This isn't the first time I have written about Mitchell State Park in Cadillac, MI. Guess what... it probably won't be the last time either. Mitchell is one of our favorite parks to visit. Especially when Autumn comes around.
If you are looking for the whole seclusion type thing, this park is not your cup of tea. It sits right off of busy highway 115 which crosses the channel connecting Lake Mitchell and Lake Cadillac. It really doesn't take long until you start to drown out all of the road noise and sink into complete relaxation mode.
As you will see in the pictures, my dog is the queen of relaxation mode...
Cadillac is actually fairly large if you make the short drive around Lake Cadillac and venture into town. They have several of the big box stores as well as a growing downtown district with several highly regarded restaurants and bars.
Since we had to work all day on Friday and didn't pull into the campground until around 6 PM, we decided to just get take-out from a place in town. Clam Lake Beer Company ended up being the winner and maybe we were just hungry, but it was fantastic.
I got the Cuban sandwich with fries. It had awesome flavor and they used naan instead of traditional bread which gave it a nice touch.
I didn't get pictures, but everyone else loved their food as well. Due to Covid the business is running a limited menu right now, so it did take us a couple of tries to find something from the online menu that they were actually serving.
The majority of the weekend was spent around the fire pit relaxing and enjoying some great conversation with our friends.
This is what I spent most of the day Saturday looking at. When my eyes were actually open of course. I have a tendency to nap in my lounge chair.
Jovi had plenty of squirrels to watch and pretend to chase.
Typically when we come to this park in the Fall, there is hardly anyone here. We get to pick from pretty much any site we want and we usually try to get right on the channel that connects the two lakes.
This year (again due to Covid), things have been absolutely crazy. With many kids doing virtual learning and other options off the table for travel, the campgrounds have been packed. Mitchell was no exception. By the time Saturday morning rolled around I don't think there was an empty spot in the whole campground.
We have one more trip planned in a couple of weeks and it literally took us an hour to find a state park that had availability for us. That is just how crazy things are this year.
Cadillac is a fairly close trip for us, so I didn't feel bad about transporting some of the wood from the branch that fell on our deck this past Summer. Having sat outside most of the summer it was well seasoned and it burned nicely.
It was great to get some enjoyment out of something that caused us such grief.
Good thing Jovi gets a bath after each camping trip. For some reason she just loves to lay on the ground, even though we bought her a nice cot to sleep on.
Cadillac really is a cool area. Especially if you are able to spend a good number of days there and you have a boat. My friend has brought his a number of times when we are camping here and we typically spend most of our day out on the lake.
The town sits right on the boarder of the Manistee National Forest, so there is plenty of outdoor stuff to do as well if you feel like getting away from the town. In the Winter Cadillac bustles with snowmobiler's and ice fishermen.
On our way up to Cadillac we noticed a billboard that was advertising this party store that specialized in Whiskey. Being a fan of the stuff my buddy and I decided to take a ride on Saturday and see what they had.
I picked up these two bottles that had been on my list of ones to try. My friend got a bottle of Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select barrel strength. At a whopping 125 proof it was pretty much a one and done night for him. I have yet to crack mine open yet, but I have a feeling that will be resolved Friday night.
Sports Talk Social - @bozz.sports
All pictures taken by myself or @mrsbozz
These are some of the best experiences, just being in contact with nature, family or friends, eating and breathing fresh air.
I totally agree!
Holy cow that sandwich looks pretty epic. Never heard of a Cuban before - will have to go look it up. I've always fancied a little camping but it isn't the wife's kind of thing. Hopefully my daughters will be up for it as that get a little older. I've been thinking about getting a small touring van when the finances allow. Nothing fancy, just basic cooking and sleeping facilities.
We camped in a tent for many years before we worked out way up to what we have now. You have to start small and just do what you can. Any chance to get out is worth it. Cubans are amazing. If you don't like pork you might want to avoid them.
Looks like one heck of a good time. And love that Cuban sandwich. Thanks for sharing @bozz. Cheers to the good life :)
It was much too short! The weather was so fantastic, I could have stayed there for about five more days.
I am happy that you all had a good time. Jovi looks very content. I also love Cuban Sandwiches. I have never heard of one made on Naan bread though.
My sister is a work camper. She is currently in Hershey, PA and plans to winter over so I am praying for a mild winter. Last year she drove to Florida and worked in the Everglades. She said it was beautiful, but did not care for the weather much and the critters down that way. She is not a fan of reptiles nor is her companion Milly (a female American Bulldog).
I am not a big fan of reptiles either so I don't blame her for that. The Cuban was really fantastic. The way 2020 has been, it is hard to anticipate what this winter is going to look like!
I think everyone is looking to get some time away from home after being shut in a lot, but most won't want to go far. Looks like you have a nice spot to chill out. Enjoy your whiskeys. I got some at the weekend that I ought to post about. Not that I am an expert.
No worries, I am not an expert either. I drink most of mine on ice, so I am probably frowned upon by most of the real enthusiasts anyway!
Just don't mix it with Coke!
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