Short notice MN, upper WI, northern MI

I believe I have a plan. We are going to try the Northern Highlands American Legion State Forest in northern WI. They have many CGs, dry camping, some reservable but many first come first served.

Get on the reservation site and see what Michigan SP CG's have vacancies. It's very easy to use and you don't tie yourself into a reservation by just using the site to see what's open. My wife does it atleast once every week during the busy summer months in the area's we are known to spur of the moment jump in the RV rig and go.

In fact, she just did it today as we are probably going to take our boat and the Lance TC and head north for our 52nd anniversary about a week away. Some place between the Ludington area to the south where we own acreage in the Manistee National forest and the Straits (Mackinaw City) as it's so easy for us and who need plans or reservations anyway? We wing it! Always have at least two of our RV's are all packed clothes and all and ready to GO anytime except for fresh food, us, and our dog. We love just getting the whim and hitting the road in an hour or two no matter what time of the dayit is as in 50 years we've always found a place to stay for a night. May not be the epitome of CG's sometimes but we're not buying the place anyway, just staying for the night! We know nearly all the fabulous lakeshore SP CG's are full as we live on the lakeshore ourselves. One of the few advantages of being/getting old and so well retired is that we don't have to be back for that depressing dirty 4 letter word, WORK! We leave that to the younger folks!

For a week I would go up to Gladstone, MI. It's just 8 miles North of Escanaba, MI. A great place to stay is right on the Northern tip of Lake Michigan at the Gladstone RV Park.

2gypsies wrote:
First tell us where you're starting in Illinois and how many miles you want to drive to get to your destination. Off the bat, I would eliminate north Minnesota for only a week of travel. Wisconsin or northern Michigan, not the Upper Peninsula would be much closer, depending on your starting point.

Thanks. I'm very familiar with the drives to these areas, though.
I would include central MN like Brainerd Lakes etc.

First tell us where you're starting in Illinois and how many miles you want to drive to get to your destination. Off the bat, I would eliminate north Minnesota for only a week of travel. Wisconsin or northern Michigan, not the Upper Peninsula would be much closer, depending on your starting point.