When we lived in Michigan, I was a little traumatized by winter. I thought I knew what winter was like, but I was wrong. The worst part to me was that during the bad weather season, you had to drive for literally DAYS to get out of the cold! That’s one reason why I’m happy to be in Phoenix now– we do get a “bad weather” season in the summer when it gets up to 122 degrees F outside, but at least we only have to drive an hour and a half or so to get out of it!
We have two people in in our family with August birthdays – my sister and my husband – and my parents like to take us to the cool weather in Flagstaff to celebrate and escape the heat.
One of the things we always do, and have done in the summers since I can remember, is go to Lake Mary. We used to live right off Lake Mary Road when I was a kid, and I have many memories of heading out of town and into the pines toward the lake.
Where is Lake Mary?
Lake Mary is about 20 minutes south of downtown Flagstaff. Take Lake Mary Road south and east, and you’ll find it! There are some free parking areas along the road, but they fill quickly. You’ll have a better bet parking in the fee area, which is about $10 per car for the day.
Ben making cowboy coffee during a camping trip
What do to at Lake Mary
Bicyclists love this area. You’ll see huge flocks (packs? herds?) of bicyclists riding down the highway on weekends. It’s easy to see why they love this ride. When we go in July or August, there are always sunflowers blooming all around the lake.
We often camp above Lake Mary. Since it’s National Forest land, it’s free. There are also plenty of places to just pull off and set up tents.
Obviously, boating and all its cousin activities are perfect at Lake Mary. We don’t have a boat, but we do have an inflatable kayak that had lasted us many lake days. My parents and my sister also have some inflatable paddleboards, which is my favorite thing to do.
Fishing is OK in Lake Mary, too. You can get some bait at the shop up the road and shore fish or trawl. Fishing in Arizona is generally terrible, so if you’re from out of state, don’t expect to much. Arizonans will probably be pretty happy with a catch from Lake Mary.
Activities near Lake Mary
When you’re done with your lake day, there are plenty of things to do in the area. Downtown Flagstaff isn’t too far. You can go to catch one of the public weekend concerts, watch the train pass at the Flagstaff Visitor Center, or take a hike up Mount Humphreys. Buffalo Park is another great nature area to visit. Flagstaff Extreme Adventure is a fun activity, as well.
If you love to spend your getaways in nature, then Lake Mary is a great place to visit during your Flagstaff trip! Not only can you camp for free nearby, but you can enjoy the peace and beauty of the lake and make a quick trip into town for anything you might need.
Last call for summer in Ontario! I can’t want to see fall in Canada, but summer is National Parks Season. In just a few short weeks, most of the National Parks in Canada will be closed for winter.
Naturally, the end of free Canada Parks passes for Canada’s 150th anniversary is a big deal for a budget traveler like myself.
So, when Ben and I both had a three-day weekend over Memorial day, we loaded up the dog and hit the road for a three-day camping trip in Ontario!
Ipperwash Beach: $0
Although we live in Detroit, we ended up taking the Port Huron border crossing. It’s closer to the coast of Lake Huron, where Bruce Peninsula is located.
Canadian Monopoly money
The way into Canada wasn’t too bad. The guards didn’t even bother checking Kito’s paperwork! It’s up to date, of course, which is actually more important on the U.S. entry than the Canadian entry. After quick formalities, we were on our way!
Lucky dog– she’s been to 4 countries now!
After we got through the border, we drove along the coast. After living in Saint Martin, where all the beaches are public property, we forgot there would be so many private beaches!
Of course, there are also some nice public beaches on the Huron coast of Ontario. We decided to stop for lunch at Ipperwash Beach, which is in Lambton Shores.
Part of the beach does require paid parking, but if you drive to the northern entrance, you can park for free. Exit Highway 21 on Army Camp Road, and you’ll find the lot and a nice picnic area with restrooms.
The beach itself was nice, and we apparently hit it on a good day! However, it was really crowded, so we made a mental note to come on a day that isn’t a holiday weekend next time.
The best part about Ipperwash Beach was a guy driving a couple of jet skis into the lake on his tractor. You don’t see that every day.
The Old Homestead Campground: $42 CAD/ $34 USD
Unfortunately, I didn’t plan the first day of our trip very well. I originally wanted to take a longer route and go through Point Pelee National Park on the first day, but Ben very wisely pointed out that the massive loop I mapped out on Google Maps was going to take more than 3 days, unless we never wanted to get out of the car.
So we didn’t have camping reservations, and when it came time to find a camp, we didn’t have a very easy time of it. Most of the campsites and hotels were full. Finally, I stopped at a general store and asked for advice. The owners pointed me to The Old Homestead, not too far from the highway in Bayfield.
Honestly, we were a bit underwhelmed by the campground. It was nice, but for $42 CAD I’d expect something different than an unserviced piece of grass on the common lawn. The playground was very close to the campsite, and everyone was packed into tight spaces, so it was pretty noisy. Someone played very loud music until late at night, too.
We forgot a pot, so Ben used his “African ingenuity,” as he calls the skills he learned from a childhood in Tanzania.
