Michigan Fall Color Tour
October in Michigan is fickle. Camping trips are a gamble. The weather can turn wet and cold. The color can be short-lived. The first snow is imminent.
However, the goals for our October 2022 Michigan trip were simple:
- Visit family
- Enjoy the fall color
- Get some fresh fall photos
- Come home with bounty including apples, cider, squash and more
Ludington
The gamble paid off. With the exception of two days, the weather was promotional-video-perfect. We scored a campsite in Ludington State Park - our favorite in the state. With an inland lake, dam, river, and Lake Michigan shoreline the park has it all - including what I think is the most quintessentially Michigan hike.
Holland
From there it was to another sentimental favorite - Holland State Park - where we spent so many summer evenings as a young family. We drove past our old house, ate at favorite restaurants (which are getting harder to find after 12 years away), and marveled at the amount of construction going on.
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo and Hopkins were about visiting family. MsBoyink's parents are camp-hosts at Markin Glen park in Kalamazoo (another favorite of ours). We've been there a bunch of times, but the color has never been as glorious as this visit.
Hopkins
We wrapped the last two nights at our son's place in Hopkins. By this point the overnight temps were the 30's so we slept on his spare bed.
Sour Note
The only sour note of the trip was that our beloved, 3rd-generation, ~40 year old ZipDee camping chairs were stolen at Ludington. We had gone into town for dinner and a movie. Since we camp and drive in the same vehicle, it's always a puzzle to decide what to pack up and what to leave.
Theft is so rare in campgrounds that we left the chairs, leveling blocks, electrical cord, rugs, etc behind - enough to say "someone is still here and coming back soon."
But we had the loop to ourselves and with the high amount of "looky-loo" traffic in Ludington, someone saw the chance to grab them without being seen.
We bought some replacement captains chairs that fit the spot in the van, but they are nowhere near as comfortable as the ZipDees. But at $180/each, I'm not sure we'll replace the ZipDees (yet, anyway).
I'll just miss having a bit of my grandparent's camping kit with us still.
Fall Photos
Here's a photographic taste of our Fall 2022 Michigan color tour:
4 Comments Add a Comment?
P
Beautiful pics… thanks for sharing
Larry Leake
I miss Michigan Autumn (grew up in Flint) - but North Carolina is pretty nice in the Fall, too!
Mrs Thompson
Was it still warm enough to go swimming? Fabulous photos!
Boyink
@LarryLeake - Missouri is pretty as well, with more hills and rock outcroppings. But the color isn't as varied and vibrant. I'll bet NC is pretty!
@MrsThompson we didn't come prepared to swim - Lake MI would have been in the 60's - a bit chilly but doable (and saw others getting a final autumn swim in).