Who's planning for 2014 vacations?

michigansandzilla wrote:

Thanks for the suggestions Matt.

A couple of years ago we went to Mackinac Island and the fort, Pictured Rocks boat ride, White Fish Point and the shipwreck museum, the falls..............enjoyed it so much we're doing it again and taking extended family with us! We're using Tahquamenon Falls and Brimley SP as our central points to visit everything. Can't wait to go back. Looking back, I think that was my favorite family vacation of all time.

Someone mentioned renting a row boat to go to the island at the falls. Never heard of that and it sounds fun so I'm going to give it a go.
Our last trip, we went to the Locks and no boats were going through so we ended up having dinner out at 'Antlers', amazing but never got the full experience of the Locks. Have you ever done the boat tour through the Locks? Wondering if it's worth the expense. We do plan on simply packing a picnic lunch and just hanging out at the park there to watch the boats go through, but will consider the boat tour if it's worth it.

I can easily say that I have never paid for the boat ride though the locks. I've been though them a lot, but I was running the engine of the ship that was being locked through. It was different standing on the ground and watching the ship move. I don't have any clue what the excursion might cost.

Watching the locks from the the "Peanut Gallery" is best if you either can either use marinetraffic.com or drop into the visitor center at the locks as soon as you can. They have a board there that they keep to give citizens an idea when to expect the ships. Take the kids into Valley Camp if you can. I'm told by people that don't work on ships that this a good chance to get aboard and there is a lot of history and displays in the holds. I tend to stay away from the Fitzgerald stuff as it still hurts.

At the Lower Taquamenon you can rent a boat. We didn't but some did. I don't know if you are boondock capable, but if you are, there is a great hole in the road just west out of Paradise:
N47°37.870' W085° 2.900'
They call it the snowmobile park. You won't have any competition for space when you are there. Quiet and nice. There is water and dump available at the entrance to the lower falls campground. That campground has always been booked solid when we were there, but the dump was open.....

Antlers is a strange place. But most of the eateries at the locks are designed to have character.

You should walk the kids along Water Street between the locks and the powerplant. You want to read everything starting at Johnson street and work west. There are historic houses and then a monument that is a story all its own. You may just have a local stop and tell you. Typical government operation... But at least have the kids read the history.

If you give me an idea how far west you plan to go, I can probably fill in more things to see and do.

Matt - a ships engineer now living downriver