What a Weekend!

[Colliemom]

Well, after last summer's weather or perhaps I should say lack of summer, this Memorial Day weekend has started out with just as perfect weather as you could possibly ask for here in Northern Michigan. And people certainly are taking advantage of it as well as being happy. This is the first big weekend of the camping season for those of us who works summers at the Michigan State Parks. The park I work in, Otsego Lake State Park has 155 camp sites and we only had three open late this afternoon. Those are for campers who just pull in with no reservations. The park consists of 62 acres all wodded with pines, maple and oaks. There is a half mile of beach front with two swimming areas, plus a picnic area, two picnic shelters, park store, mini cabin, walking trails, fishing pier, cooking grills in the picnic area etc. Well, it seems like the whole county piled in there today. The beach and picnic area was just crawling with people and we actually had people waiting to get in cause we ran out of parking spaces. And the boat launch was busy all day too. It was certainlly a grand entrance to summer. And I expect tomorrow will be the same if not more cause it's Sunday and more people will be off work. So it has kept those of us on park staff hopping all day to keep our visitors happy. Been a great day

[Carolinagal]

Sue, I had thought I might go to Michigan this summer, to visit relatives, friends and maybe GTG with you, would love to meet you. Maybe next yr. I would have been traveling right in your area. That park sounds lovely, wee crowded, but lots of fun.
Hope your summer is a good one there.

CArol

[Colliemom]

Well lCarol, that will give you a goal to look forward too. That park can be a bit crowded when it's full, the there are times when it's not. Before Memorai Day and after Labor Day, from about mid August on and after Memorial Day for a couple of weeks in June. July and August can get busy as it's prime vacation time. But if anybody wants to camp there, let me know and I can tell you how many sites are open. During the summer, Memorial Day-Labor Day, the parks are on site specific reservations, meaning that people can reserve a specific site for a given week, weekend or whatever. Max stay is 15 days. A lot of people have their favorite sites and want them when they come up and others just reserve a site and don't care which one. But there are always at least 8-10 sites that are held off the reservatin system for folks who just drive in off the road looking to camp. And of course fall can be a beautiful time.

[Nasoosie]

Sure sounds like a beautiful campsite, Sue! Some day in the not-too-distant future I hope to be heading your way----probably ot until next summer, however. I'm now going to look up Otsego State Park and check it out to add to my list of campsites to visit! Have fun!