Steve and Julie's Northwoods Journey: A Wisconsin-to-Michigan Airstream Loop
Late departures
, new cities
, hidden cafés
, and
sunsets you didn’t plan for
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This summer, Julie and I hooked up our 2020 Globetrotter 23FB and pointed it north. Most Airstreamers name their trailers. Ours is the Guinea Pig, or just the Pig. The plan was a loop. Up through Wisconsin, across Michigan's Upper Peninsula, down the Lower Peninsula's west coast, and home across Lake Michigan by ferry. No backtracking.
We were gone about two weeks and covered 1,137 miles. We kept every drive to 300 miles or less between stops. That rule made the trip. You arrive with enough daylight and energy left to actually enjoy the place you drove to. We planned the whole route with the RV Life Pro app, which is built for RV-safe routing and campground planning.
Before we left: the tow setup
Over a thousand miles of highway is a real test of a tow setup, so we made sure ours was ready before we pulled out of Reedsburg. Our truck runs a Rockstar rock guard. It's lighter than a traditional mud flap, and it keeps road debris from getting thrown up at the trailer's front end. We pair it with an AirSafe hitch for a smoother, safer tow. A safer hitch and a protected trailer is the combination we'd recommend for any long trip, and after this one, we wouldn't tow without it.
Here's how it went.
Stop 1: Interstate State Park, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
We rolled out of Reedsburg and took I-94 northwest to St. Croix Falls. Interstate State Park sits right on the St. Croix River, which marks the line with Minnesota. The rock here is ancient lava, and the potholes were carved by glacial meltwater. Some of them are deep enough to stand in.
It's an easy first-day drive from Reedsburg, which is exactly what you want on night one.
It also turned out to be one of our three favorite stops of the whole trip.
To see more picures and video from our stop at Interstate State Park, click
here.
Stop 2: Copper Falls State Park, near Mellen, Wisconsin
From St. Croix Falls we headed northeast to Copper Falls. We pulled into a beautiful little site just as the thermometer hit 98°.
This is where the work we do at the shop paid us back. Our Globetrotter runs a full Victron suite, 900 amp-hours of lithium batteries and an onboard generator. Whether or not the campsite has power, the air conditioner keeps running. We stayed cool through the worst of the heat and still had plenty of battery left when the sun went down. It's worry-free, and honestly, it's easy to get spoiled.
If you've ever sat in a hot trailer doing battery math in your head, you know what that's worth.
To see more pictures and video from our stop at Copper Falls State Park, click
here.
Stop 3: Marquette, Michigan
Marquette was a stop we'd been looking forward to visiting. We crossed into Michigan's Upper Peninsula with Rippling River Resort booked and a list of things we couldn't wait to do. Then, right as we started the drive into town, the smoke rolled in. Wildfires were raging in Canada, the sky went hazy, and air quality alerts went up. When the air outside is a hazard, you can't open the windows, and a trailer can get stuffy fast.
Thankfully, I'd installed an AIRLOCK One on the Pig. It's wired to the air conditioner, so it cleans the air the A/C is already moving through the trailer. It was our sleeper mod. I installed it and forgot it was on board. It just sits there and works with no drama. But when the air got thick, nasty and smoky, it really let us know it was pulling its weight. Inside, the air stayed clean.
Julie and I made the best of the few days we had there. We explored Presque Isle Park and stopped at Da Yoopers Tourist Trap & Rock Shop, which ended up being the favorite. If you've never taken the detour, it's worth braving the "trap" for the oddities alone.
The weather did cancel a few plans. Our Pictured Rocks Cruises boat tour along the cliffs was called off due to smoke and high winds. That one's on the list for next time.
To see more pictures and video from our stay in Marquette, MI, click
here.
Stop 4: Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island
From Marquette we headed east across the U.P. to Mackinaw City and stayed at Mackinaw Camp Inn, which we booked through a website called Hipcamp. Think VRBO, but for campers.
A quick note on spelling. The island is Mackinac. The city is Mackinaw. Both are pronounced "Mack-in-aw." Nobody will ever fully explain this to you, so just go with it.