Although I’m more of a camp-in-the-middle-of-the-woods kind of person, The Old Homestead would be nice to stay at on a less busy weekend, if you don’t mind neighbors. It’s clean and well kept, which is always a plus.
Right behind our site, there was a path that led into winding trails through the forest. This was awesome! Kito loved running around the woods and splashing through the creek. I don’t think she’s ever seen a creek before, and she was fascinated!
We also found a great place to string up hammocks. We were far enough away from the noise of the camp that we could relax in the peace and quiet of the woods for a while.
Point Clark Lighthouse: $7 CAD/ $5.64 USD
The next day, we packed up and headed further north. We stopped at Point Clark Lighthouse in Point Clark, because who doesn’t love lighthouses?
I was planning to just look at the lighthouse, but Ben and I were excited to see that this was a Parks Canada Historic Site! Armed with our Parks Canada pass, we headed inside.
Unfortunately, the Parks Canada pass is not valid at Point Clark Lighthouse. Not sure why Parks Canada would own something but not operate it, but I guess that is why the pass isn’t taken there.
Because we were on a budget for this trip, we skipped the lighthouse tour. However, if you don’t mind spending an extra $7, it looked like a great place to tour! I was OK to skip it, though, since it was a bonus stop on our trip anyway.
Sauble Beach: $0
If you know anything about the Huron coastline of Ontario, you probably have heard of Sauble Beach.
Sauble Beach is a resort town on the coast, and it was hopping the day we visited. We were lucky enough to get a parking spot close to the beach itself, so we walked over to have lunch.
A friendly police officer reminded us that dogs are not allowed on most of the beach, so we stayed in the small dog-friendly area to eat. The view was very pretty!
Fathom Five National Marine Park: $0
The Fathom Five Marine Park is located on the tip of Bruce Peninsula, near the town of Tobermory.
For the Canada 150 celebration, Fathom Five Marine Park is open to the public for free. This treat ended already, sadly, and we ended up visiting on the second to last day! Because of this, the park was packed.
However, you can visit next year for about $6 CAD per adult and $15 for a family, which is an awesome price! If you want to see flowerpot island, add an extra $60 for a private boat tour. Or, go all out and scuba dive through one of the many shipwrecks.
Despite the mayhem, the crowds did not deter us. They kind of freaked out Kito, who barked at a beagle, a child, and a park bench within the first ten minutes of being in the park. She chilled out once we got on the path, though.
I took the climb up the tower to see the whole park. Wow! What a climb. the girl in front of me got shaky legs and had to summon all her courage to get all the way up. I tried to take some photos to show how high up it was.
We took the Burnt Point Loop, which is the hike in Fathom Five National Park. This, along with the trail from the visitor’s center, was about four miles long. It’s actually a side trail of the epic Bruce Trail, which runs from Fathom Five to Niagara Falls! It was cool to get to do a little bit of the Bruce Trail, which is a bucket list item for me.
The trail was gorgeous, and it took us to incredibly clear, blue water that reminded me of Saint Martin. Despite the many visitors, there were many nooks along the coastline where we could be alone an enjoy the view. A picture is worth a thousand words, so take a look below:
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Singing Sands at Bruce National Park: $0
On our way out, we stopped at Singing Sands, a part of Bruce National Park. This is another park that was free in 2017 and closed on Labor Day. Again, it was a bit crowded, but not as crowded as Fathom Five.
Ben and I would have liked to hike the trail to The Grotto in Bruce National Park, but they were totally booked for the day and turned us away!
Ben on his daily run! 112 days and counting.
We ended up at Singing Sands, which was still a lovely way to end our day. Besides, the Grotto will be there next time.
Singing Sands doesn’t look like much– until you start walking along the path. Here, you’ll find incredible biodiversity and lovely wildlife! Ben saw a snake, but all I saw were flowers and birds. I’m OK with that!
KOA Owen Sound: $35 CAD/ $28 USD
After our time at Bruce National Park, we drove to the Owen Sound Koa, about an hour and a half away. I’m a fan of KOAs, since they’re pretty predictable. In a place where randomly hiking into the woods and setting up camp isn’t allowed, this was a great option.
We are definitely coming back here! We did have neighbors and a busy campsite, but it was nice and quiet. It was spread out enough and there were tons of trees, so it felt fairly private. It also looked like a fun place to bring kids– a hay ride was taking off just as we arrived.
We strung up our hammocks by the car and made dinner– macaroni and cheese in a bread pan over a portable stove! Hey, whatever works.
The most wonderful part of this camp was that it is connected to the Bruce Trail! We woke up early, made a flask of hot chocolate, and followed the trail over the bridge, through the Rock Springs Side Trail, and on to the Bruce Trail.
Oh, my word! The trail in the morning was so still. It was only about 65 degrees Fahrenheit, but the stillness in the air made it feel comfortably cool. I come from a land of conifers, so this boreal forest was magical. Everything was covered in soft green moss, and the morning light filtered softly down through the leaves.
