we’re heading north into Canada and driving the scenic route from Fort Frances to Sault Ste. Marie through Ontario’s Highway 11. Sometimes the best adventures come from spontaneous route changes!
After errands in International Falls (laundry, waste disposal – the joys of rustic camping!), and one last Coffee Landing stop, we crossed into Canada. What a beautiful, unspoiled landscape with highways in excellent condition. Refreshing to see everything in metric again! The flip side: outside Thunder Bay, very few facilities – restaurants, roadside attractions, and most importantly, NOT A SINGLE COFFEE HOUSE until our destination. But honestly, we loved this detour. The route between Fort Frances and Sault Ste. Marie is one of the most beautiful we’ve ever experienced.
Tried to visit Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park but gave up after 5 miles on a dirt road when we hit a “no trailers beyond this point” sign. Sometimes you just don’t feel like unhooking and rehooking! Ended up at a motel in Schneider (still not sure where that town actually was).
**Day 2 brought the BEARS!** 
Lady in the parking lot warned me about a bear roaming around – thought she was kidding until Sandra spotted another one near the highway. This was just the beginning!
Stopped in Wawa, Ontario (learned it has nothing to do with the store chain but shares the same etymology – from the Ojibwe word “wewe” meaning “wild goose”). At the tourist office, we witnessed a black bear being chased by a man protecting his family and dogs. By the time I grabbed my camera… gone! Visited the quirky Young’s General Store, and heading out of town – ANOTHER bear! Too quick for photos again.
The journey continued through gorgeous lakes and forests transitioning from mostly conifers to mixed trees showing beautiful fall colors. We described them as “countless lakes” in the moment, but thinking back on our ~930 km drive, we probably saw somewhere around 200+ lakes visible from the road – no wonder Ontario is called the land of lakes! Finally arrived at Sault Ste. Marie KOA – our first KOA experience! Excellent facilities, WiFi, and close enough to town for DoorDash delivery. Sometimes convenience camping hits the spot.
Every Canadian we met was incredibly nice, starting with the immigration officer. What a wonderful detour this turned out to be!
September 18-19 – The Journey Home 
Time to cross back into the US at Sault Ste. Marie and start our homeward journey. Decided to break it into two manageable sections with a stop at Gee Farms, Nursery & Greenhouse in Stockbridge, MI.
Traveled north to south along the eastern edge of the UP, stopping in St. Ignace for some sightseeing and a break. Found relatively good coffee and panini at Boardwalk Coffee, and browsed the Upper Peninsula Mercantile – could’ve been a tourist trap, but they had some genuinely interesting items!
Crossed the mighty Mackinac Bridge into the Lower Peninsula and eventually arrived at Gee Farms. What a pleasant surprise! Our site had beautiful orchard views and full hookups – better than many of the “real” campgrounds we’ve stayed at. The farm store was incredible – loaded up on preserves, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Some went into that night’s dinner, the rest restocked our pantry for home.
The final day was a short 4-hour drive straight home, with just one coffee stop at Starbucks (we always try for independent shops, but sometimes Starbucks is the only choice!). Made it home by noon.
The Return Reality Check: So happy to be back in our house with all the creature comforts of city life – bathroom right next to the bedroom, a proper shower, you know, the basics! But I can’t deny I already miss the beauty and smell of the forests, those endless lakes, waking up in the middle of the night to more stars than you can count, crossing paths with bears and eagles and all the other wild things.
Time to start planning the next adventure! 
This trip reminded us why we love retirement – the freedom to take spontaneous route changes, spend extra nights in magical places, and create memories that will last a lifetime. 2,800+ miles of pure adventure!
Looking 4 Nature 
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