Coyote Rock RV Resort - Lincoln City, Oregon (July 2018)

Our idea after the Airstream International Rally in Salem was to spend a week along Oregon's coast. It seems that Oregon's coast is similar to Florida's Gulf Coast in that it is difficult to get reservations there. We were happy when Coyote Rock had a site on the river available for Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer.

Rosie at Coyote Rock RV Park

We were surprised when we arrived and noticed that most of the trailers in the first loop of this park appeared to be “forever” residents and some of those trailers appeared to have skipped several maintenance appointments. It also appeared to us that most people sought out this campground to go fishing on the river.

View from the river

Our site was a back-in along the river. That meant we had a great water view. It also meant we heard the sounds of the fishermen as they left in their boat every morning. 

We were not there to fish. We used this location to explore the Oregon Coast. Our daily trips allowed us to see tidal pools, whales, seals, star fish and lighthouses. We also found some good seafood, crab cake and clam chowder.

Lighthouse along the Oregon coast

The Devil's Punch Bowl in Oregon

Whales

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service 
• Our site had a water connection with higher than normal pressure 
• Our site had a sewer connection 
• The cable TV connection at our site did not work 
• We were unable to see any TV stations using Rosie’s antenna 
• AT&T placed a weak signal for voice and data over our site 
• The bathhouse serving the campground was very undersized. It is best that one person at a time use the restroom 
• Speaking of the bathhouse, it needs to be updated 

We were amused by the growing number of signs at the campground. It became a game to spot the new hastily handwritten signs put up during the day to warn the campers of the consequences of some newly discovered problem. Maybe it was a good thing that we were gone during the days we camped in this park or we may have been the inspiration for more signs. 

Suzy looking out Rosie's door

Oregon's coast

The Tillamook Dairy

The line waiting to  buy Tillamook ice cream

Escanaba Fairgrounds- Escanaba, Michigan (July 2017)

The Michigan Upper Peninsular State Fairgounds in Escanaba was the site for the Wally Byam Caravan Club's 60th International Rally. Rosie, our 25 foot trailer, was one of more than 600 Airstream trailers and motor homes at the Rally.

The Fairgrounds

Sign at the Upper Peninsula Fairgrounds in Escanaba

When you arrive at a WBCCI International Rally, the check-in crew asks you to follow a "parker" in a golf cart who leads you to your camping site. Our site ended up being next to the fairground's Antique Village.

What was the Antique Village? It was a representation of an early American community. It had a saw mill, a wood working shop, a glass blower and a general store along with several other interesting buildings. The building I enjoyed visiting was the railroad telegraph, which was the local amateur radio club's station.

Rosie's camping site

The Railroad Telegraph office and Ham Radio Station

Inside the Ham Radio station

The local Escanaba ham club provided the WBCCI Amateur Radio Club with access to their building and radios during the WBCCI International Rally. I ended up having less than 100 feet to walk to get to the telegraph office. That turned out to be very fortunate because the WBCCI Amateur Radio Club asked me to open up the telegraph office every morning and to check into the RV Service Net.
That task turned out to be fun as four or five hams usually joined me in the radio room. The local radio club's antennas and 75 foot tall tower made it easy to check in to the Eastern RV Service Net, sponsored by the WBCCI Amateur Radio Club.

Looking at several hams working on the antenna at the top of the tower

You always learn from fellow Airstreamers when you participate in a WBCCI event. The best tips we took away dealt with the maintenance of the awnings on Airstream trailers and propane gas safety. I learned that I need to be very generous with the silicone when I lubricate our awning supports and that there is a small relief valve on the propane tanks that may emit small, but detectable amounts of gas, that may be picked up during a safety check.

Here are some specifics about this park:

• They were able to pack more than 600 trailers on the fairgrounds for the Rally. In order to reach that number, some trailers were creatively packed in where few would have imagined one could fit.
• Our site had 30 amp electrical service. It was evident that the fairgrounds rarely had 600+ trailers because the voltage hovered around 110 and occasionally dropped lower.
• Our site had a water connection.
• Our site did not have a sewer connection, but the WBCCI provided two pump outs.
• We had a grass site that was easy to correct for level.
• Utility connections were shared between two trailers. That meant one trailer had to face north and the other south. It also meant that you were parked very close to your neighbor.
• We were fortunate in that we were parked near the Antique Village. Some trailers were parked along the fence near the highway. That group could give you an accurate count of the number of trucks passing through Escanaba every night.
• The fairgrounds had Wi-Fi near several buildings. The problem was that it was very slow and ineffective.
• AT&T provided good 4G service for both voice and data over the park.
• We were able to watch ABC, CBS and FOX using Rosie's TV antenna. We occasionally saw NBC and PBS signals.

