Charlevoix, MI
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Our day began at Young State Park Campground in Boyne City, MI. Andi said he slept terribly last night because the people at the campsite next to ours had a campfire going until 2:00am this morning. Unfortunately, our home on wheels isn’t very sound-proof and hear every word.
On a better note, the view outside our camper window this morning couldn’t be beat. It was a beautiful day in Boyne City with temperatures already in the 60’s by mid-morning. The wind was fair and waves gently crashed onto the shoreline of our campsite.
Andi decided to go for a run for his workout this morning. I lifted weights at our campsite using the adjustable dumbbells we brought along with us on this trip. It’s the first time I’ve used them as Anytime Fitness gyms have been pretty easy to come by so far during our travels.
From 10am - Noon, Andi sat at the campsite picnic table and did several conference calls. Laura sat nearby in a lawn chair and conducted work calls of her own. Tory, Aden, and I sat at the dinette inside our RV, and did their school work. Shaun sent a text to our group chat that read: “A retired man’s perspective: Three professionals working, two kids learning, and one retired man takes it all in…” He was sitting in his own lawn chair beside their camper basking in sunshine and relaxation.
When work and school was finished, our group packed up our campers and drove to the town of Charlevoix, MI. Charlevoix is a picturesque harbor town in Northern Michigan, and visiting has been on my bucket list for years. The small town of 2,500 people is in direct proximity to both Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan.
By coincidence, we parked our campers smack dab in the neighborhood of the “mushroom houses” — Hobbit-like houses designed by local architect Earl Young. A golf cart tour buzzed by us with a driver spouting facts about the unique home designs. They were neat to see! I can’t imagine people gawking at my house all the time, though.
From there, we walked several blocks to Charlevoix’s downtown area. The main street was filled with restaurants and locally-owned shops. Laura prompted us to stop into Cherry Republic which sold every type of cherry food item you could imagine. “Cherries don’t grow in ugly places,” on sign read.
We sampled jams, salsas, dry rubs, chocolate-covered cherries, and Laura and Shaun even tried the store’s cherry-flavored wines. We found a few things to purchase including cherry balsamic vinegar, crunchy granola, sweet & spicy cherry chipotle salsa, and a dry rub seasoning.
In town, Tory also purchased a Charlevoix sweatshirt at a shop that had lots of cute & fashionable Michigan merchandise.
We stopped for lunch at Cantina Tacos and Tequila. This was the perfect spot to sit outside and enjoy tacos, quesadillas, chips, guac, and queso.
After lunch, we heard a bell sound and raced down the street to watch Charlevoix’s drawbridge in action. On the hour and half hours, the famous Bascule Bridge opens to allow large watercraft to pass through the channel that connects Lake Charlevoix to Lake Michigan. Andi and I thought it was cool to see; Laura and Tory thought it was kind of lame, haha!
The six of us strolled down by Charlevoix’s waterfront, admiring all the fancy boats. Over the grassy lawn, a string quartet played Frank Sinatra from the bandshell which felt like a fitting tone for Charlevoix — this is a classy town with its charming boutiques, perfectly manicured lawns and gardens, and high-end marina life. I imagine it’s quite busy here in the summertime! Our experience in Charlevoix on this warm September day was a great one.
Unfortunately, it was time to say good-bye to Andi’s cousin Laura and her husband Shaun. They need to be back in Minnesota for a family wedding this weekend. We absolutely love traveling with Laura and Shaun, and are so glad they joined us for part of our Michigan adventures. After several sad good-byes, our campers parted ways.
Our refrigerator was pretty bare, so our next stop was Family Fare grocery store to buy a few food items. Death by sensitive produce scanners; they’re so annoying! We also refueled with diesel at Circle K in Charlevoix. This particular gas station even had plastic gloves for customers to use; that’s a first for us!
Next, we stopped by Fisherman’s Island State Park for a hike, but we lost all motivation by the time we arrived. Andi suggested we find a sunny spot by the water and have a little downtime instead. We spent 30 minutes or so blogging (me), sending emails (Andi), and watching their phones (kids).
Tonight, Andi made us a camping reservation at Friske Farm, a Harvest Host location. Members of Harvest Host are able to stay at participating farms, wineries, and breweries for free with the good intention that visitors would patronize the host’s business.
We were happy to because Friske Farms was a fabulous place to visit! This family farm offered a variety of products for purchase including fresh fruits, homemade applesauce, salsas, desserts, and other merchandise. Additionally, there was also a cafe serving brick-oven sandwiches and pizza. The chef was such a friendly guy, and really wanted our food items to be personalized how we liked them. We ordered a chicken grinder sandwich, pulled pork sandwich, and cheesy bread to share amongst the four of us.
Tory and Aden played together in the indoor foam pit, and then outdoors on the zip line while we waited for our food to be ready. The facilities at Friske Farm were top-notch with a variety of family-friendly activities & play equipment, and lots of outdoor seating.
Andi parked the RV in the middle of the grassy lawn. We set up camp there, and enjoyed our food from the kitchen. The sandwiches and cheesy bread (with homemade ranch that Andi raved about!) were fantastic, but the stars of the show were the homemade cookies. We split a sugar cookie with almond buttercream frosting and a cherry pie-topped cookie. Oh my goodness, were they heavenly!
One of the best things about traveling in our RV are all the different kinds of places we get to stay. Andi asked the question of Laura, Shaun, Tory, Aden, and I the other night over dinner: “What is your favorite type of campsite?” and none of us could come up with one specific answer. I think it’s because each one hold something special. Tonight’s Harvest Host campsite at Friske Farms was beautiful, peaceful, and fun. Campsites near the water are special, and so are the ones tucked up into a forest of trees (except our satellite internet won’t work then). We’re so fortunate to experience them all.
