Our First Trailer Guests in the Upper Peninsula, MI
My parents met us in the U.P., and we got to experience something totally new, hosting our first trailer guests! If you thought a family of five living full-time in a 34-foot trailer was impressive, you’ll be even more amazed to hear that all seven of us were actually pretty comfortable. Honestly, I’m not even surprised. We’re pretty good at making what we have work, and I’m especially proud of a recent trailer upgrade that made it all possible.
When we bought the trailer, it came with two recliners that heated up and vibrated. Sounds fancy, right? Except I’m sure you can imagine how having TWO fancy recliners was going with THREE kids. So, before we left, I scoured the internet for a couch that would fit in their place, and I found it! A perfect fit. It pulls out into a basic queen-size platform bed, and we added a mattress topper that vacuum-packs down small enough to store under the couch when not in use.
Because the couch sits on the slide, we had to get creative with a little riser system under the foot-end to level it out with the head-end, those also tuck neatly under the couch when we travel. Aaron bolted everything down and even installed baby locks to keep it secure while we’re on the move. And truthfully? We both agree we sleep better on this setup than in our own bed. This arrangement let us give the private bedroom to my parents, which gave everyone just enough space.
My parents picked up the trailer life pretty quickly. My dad helped Aaron with some maintenance tasks, and it wasn’t until they left that I realized I don’t think I did a single dish the entire time they were with us. Thanks, Mom!
None of us had been to the U.P. before, and wow, we absolutely loved it. It feels untouched and wild, the kind of place where the wind carves the coast and the woods seem endless. Everything was greener and grayer than I expected, and the water was this unexpected, stunning teal. And the people? So genuinely kind.
Our first day was spent kayaking around Pictured Rocks and wandering the sweet little town of Munising. Then we hit the National Lakeshore Park to see all the cliffside lookouts we’d paddled by the day before, pointing them out to my parents with “We were right there!” excitement.
And yes, we tried pasties—because apparently, that’s the U.P. thing to do. I’m sorry to say though, none of us were very impressed. We’re still not sure if pasties are not great in general or if maybe we just had not great pasties. Either way, they seem to be a pretty big deal for Yoopers. I can see the beauty if I was a miner taking my hot hand pie underground with me, but I think the Aussies have us beat as far as hand pies go!
Our final day near Munising was a hike to the Au Sable Lighthouse, where we climbed the 93 steps to the top (thanks to Dad and Demory for counting!). Sayer did awesome going up but was really scared coming down. He still did it though, and we got to talk about how being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared, it means you are, and you do it anyway.
On the walk back, we explored the beach and came across a couple of old shipwrecks. I was amazed to learn how many there are in the Great Lakes. My mom knew all the history, and I was totally enthralled... until I promptly forgot it all, as usual. This is absolutely my M.O.
My parents got to experience a real travel day with us as we headed up to Copper Harbor, literally where the road ends. It’s the northernmost point of US-41, which runs all the way from Miami. It felt like the end of the world in the best possible way.
Let’s talk about the Fourth of July. It’s complicated. It doesn’t feel quite right to celebrate “freedom” in a country where that freedom still isn’t equitable, especially when you’re raising kids in a world that is far from safe or inclusive. Coming from a patriotic, military family, it’s a tension we sit with, a mix of pride and heartbreak. But if there’s one thing I can celebrate about this country, it’s the beauty of our public lands and the amazing variety of people who explore them.
So with all of that, armored in my “Stars, Stripes, and Reproductive Rights” shirt, we dressed up a little red-white-and-blue, and joined the local celebrations.
Lake Linden’s fireworks blew our expectations out of the water. Tiny town, massive show. It just kept going. We kept thinking it was the grand finale, and then... nope, more!
On the Fourth itself, we went to Gay, MI for their small-town parade. Luckily the kids had never been to a “real” parade before, so they were not disappointed with this one and the candy-throwing sealed the deal for them. We were without question the queerest crew in Gay (oh, the irony), and I spent more than a few moments unsure whether we were surrounded by friends or foe, but we smiled, and waved, and we celebrated what we could.
We ended the day with a drone show over Copper Harbor, which was super cool, though we all agreed that it wouldn’t have quite satisfied if we hadn’t already seen the real-deal fireworks.
We got to explore the Delaware Copper Mines and Fort Wilkins, a beautifully restored 1844 fort. It’s super kid-friendly with interactive exhibits, and the kids were so into it that they spent hours immersed in their own imaginary worlds there. Seriously, I could’ve left and come back, they were that engaged.
One perk of traveling with loose plans? Flexibility. We had a minor truck repair and were so in love with Copper Harbor that we added an extra day. The kids were thrilled to go back to all their favorite spots. Our last day was slow and lovely: playground hangs, picnic in the park, Fort Wilkins encore, and an evening skinny dip (just the kids!) in Lake Superior.
Having my parents with us on this part of the journey made it all the more special. Sharing our tiny space, our days, and our stories reminded me of how much joy there is in making room; for family, for change, for adventure.
The Upper Peninsula, you’ve got a piece of our hearts now! Until next time!
