Campground Review - Sturgeon Bend, Faithorn Township Park Sept 2007

(this is one of series of posts of various campgrounds we have been to over the years... I am going through my files in alphabetical order and posting past camping trips in my blog.... something to do until camping starts again--- sigh)

Sturgeon Bend campground is a rustic township park, just south of Faithorn, Mi.  It’s located on the Menominee river that borders between Wisconsin and Michigan. 

Sturgeon Bend township park information

Don't let the name of the road into this park fool you.  It's called State Road 2.   But it is not a state highway or anything even close!   The road down to the park is all sandy, gravelly and full of potholes.  Not for the faint of heart nor the folks who don't like to leave the pavement.  We took the rig down the road because we had explored it earlier and knew we could make it.  Had to go around a few deeper mudholes, but we made it!   This sign is at the entry point on the gravel road into the park.  

This is a rustic park, no hookups. Some folks would never consider to camp here.  We sure like the rustic nature of the park and the lack of crowds.  There is a well pump near the entrance to the campground.  Only a few sites here will accommodate a rig of our size, but every time we have driven in here, only 1 or 2 sites are even occupied.   At the end of the campground loop is a boat landing access to the river for fishermen, so the traffic through the campground is more for the boat launch than the campground itself.   

We fit very well on this site.. just drove right in and made ourselves at home.  We pulled in on a Friday evening before it got dark and settled in for the weekend.  There are only 13 or 14 sites in the park, and I think this one was number 9.  We only paid $6 a night to camp here. 

This is the view right out of our windshield.. down to the river

A cozy little campfire... no metal ring, no grid, just a circle of big rocks.  Ahhh now that is a campfire!!!

We camped here in September and the leaves are already starting to turn.   

Walking along the edge of the river, it was peaceful and quiet.  Not another person in sight.  This is the type of camping we enjoy and could spend weeks on end here, easily.  Just run out every 10-12 days to dump and take on more fresh water, and we would be all set.   Quite a contrast to the rows and rows of tin cans we see parked in RV parks, huddled together, all clinging to their power cords, water hoses, sewer drains and cable or satellite dishes.  Sigh.     That might be fine for some, but not for us, sorry. 

A bit of glare from the sunshine made this an interesting picture.  I walked around a bit snapping shots, 

but had to get back to the campsite soon because we were cooking supper.

Back up the trail to the motorhome..... 

My guy, who is soooo busy cooking supper, huh?

(gotta get in the required doggie photo, right?)

This woods is very thick and dense, almost expect to find a hidden fairy land here or a little magical kingdom.

 On Saturday, we hopped on the scooter to take a ride down the road aways...  the pic on the right IS State Road 2, heh heh ...  not what you would expect if you looked on a map, huh?  And yes, we do take our rig down roads like this.  We don't care about the slight scrapes as it's worth it to get into these places.   We regularly wash the rear radiator to get the buildup of dirt off it, and have our slobber tube extended to keep blow-by oil from coating the radiator.  Otherwise the sand and dirt sticks to the oil and clogs the radiator.

 

We drove on down to Chalk Hills Dam, the power plant downriver aways.  

It is at the main bridge we crossed over from Wisconsin into Michigan to get here.  

(near here is the Chalk Hills Campground which I did reviews on back a ways in my blog) 

Some of the roads on the other side of the bridge are actually blacktopped surfaces.

I snapped this shot from the back of the scooter, you can see the line of the windshield on the right

Down the river a bit is an island with a big fancy resort on it.  It is called the Four Seasons Resort .. and its right in the middle of the river on Miscauno Island.  You have to take a bridge onto the island from either the Wisconsin side or the Michigan side to get to the resort and golf course.  It's quite a hidden gem and is said to have very fine dining and sterling accommodations.  A bit out of our pocketbook range.  

We stopped at a few places along the river to snap some shots

Some areas of the hardwoods are changing colors already and getting BRIGHT

We also took a turn off here to Pemme Falls, a small rapids area on the river.  

 (looks like someone used the sign for a bit of target practice, huh?) 

 

These are the steps down to the falls.. what a glorious autumn day!!!

A few shots of the *falls*....

  in our neck of the woods, with our area being mostly flat, this is as exciting as a waterfall can get!  LOL 

 

I set the camera up on a rock and used the self-timer for this shot.  It's one of my favorites.

Many years of rushing waters during the spring thaws have worn these rocks so smooth, in the fall the water levels drop down lower so we could walk out on the rocks around the rapids

 What a lovely blue sky and cloudless day!   All too soon it will be winter and snow and ice...ack

 

Back to the campground now.  There was something so peaceful here that we didn't want to waste the day out on the scooter, we came back to relax and enjoy our campsite. 

This is the *bend* in the river, right near our site.  Must be why they named the campground Sturgeon Bend?  

... and THIS is why we like to camp in such places...  having huge windows filled with green trees, sunshine and not another rig or person or building in sight.  Sometimes I have my table loom set up inside the motorhome to weave on, sometimes we bring it outside and weave under the awning.  Since this photo was taken, we have removed the one couch on the passenger side and now have a Euro chair and ottoman there and left the couch on the driver's side.   I can swivel the passenger seat around and sit there to weave too.   The beams on the loom fold inward for storage so it takes up less room when not in use.  Or else we stick it in the basement storage compartment.   My spinning wheel rides in a closet and the sock machine packs away into a toolbox.  I am all set! 

 

A relaxing evening with a bit of wine... 

we cooked a lasagna in the little Coleman Instastart oven and talked through the dusk till dark.  

We could hear coyotes howling and later an owl was incessantly hooting at a mate across the river.  

It was an interesting evening around the campfire.  We talked about our future and our dreams and our lives.  

This was right before a major surgery of mine, and we needed to reflect on what our dreams and goals were going to be for the future and how our lives might be changed if things didn't work out so well with my health.  

Well, 2 surgeries later, I am still here!   WHEEEEEEEE  a toast to us! 

 

Sunday morning, we found ourselves NOT wanting to pack up or go home.  

We were getting in as much relaxing as we can.  

Isn't this THE BEST LIFE? 

(yes, those are my feet-- Steveio don't do red nail polish)