Tawas

Scott Endres of Louisville, Kentucky and his wife will soon experience Pure Michigan as the winners of the Pure Michigan Dream Vacation contest that was held on the Pure Michigan Facebook page. Thanks to Buick, Delta and the North American International Auto Show the Endres’ will enjoy free roundtrip airfare, lodging and rental car as they travel to Tawas, Oscoda, Alpena, Hillman and Mackinac Island. In case you’ve never been to Michigan’s Sunrise Coast and have been meaning to do so here are a few things you can check out at these Pure Michigan locales.

Tawas sits on Tawas Bay, which overlooks Lake Huron. It’s bordered by the Huron National Forest and AuSable River, which offer a variety of outdoor activities year-round like fishing, boating, swimming and biking. Also nearby is Tawas Point State Park. Among the several lodgings available is the Tawas Bay Beach Resort, situated near several golf courses and a marina. Like many cities in Michigan, Tawas features a quaint Downtown with restaurants and shops for any taste.

Oscoda is an outdoorsman’s dream. Located on the northern side of the AuSable River where it empties into Lake Huron. The city is also near the Huron National Forest, which offers outdoor recreational opportunities such as hunting, swimming, cross-country skiing and fishing. The forest contains 330 miles of hiking trails. If you’re an avid hiker, Oscoda may be perfect for your next hike. It’s part of the Michigan Shore to Shore Riding & Hiking Trail, which runs from Empire to Oscoda. It’s a 500-mile interconnected system of trails. Oscoda is also home to the Melvin Motorcycle Museum, Michigan’s only motorcycle museum with an extensive collection of antique motorcycles and memorabilia.

Located on the scenic Thunder Bay, Alpena is home to Michigan’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The 448-square-mile sanctuary and underwater preserve protects an estimated 116 historically significant shipwrecks ranging from nineteenth century wooden side-wheelers to twentieth century steel-hulled steamers. In fact, you can even take a tour of many of the wrecks on the Thunder Bay Shipwreck Tour. Historic Downtown Alpena’s 200 businesses also provide old-fashioned service and quality. Blooming gardens, planters adorning lightposts, a farmers market, and music carried on the breeze from Bay View Park greet summer visitors.

Hillman is located on the northeastern border of Montmorency County and the Thunder Bay River, complete with dam and park on the pond. Thunder Bay Golf Resort is unique in offering an intimate look at wild elk. The resort has its own large herd on the property and has been ranching elk for years. While there, you can enjoy an elk viewing sleigh/carriage gourmet dinner ride.

Suspended in a forgotten, more innocent time, Mackinac Island is unlike any other place in Michigan. Relive the simple pleasures of life: A leisurely carriage ride on silent, uncrowded streets, slowly dancing face-to-face with your loved one on the romantic floors of the Grand Hotel, or sampling some world-famous Mackinac Island fudge while biking around the island. Visitors can also travel back in time and relive some of Michigan’s rich history at Fort Mackinac, which allows you to relive what military life was like in the 1880’s.

Check out a quick clip of Scott learning that he was selected as the winner of the Pure Michigan Dream Vacation. Thanks to all that entered!

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Guest Blogger Rick Kessler shares his family’s story about camping in Tawas this summer.

Sunset at Tawas Point State Park

If a sunset can capture the attention of a 14-year-old girl and two boys, ages 11 and 9, you know it must be a good one.

And that was just one of the highlights of our camping trip to Tawas Point State Park this summer.
We had spent the week playing in the waves on the Lake Huron side, swimming in the warm waters on the Tawas Bay side, exploring the sandy trails along the peninsula, and biking through East Tawas to Tawas City and exploring the downtowns of each. Lunch at G’s Pizza and ice cream at Marian’s Dairy Bar were highlights, and by the end of the last day of our trip we were whipped — but not whipped enough to be lured away by the promise of a glorious sunset.

My wife and I were sitting around our campfire when we were alerted to the sunset. The kids came racing back on their bikes, demanding that we get our camera and head back to the beach with them. We arrived in time to capture the fleeting moments as the sun dipped below the downtowns of East Tawas and Tawas City, with Tawas Bay in between us. Leftover rain clouds from earlier in the day provided for a spectacular site as the sun’s rays poked through them.

We stayed there for a good 15 minutes — an eternity of calm for our active kids. Eventually, the amber glows of the sun were replaced by Michigan’s state bird — mosquitoes — so we returned to our campsite, devoured the best s’mores ever and slept in the next morning. The perfect end to a perfect week of camping.

Rick Kessler, an editor for The Oakland Press, is a lifelong Michigan resident and a fan of Detroit’s sports teams as well as those of his alma mater, Michigan State, and whatever teams his kids might be playing on. Rick and his family are avid RV campers who are gradually making their way to each of Michigan’s state parks. You can contact Rick via email, or by leaving a comment below.

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