We loved Mackinac Island. Cars aren't allowed, so you take the ferry over and get around on foot, by bike or by horse-drawn carriage. Most of the island is Mackinac Island State Park, and it's worth a full day. We should have planned for two.
It's also where we had our favorite meal of the trip, on the balcony restaurant at the Grand Hotel overlooking the water. I had a simple tuna sandwich. It was fantastic, but the view, the waitstaff and the company are what made it special.
Stop 5: Sleeping Bear Dunes
Then it was south into the Lower Peninsula. We stayed at Timberline RV Campground and spent our time at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Massive dunes, Lake Michigan as far as you can see, and water so clear you'd swear it was the Caribbean until you put a toe in.
This is another place we could have stayed for several days. We'll be back.
Stop 6: Ludington, Michigan
Our last campground was Poncho's Pond RV Park in Ludington, which put us right where we needed to be for the ferry the next morning. We loved this campground. We'd rate it a 10.
Detour: the giant sequoia in Manistee
On the drive from Timberline to Ludington, we made a quick stop to see something we didn't expect to find in Michigan: a giant sequoia.
In the late 1940s, Edward and Gertrude Gray planted six sequoia seedlings from California on their property in Manistee. Three survived. The biggest, nicknamed the "Michigan Champion," now stands about 116 feet tall and is considered the largest giant sequoia east of the Rocky Mountains. Lake Michigan's microclimate keeps the winters mild enough for it to survive. Admission is free, and donations are welcome.
It's a short stop, and well worth it.
Home: the SS Badger across Lake Michigan
To get home, we skipped the drive around the bottom of Lake Michigan and Chicago traffic entirely. We took the SS Badger car ferry from Ludington across the lake to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. From there it's an easy drive back to Reedsburg.
Here's the part we didn't expect. You drop the truck and camper in the loading lane, and the Badger's crew backs it onto the ferry for you. It's worth watching. They're very good at it.
If you're a Midwest Airstreamer looking at a Michigan trip, put the Badger on your list. Pricing depends on your vehicle and trailer length, so check ssbadger.com for current rates and reservations before you go.
Our favorites, and what we'd do differently
Picking a favorite stop is tough. It's a three-way tie between Interstate State Park, the Mackinaw area and Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Next time, we'd stay put longer. Keeping drives to 300 miles worked well, but we'd pick fewer stops and spend more nights in each one. Mackinac Island and Sleeping Bear both deserved more time than we gave them.
Frequently asked questions
Midwest Silver Stream Customs is an independent shop and is not affiliated with Airstream, Inc.
Can you take a travel trailer on the SS Badger?
Yes. We took our Airstream across Lake Michigan on the SS Badger from Ludington, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The crew backs your trailer onto the ferry for you. Pricing is based on vehicle and trailer length, so check ssbadger.com for current rates and reservations.
What's a good RV route from Wisconsin to Michigan's Upper Peninsula?
Our loop went Reedsburg to St. Croix Falls, Copper Falls State Park near Mellen, Marquette, Mackinaw City, Sleeping Bear Dunes and Ludington, then home on the SS Badger. We kept each drive to 300 miles or less.
Is it Mackinac or Mackinaw?
Both. The island is Mackinac, and the city is Mackinaw City. Both are pronounced "Mack-in-aw."
Where is the giant sequoia in Michigan?
At Lake Bluff Farms in Manistee. It's about 116 feet tall and considered the largest giant sequoia east of the Rocky Mountains.
How do you keep an Airstream cool when boondocking in the heat?
We run a full Victron system, 900 amp-hours of lithium batteries and an onboard generator, so the air conditioner keeps running whether or not the campsite has power.
How do you keep wildfire smoke out of an RV?
Keep the windows closed and filter the air you're circulating. We use an AIRLOCK One air purifier wired to our air conditioner, which kept the cabin air clean through days of smoke and air quality alerts in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Ready to upgrade your Airstream?
If you're planning your own Northwoods loop and want your Airstream ready for it, whether that's power, air quality, or the tow setup, contact us to talk through which Airkrafters products make sense for how you travel and camp.
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