A popular option at any WBCCI International Rally are the local excursions that you can sign up for. We had already seen most of these sites while on the WBCCI Upper Peninsula Caravan last year, so we opted out at this time. Instead, we enjoyed exploring the area on our own.

The lighthouse in Escanaba

Sunset over the Airstream trailers in Escanaba

An old fire boat from Chicago

A view of some Airstream trailers parked at the Escanaba International Rally

Downtown Escanaba

We see Bevo at the Pet Show

Suzy ready for the Pet Show

Suzy and Becky at the top of the Escanaba lighthouse

Steve had a similar radio when he was a teenager!

Mackinaw Mill Creek Camping - Michigan

Mackinaw is about as far north as you can travel in Michigan without crossing "the bridge" and going into the part of the state known as the Upper Peninsula. Some of Mackinaw's claims to fame include 1) two Great Lakes meet there, 2) the iconic Mackinac Bridge dominates the skyline and 3) Mackinac Island is just a short ferry ride away.

Entrance sign at the park

We stopped at the Mackinaw Mill Creek Camp for three days before heading to the U.P., as the locals call the Upper Peninsula.

First, Mackinaw Mill Camp is a huge park that is along the shore of Lake Huron. There are camping roads running helter-skelter through the park and it was incredibly easy to get lost while trying to find the exit. Second, none of the roads in this park are straight. They all curve in random directions. To help with the confusion, some of the roads we thought were primary routes were dirt while roads to nowhere were paved. There must have been some strong and diverse opinions on how to lay out this park and either everyone won or all lost at the park's planning meetings.

Rosie facing Lake Huron

Lake Huron

The Mackinac Bridge

Rosie's site faced the shore of Lake Huron. (Rosie is our 25 foot Airstream trailer.) We could easily see both the Mackinac Bridge and Mackinac Island from Rosie's front window. The brisk and constant wind from the lake meant that we needed to keep Rosie's awnings in while in this park.

We played the role of tourists while here and took the ferry to Mackinac Island. The ferry we rode took us under the Mackinac Bridge, which was interesting to see from that perspective.

Boarding the ferry

Our ferry ride took us under the Mackinac Bridge

Mackinac Island was where the rich and famous visited in the early 1900s. One of these types of people was John Jacob Astor who was one of America's first self-made millionaires. He operated a large fur trading company on the island. He didn't visit the island often because he was afraid of water. It is very ironic that he was among the thousands who drowned in the Titanic tragedy.

There are no cars on the island except for a few emergency vehicles and they are only seen when there is a fire or medical issue. That means you travel around the island on a bike or in a horse-drawn carriage. We elected to tour the island in a horse carriage.

The horse-drawn carriages on Mackinac Island

Arch Rock on the island

The shoreline on the island

Making deliveries on the island

We had a mental picture of of what a horse carriage ride around the island would be like. It didn't include being one of 16 people in a carriage. Once we adjusted our image of what a ride would be like, we enjoyed the tour.

One of the "touristy" things to do on the island is to buy fudge. We didn't disappoint the locals, who benefited from our boost to their economy.

In addition to visiting the island, we went to a water-powered lumber saw mill. It was interesting to see the saw mill in action and the tour guide plus the mill operator were both very knowledgable and helped make that excursion more memorable.

Getting a log ready for the saw mill

Saw mill building

About to cut the log into boards

Here are some specifics about this park:

• Our site had 30 and 20 amp electrical service.
• Our site had water and sewer connections.
• The park had Wi-Fi, but we never successfully connected to it.
• AT&T placed a strong 4G signal over the park for both voice and data.
• We were able to see TV signals from ABC, NBC and the Comet digital channel.
• The sites along Lake Huron had spectacular views of the lake and bridge. It is worth spending the extra fees to get lakeside sites.
• There were some pit toilets near our camping site. We didn't investigate them.
• This is a pet friendly park.
• There was only one dumpster area for the entire park and it was next to the entrance. That meant everyone had a long distance to go to get rid of their trash.

Make sure you bring all the groceries you will need when visiting Mackinaw. The grocery store when we were there was an oversized convenience store. If you need something beyond the simple basics, your next store is about 30 minutes down the road.

This was a nice camping spot and one we would camp in again.

Rosie in the campground

Rain clouds over Lake Huron

A lighthouse in Mackinaw

Suzy ignoring her new friend

Lighthouse in Mackinaw

Wonder what they sell here in Mackinaw?