Socially Distant at The Great Lakes

Hello friends!
In July, my dearest friend Megan and I decided to fulfill a goal of ours--to visit all the Great Lakes. So in six hours of planning, we scheduled a ten-day-socially-distant camping trip around all the lakes.

   Before I begin, work still needs done within current events, including supporting the BLM movement, as well as supporting the WHO to help fight COVID-19.
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If you're wondering which BLM cause to donate to, there's a variety of charities here: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-for-black-lives-matter.html.
And if you want to donate to help fight COVID, here's the link to the World Health Organization's fundraiser: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/donate.

Also, don't forget to send some love to Beirut after the tragic explosion. You can donate to the relief fund here:https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/beirut-port-explosion-relief-fund/
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   For our trip, Megan and I wanted to be as safe as possible, both for ourselves and for others. So we masked up and scheduled to camp. Camping was the safest way we could imagine visiting the lakes. With this, we also stocked up on hand sanitizer and clorox wipes. Michigan also happened to mandate masks, so everyone was taking social distancing very seriously. With all the planning and precautions in mind, we began out trip around The Great Lakes.

Lake Michigan

   About five hours from Dayton, Megan and I headed towards Holland, Michigan for our first day. We made a pit stop on the way to see if a nearby poppy field was still in bloom. We unfortunately came about a month late for poppies, but it was still worth it to take a little walk after being in the car for that extended amount of time.

   After taking a peaceful walk on the farm, we made our way to Holland State Park where we'd be camping. After check-in, we changed into swimsuits and made our way to Lake Michigan. The sun was setting, the sand was warm...and the water was far too cold to actually swim in.
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Lake Superior

   Day 2--yep, literally the next day--we made another four hour trip to Point Iroquois to visit Lake Superior. It was a cloudy day, sure, but when you're in Michigan, none of that matters. The scenic drive makes any weather worth it.

   
​   After checking in to yet another campsite, we went to visit the Point Iroquois lighthouse. This spot was surprisingly empty. Not many people were there with us, which was definitely what we preferred. When I dipped my feet in the water, I found it was surprisingly warm. I was dumbfounded that no one was around and swimming in it. However, once flies started attacking Megan and me, we quickly understood. It was a beautiful spot, but the bugs were a bummer.
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​Lake Huron

   Megan and I might have spent days on end at Lake Huron. The first taste of the lake we got was when we took a ferry to Mackinac Island. It was pouring rain that day, but it worth the boat ride.

   When we made it to the island, the rain only got worse. But we still explored the town, the beach, and The Arch. Instead of cramming into shops with other people, Megan and I went to a market and gathered food there to eat for lunch. We ate far away from everyone, on a bench. For some reason, that simplicity made the experience even better. Simple is better.
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   And in my personal opinion, my favorite spot to see Lake Huron was from Harrisville State Park. Our tent was right along the water, so we could hear the waves through the night. The beach was also sectioned off naturally by trees and other smaller plants, so when Megan and I took a walk to the water, we were able set up a little spot to lay out and to swim, in solitude. The water was the perfect temperature and it was so close to our tent, so everything was so accessible and private. I had too much fun to take many photos of this spot, but this was the highlight of the trip. I even saved a fish, thanks to Megan's impeccable eye sight, that washed up on shore.
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Lake Erie

   We actually went back to Ohio for a day to visit Lake Erie from a state park on the water, but later realized we reserved the wrong park. After being all turned around, then realizing we couldn't enter New York (due to COVID-19 regulations) to see Lake Ontario, we decided to drive our tuchuses back to Michigan, since we fell in love with that state anyway. We laid out by Lake Erie from a metropark by Monroe, Michigan, while Megan did some homework and while I got my tanning on. After that, we explored Monroe more and got some ice cream for our travels.

Everywhere Else (to make up for not seeing Lake Ontario)

   With COVID-19 posing a threat, our tours of Detroit and Cleveland were done via our vehicle.

   One of the places Megan was most excited to visit was Greenfield Village. It was really informative and all of the staff members there were incredibly nice and helpful.
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Please note: I self quarantined for two weeks after taking this trip

Thank you guys for reading. The trip was much needed, mentally, and I'm glad we found a way to travel safely in this pandemic. Please, if you're going to travel, consider camping. Not only is it cheaper, but it's also safer and more distant from others.

Please consider donating to the charities in the links at the top of this blog post! The world needs love right now.

Keep on grinning!
​Lydia