After our three weeks out west, we took the month of July off travel, but the first weekend in August, we headed out again! Five years ago, we took a trip to Michigan’s “thumb” with the hope to kayak to Turnip Rock. Well, the weather had other ideas for us, as it thunderstormed the entire weekend. Our camping set up at the time was inadequate, especially for that weather and overall, it was a miserable weekend.
Well, years passed and I still wanted to experience Turnip Rock, so I booked a weekend camping at Sleeper State Park. Our last time in the area, we stayed at Port Crescent, so this was a new campground for us. Sleeper is a big campground with a beautiful beach on the other side of the road. The campground is like most in the Michigan State Park system, with decent-sized, fairly wooded sites, but Sleeper is definitely missing that waterfront charm that Port Crescent has. If you are planning on camping in the area, I would recommend Port Crescent over Sleeper.
Well, we woke up early on Saturday morning and headed to Bird Creek Park and inflated the kayak. It is a three-and-a-half-mile paddle along the shores of Lake Huron to get to Turnip Rock. The wind was at our back and we made great time getting to the rock formation. The way back was much more difficult. We were paddling into the wind and I swear the waves were bigger. The funny thing is when paddling on calmer bodies of water, my arms get tired and I need to take breaks. My adrenaline kept me going and I didn’t even feel tired until we got back to the car. I am very glad we didn’t try this five years ago because it was not an easy paddle and we didn’t have the experience back then that we have now.
The rock itself was smaller than I imagined it to be. It was very cool to see it, I’m glad we made the trek out there, but it looks so much bigger in pictures. As you can see below, there were already quite a few people when we got there. I can only imagine how busy it must get later in the day.
Something to note, Turnip Rock is located on Private Property. The only way to see it is by water. You are allowed to beach your boat and get out as long as you stay below the high water line. It is illegal to climb the rocks and the Point Aux Barques community that owns the land does prosecute for trespassing.
Turnip Rock is a very unique spot in Michigan and everyone should check it out, if you are able. If you are interested in Kayaking Turnip Rock, you can rent from Port Austin Kayak. It is a good idea to follow them on Twitter because they share the daily weather conditions. Even if you have your own kayak it is good to check with them because if PAK is not renting, it’s probably not safe to make the trek.
Thanks for stopping by! To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! You can purchase prints on Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.
In the morning, we continued heading east to one of the places I desperately wanted to visit as a child, The Mall of America. The Mall of America is the largest mall in the United States at 5.6 million square feet. The mall is home to 550 stores including 2 mini-golf courses, SeaLife Aquarium, and a 7-acre amusement park. It really was a sight to behold. It was a great stopping point for us to get out and stretch our legs during a long driving day and a place to find unique lunch options. If you are in visiting twin cities, The Mall of America is a good place to explore on a rainy day, but be aware that a lot of the attractions do require reservations in advance. I’m not as into malls as I was in my teenage years, so this isn’t really a place I wanted to spend that much time.
After stretching our legs at the Mall, we continued on to the Wisconsin Dells where we were meeting some friends. Since we were just driving through, we didn’t have a ton of time to explore the Dells, we mainly just stuck to walking down the main drag. We did stop in a cheese shop and got some cheese curds because I think it’s a requirement in Wisconsin. I do wish we had time to explore the water and actually see the Wisconsin Dells. After meeting our friends, we continued on to Madison for the night.
The Elkhorn Ranch Unit was home to Theodore Roosevelt’s “home ranch” in North Dakota and was where he came to heal after the death of his wife and mother. Roosevelt chose this location because of its remoteness. Roosevelt himself described the ranch in his book, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman: “My home ranch-house stands on the river brink. From the low, long veranda, shaded by leafy cotton-woods, one looks across sand bars and shallows to a strip of meadowland, behind which rises a line of sheer cliffs and grassy plateaus. This veranda is a pleasant place in the summer evenings when a cool breeze stirs along the river and blows in the faces of the tired men, who loll back in their rocking-chairs (what true American does not enjoy a rocking-chair?), book in hand–though they do not often read the books, but rock gently to and for, gazing sleepily out at the weird-looking buttes opposite, until their sharp outlines grow indistinct and purple in the after-glow of the sunset.”