I am planning to take my family on an trip for 3 weeks to the Lake
Huron area. Besides my wife and myself, we have 4 children aged 4 to
16. We would like to visit both the US and Canadian borders of the lake region. 

We will be taking our travel trailer and would like to spend half the time
camping.

Where can we camp?
What hotels are family orientated and reasonably priced?
What are the must see attractions? (We will make the older kids endure
the stuff for the younger kids, and younger ones alternate outings to
allow the older two kids to do some things that would interest them)

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Request for Question Clarification by alanna-ga on 29 Mar 2006 18:55 PST

Your plan sounds like great fun already. It would be helpful to know,
if possible,  where you want to start your trip--from the Detroit side
or from the Wisconsin direction or from Canada.   Here is a map:
http://encarta.msn.com/map_701513928/Lake_Huron.html.
Also, how long do you wish to spend travelling around the lake?

---

Clarification of Question by ontarget-ga on 30 Mar 2006 13:57 PST

I was thinking that it would be nice to start at the top of Michigan
as I have been across that long bridge between the upper penisula and
it was very beautiful up there. Then I thought we would work our way
down to Detroit, maybe cross into Canada at Windsor and then work our
way all the way back to where we started. I will be starting in Canada
as that is where we will rent the RV. I was thinking of 3 weeks, but
we might extend it to 4 weeks doing the loop depending on how much
there is to do.

Thank you for asking.

Hi ontarget-ga ?

In trying to gather the campground and hotel information you asked
for, I started at the Michigan side of Lake Huron, then went generally
along the US coast of the Lake and back up on the Canadian side.  I
listed campgrounds where I could with a few hotels added around the
Detroit area and in Sudbury, ON.

First, I listed the campgrounds and hotels for you to choose among,
then I added some activities that may be of interest.

On the US side, I selected campgrounds that were near national parks
or wildlife refuges.  As there were fewer campgrounds along the
Ontario coast, I just listed the ones that looked appropriate (for
example, I didn't list fishing or hunting lodges).

I didn't want to restrict your itinerary, so I listed many more than
you might be expected to stay in during one vacation.


DeTOUR, MI

DeTour State Forest Campground
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=694

ROGERS CITY, MI

Hoeft State Park and Campground
http://www.michigan.org/travel/detail.asp?p=G10136

PRESQUE ISLE,MI

Ocqueoc Falls State Forest Campground
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=627

Shoepac Lake State Forest Campground
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=628

Tomahawk Creek Flooding State Forest Campground
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=629

PORT AUSTIN, MI

Port Crescent State Park
http://www.michigan.org/travel/detail.asp?m=&p=g4699

There is a campground  and camper cabins are also available in Port Crescent.

LAKEPORT,MI

Lakeport State Park and Campground
http://www.michigan.org/travel/detail.asp?p=g10145

DETROIT, MI,  HOTELS

RoadsideAmerica.com Hotel 7 Motel Finder
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/hotels-motels/hotels/us-mi-detroit.html

KINCARDINE, ON 

Bluewater Trailer Park
http://bluewatertrailerpark.ca/

Fishermans Cove
http://www.fishermanscove.net/

Greenacres Campground and RV Park
http://www.greenacrescamp.com/

Kincardine hotels
http://ontario.hotel--canada.com/kincardinehotels.html

SOUTHAMPTON, ON

Dreamaker Family Compound
http://www.dreamaker-campground.com/

Holiday Park
http://www.holidayparkinc.com/

PORT ELGIN, ON

Kenorus Campground and RV Resort, Inc.
http://www.kenorus.com/MainPage.html


SUDBURY, ON (hotel)

Sudbury Hotels
http://sudbury.hotel--canada.com/


GOULAIS RIVER, ON

Blueberry Motel and Campground
http://www.onblueberryhill.com/

More camps in Ontario

Southern Ontario Tourism
http://www.soto.on.ca/results1.asp?xsotoarea=3&xtype=9


Activities:

LIGHTHOUSES
The first leg of your journey, south along the western shore of Lake
Huron, there is a series of Lighthouses which will certainly be of
interest to all the children.

Lighthouses
http://www.nightbeacon.com/zlighthouses/lakehuronlighthousemap.htm

On the Canadian side, there are more lighthouses.

Bruce County Kids
http://www.explorethebruce.com/kidsstuff.cfm?page=three

A FERRY RIDE
Another interesting thing for all the kids might be to take a ride on
the car ferry running between South Baymouth (on the southern coast of
Manitoulin Island) and Tobermory (on the northern tip of the Bruce
Peninsula).