I wish so badly that we could take a month and trek the entire Bruce Trail! I’m not sure if that will ever be a reality, but it was a treat to get to walk a couple of miles of the trail.
Produce Stand at Masse Farms: $13/ $10.50 CAD for produce
We had a long drive ahead (and it got longer as the lines at the border increased), so we went straight along the 5-hour route home.
We did, however, make one last stop! One simply cannot go through farm country without buying fresh produce, so we followed the signs to Masse Farms and bought some sweet corn, meat, strawberries, and tomatoes. Yum! There’s nothing like farm-fresh food.
We continued on through the cornfields and towns toward home. Each church tower, brick shop, and Victorian estate was something new and beautiful to admire! If you ever find yourself with a weekend to wander, these towns are worth a look.
After a relaxing morning of driving through rural Ontario, we eventually pulled into our driveway. It was a weekend well spent! Next time, we’re heading around the southern coast of Ontario.
Other Expenses:
$140 CAD/ $113 USD for gas
$37 CAD/ $30 USD for groceries
Total: $268 CAD/ $216 USD
We were able to have a three-day trip from Detroit to Tobermory for under $250 USD! Of course, the free Parks Canada pass ends this year, so the parks won’t be free after 2017. However, the parks aren’t very expensive, and if you don’t want to pay, you can always opt for free walks in the nature parks!
The trick to keeping this trip inexpensive — despite the necessary gas for such a long drive — is to refuse to splurge. Don’t go shopping, don’t stay in hotels, and don’t eat out. You can have plenty of fun in nature while eating your own groceries!
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Have you ever camped in Detroit? I didn’t think so! As it turns out, camping in Detroit is pretty hard to find. However, it is there, if only you look close enough. Believe it or not, Detroit does have its pockets of green wilderness!
Our pocket of green came in the form of an Airbnb backyard campsite in the middle of a pretty rough-looking urban area. The surprisingly beautiful neighborhood was tucked into an overgrown-looking street not too far from downtown Detroit!
The people we stayed with are pretty cool. They are both circus performers, and they created a wildlife sanctuary/ backyard campsite out of an old, boarded-up house that had been long forgotten. Inside, the house is a delightful explosion of homey Pinterest-type creativity, which the outside is a woodsy wonderland.
When we arrived, I was absolutely thrilled to walk from the dark street into a romantically-lit backyard wildlife space with room for campfires, stargazing, and wildlife watching! A people-sized wooden structure was nestled into one corner, surrounding a cozy tent. It looked like a sylvan fairyland.
Good thing our hosts provided a tent, because we accidentally left ours in the moving trailer and probably would not have survived the mosquitoes in our hammocks. We said good night to our hosts and their one-year-old son, and crawled into the tent with Kito.
Kito was not overly thrilled with the tent life. I, however, was delighted to have found an affordable and outdoorsy option for a night’s stay! After all, how often do you get to move to a new city, make friends, and stay in their backyard wonderland?
Of course, a new day brought new realities. The stars disappeared into a blue sky and out came the spiders. Did you know that Michigan has about 47 spiders per square inch? I was contemplating whether I would rather have Arizona’s scorpions or Michigan’s spiders as I watched them crawl their creepy little bodies over the outside of our tent. I bet demons have eight legs. However, a quick search on my phone revealed that none of the said spiders were poisonous– 4G is a definite perk of city camping.
The more important concerns of the day came soon enough as well. Long story short, we eventually found a perfect apartment. We had thought to buy a house since there are a lot of cheap ones on the Detroit market, but a safer apartment in the metro area is probably a better bet as we settle in.
My parents drove the entire 2,000 miles from Phoenix to Detroit with us! I don’t know what we would have done without them. Just handling the Kito factor alone would have made it tough to get anything done. While we were apartment hunting, my parents took Kito to about seven dog parks and playgrounds to run around! By the end of the day, she was wiped.
Things are starting to fall into place! It’s still pretty surreal that we are actually in Michigan right now. Do you know how long I’ve wanted to try out Midwest life? Maybe I’ll be regretting that sentiment around, say, November, but for now I’m pretty excited to see what it brings!
The crackle of the fire, the smell of wood smoke, the taste of fresh sweet corn– the tearing of thorns? For the Player Development kids from Sint Maarten, all of these things say “Canadian summer.” This year, they got to experience their first camping in the temperate zone. We didn’t stay the night, but we did get to do all the best of camp activities. Tré, a teen from our group, writes about his time at Camp Wetaskiwin.
The trip was almost over. We went to a campsite. It’s very nice.
We played “Capture the Flag” in the wild bush! It was really fun until I bruised my side. I got so many cuts as well, but it was worth it.
“No one was left unscathed.” -Theo, age 14
After, we dove into the pool to cool off, which was nice from all that running.
“We had lots of fun.” -Skijlaar, age 12
When we cooled enough we had dinner on the fire. Tin foil dinner, where we put chicken, onion, potatoes, and vegetables in the tin wrap it up and put it into the fire. It turned out to be delicious.
I would surely do it again.
Thanks, Tré, and thanks to everyone who made the camping trip happen! We had a great time.