USA and Canada Holiday Hints
http://freespace.virgin.net/john.cletheroe/usa_can/on/ferry.htm

and

MS Chi-Cheeman
http://www.chicheemaun.com/chi/index.shtml 

 	
THE SUDBURY METORITE CRATER
The largest crater on the North American continent, the Sudbury Crater
is over 1.85 millions years old.  It is thought to have been made by a
comet.  Hope that one doesn't come around again...;-)

Sudbury Crater
http://www.meteoritelabels.com/Astrobleme.html

Sudbury Basin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudbury_Crater

MUSEUMS

Detroit Area Museums, MI

Greater Detroit Area Museums
http://www.wideopenwest.com/~awesley5155/det_museum.html


Bruce Country, ON

Indoor Attractions
http://www.explorethebruce.com/kidsstuff.cfm?page=three


I do hope this is helpful to you.  I have listed plenty of websites
for you to study before you go, so that you can choose in advance,
where practical.  Certainly, along the way you will see things to do
that never made it to a website, but isn't that the joy of travel???

Have a great and a safe trip.

All the best, 

Alanna-ga

Search terms: 
campground huron ontario
campground huron michigan
museums detroit
hotels detroit children
lake huron site:.on.ca

Alanna, Thank you for the research. This will be a great starting
point for us to plan our trip. I'm sure that we will be able to add to
this and have the whole family get involved in finding a few more
things to do along the way.

Ontarget as I sit here on the shore of Lake Huron I would suggest that
you forget most of the information you have received from alanna.ga.

Having been around the lake several times I will lay out some good places to go.

You have stated that you will be picking up your trailer in Canada, I
am guessing in Toronto. You will be traveling North from their to the
Lake Simcoe area www.orillia.com/ Then to the Parry Sound area, this
is quite rustic. www.town.parry-sound.on.ca/ Algonquin Provincial Park
is a well known park. www.algonquinpark.on.ca/  Sudbury is known for
its nickel mines www.city.greatersudbury.on.ca/  you will truly be in
the wilderness! Then on to Sault St Marie Ont/Mich.
www.city.sault-ste-marie.on.ca/ & www.saultstemarie.com/ this is were
Lake Superior flows into Lake Huron. You will want to visit the locks
there. From there you travel across the upper peninsula of Michigan to
the Mackinaw Bridge (the long bridge) which crosses the Strait of
Mackinaw between Lake Huron and Michigan. When you get to the south
side of the bridge you will want to stop at Mackinaw City,
www.mackinac.com/  the city its self is a lot of tourist shops, they
can be fun, but the real reason you are there is to take a ferry out
to Mackinaw Island www.mackinacisland.org/  THI IS A MUST! The island
is one of the few places in the world where there are no motor cars
allowed, you travel by horse drawn wagon or bicycle. Don?t forget to
buy some fudge it is made in shops on the island and is famous! The
Grand Hotel has the longest porch in the world!

This is the state web site for camp grounds etc. travel.michigan.org  

Coming down the east side of Michigan you will find lots of parks both
state and county for camping.

Here are the sites for the areas along the way: Cheboygan
www.cheboygan.com/ Rogers City www.rogerscity.com/ Alpena
www.alpena.com/ Oscoda www.oscoda.com/ this is were the Au Sable river
is, it is a wonderful river for the family to canoe down. Tawas City
www.tawas.com/  The next city will be Bay City www.baycityarea.com/ 
the first large city you will be in since the Sault. Now you are
getting into my area. From Bay City you will be traveling on M-25 into
the Thumb of Michigan! www.huroncounty.com/  You will pass thru
Sebewaing where they manufacture sugar from sugar beets grown in the
thumb. Then to Caseville a small resort town, you will want to camp at
one of the two state parks Sleeper or Port Crescent. Port Austin is
another small resort town near the tip of the thumb.  One of the
things that people do at either Port Austin or Grindstone City is go
charter fishing, I am not a fisherman so I can?t give you any info on
that. South of Grindstone City on M-25 you will come to Huron City,
you will want to stop there huroncitymuseums.com/ .
Next is Port Hope, you should try to have lunch or dinner at the Port
Hope Bar, not the best burger you ever had but it will be the largest!
Next will be Harbor Beach, stop in to The Corner Store.

You will then travel through Port Sanilac to Lexington where there are
some nice shops. You will then go on to Port Huron which you can use
for a base to take a side trip to Greenfield Village www.hfmgv.org/
THIS IS A MUST! It is about a hour drive from Pt Huron and can be done
as a day trip. Depending on your interest you may want to take an
additional day there as it is huge!

In Port Huron you will want to take a drive along the St Clair river,
there are several places to dine or if you just want to watch the
boats go by there is a lookout at the south corner of Black River and
St Clair www.achesonventures.com/  Looking across the river at night
at the lights in Canada is a site not to be missed!

You will then cross over into Canada via the Blue Water Bridges, yes
there are two of them one built in the 30?s and the next in the 90?s
www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9618_11070---,00.html . You will
then be in Sarnia Ont. www.tourism-sarnia-lambton.com/ . Then you will
travel east on the 402 to Hwy 21. There is a nice Provincial park near
Grand Bend called the Pinery www.pinerypark.on.ca/  The next town up
will be Bayfield which like Lexington has some very nice shops. OK I
haven?t been north of here in about 30 years so other then the high
points I don?t have much. alanna.ga is right about the ferry out of
Tobermory to Manitoulin Island www.hurontourism.on.ca/ . This has been
fun.