We Found the Caribbean of the North, Rogers City, Michigan

This year’s July vacation took us to Rogers City, Michigan, a small town located on Lake Huron, about an hour SE of Mackinaw City. Small, immaculate, and quaint, this area is local-friendly and not congested like other summer destinations in Michigan. Andrew and I both call Northern Michigan, the Caribbean of the North, and NE Michigan proved why. Lake Huron was glassy-clear. We found long sandy stretches of unpopulated beaches, and we discovered that it was possible to see sunrise and sunset from the same spot on the beach!

Accomodations

To book any accommodation in Michigan for a reasonable rate, you have to start early, like 8-12 months in advance. I booked in summer of 2020, and unfortunately the owner cancelled my reservation this past spring. Luckily, early summer, the Airbnb owner of Stonecliffe Cottage touched base with me about an opening. Our summer vacation was back on schedule! Unfortnuately, at such a late date, the rest of the family had plans, but that didn’t phase Andrew and me. We were ready to go!

Our accommodations was this lovely little stone cottage, perfectly named Stonecliffe. Because Andrew has Prader-Willi syndrome, I prefer to cook meals rather than go through the stress of eating out. I had everything I needed in the kitchen, as well as a view of Lake Huron while I was preparing meals, and packing lunch boxes. Andrew preferred to settle in with the puzzles and games stored away in a cabinet. When I think about it, we never did turn on the TV.

What I like about cottages, as opposed to hotel rooms, is that the week away has a home-y feel. Each evening, Andrew and I walked the beach lane and got to know many of the neighbors, especially those with kids. Then we would make our way down the stairs behind the cabin to the shoreline. This was a great spot for fishing, rock hunting, and beach walking. One dark and stormy evening, when we couldn’t get out, Andrew and I read by the fireplace and listened to the waves crash against the rocks. This little cottage provided just as many memories as our adventures.

To find the Airbnb link to Stonecliffe Cottage, click on the photo above or the link at the end of this post.

The Caribbean of the North

Of all the Great Lakes, I love Lake Huron the most. Of course, maybe I’m just partial because it is where I grew up on the weekends. Most Michiganders migrate ‘Up-North‘ every weekend, and the Au Sable River and Lake Huron area was my family’s go-to.

The Rogers City area was a new destination to me, so Andrew and I wasted no time getting to know the locals. US 23, in this area, follows the lake, and it is an easy stop-off for travelers who want to stretch their legs and swim. We found Rogers City the perfect place to stay. It is close to scenic light houses, waterfalls, and the best part is that we didn’t feel the stress of the summer crowds. It is perfectly situated for side trips to Alpena, Thunder Bay, Mackinaw City, Mackinaw Island, Indian River, and the Upper Peninsula – just to name a few.

But, don’t overlook all that Rogers City has to offer. There are evening concerts and grills at the marina, which is next to the city beach. Drive some backroads and you will find tons of side beaches with picnic tables and park benches. We saw many incredible looking playgrounds, but Andrew let me know he was ‘past’ the playground days. We frequented the ice cream shop and spent an entire afternoon in the local Shipwreck Museum. Andrew enjoyed the overlook at the Quarry and spent quite a bit of time watching the quarry action with binoculars. I wish we had bikes on this trip, as there is an 11 mile shoreline bike trail that stretches along Lake Huron, between downtown and 40-Mile Lighthouse point.

Connectivity

We discovered the local library will sign-out Wi-Fi hotspots to tourists who stay in the area and need connectivity. (We heard the waiting list was long.) If you need a hotspot, add your name on the list as soon as you make reservations. Verizon cell service works but will drop calls along US 23. Regardless, most locals in city limits use Verizon, but ATT seems to be the major carrier outside of Rogers City. I wasn’t too concerned and didn’t bother with a SIM card. If you need SIM card help read our tutorial. It isn’t difficult! How to Change a SIM Card with Photos

The other alternative is purchasing a hotspot. I have one that I travel with and only had trouble one evening getting any kind of signal. I use the Roam WiFi Hotspot. It works well for traveling.

The Beaches

I can’t say enough ‘good’ about the beaches in NE Michigan; there is a reason why we have dubbed it the North Caribbean. The water is crystal clear, sandy in some areas, rocky in others. Even at greater depths, the lake bottom is always in view. Being a home-grown Michigander, I am especially a ‘snobby’ water sports person, because I have to be able to see my feet, or “I don’t go.”

Pictures speak louder than words.

Traveling with a Teen

Is it an oxymoron to wear bathing suit bottoms and a hoodie? The early mornings start out ‘northern’ cool, but by 9 am the warmth of the sun makes most beach goers shed their jackets. On this particular day, Andrew, disgruntled with me for some unknown reason, decided to let his teen-tude shine, and refused to take of his hoodie. I was hot wearing a bathing suit and concerned about him over heating; he was obstinate. There is never any point in arguing, so I let him bake! Before lunch, he relinquished the hoodie and even though – I really wanted to make a lesson of it, (and rub it in) I said nothing. (Now that is true stress!)

Treasure Hunting after a Storm

Andrew and I easily fell into routine. We like to start our days at the beach where we would detect, magnet fish or rock hunt. Most days, we had the entire shoreline to ourselves. The beaches are so long, that it never felt crowded even in the evenings when the locals started showing up after work hours. One morning, we discovered a storm rolled back the top layer of sand and left an older layer exposed. The detecting was awesome! There were so many coins from the 40s and 50s, that I would find and mark the spot and move on, then Andrew came behind me with a shovel and pinpointer to pop those little lovelies out! (Luckily, this was one day he decided he liked me.) There is nothing like a wet penny showing off it’s wheat imprints in the morning sunlight!

Beach Hiking and Tannin Science

One morning, Andrew and I took our detectors and beach-hiked to a remote area just outside of Rogers City. We had to cross this red colored stream that leaked root beer colored water into Lake Huron. Andrew questioned the color and I told him it was likely that there was a murdered body upstream, – he was all ‘in’! We did some sleuthing and found no bodies except a few mosquitoes and a lot of pine trees.

Finally, I gave in and did an impromptu homeschool class on tannins. The red water color comes from the slow decomposition of pine needles and other organic matter. We dug around the stream and pulled out needles, branches, bark, moss and other slimy things. While we were doing this the water leached an even darker color and we followed our billowing cloud of colored ‘root beer’ all the way out to Lake Huron. (I love science.)

You can repeat this science lab by adding pine needles, soil, and bark to few inches of water in a bucket. In 2-3 weeks, you will have tannin colored water.

Rock Hunting

There are beautiful rocks and fossils in NE Michigan. I don’t care to marinate in the sun, and typically it is easier to keep Andrew busy. Maybe it is the other way around. Andrew is actually happy sitting in a chair doing crosswords. I guess I am the one that has to keep moving. This trip, I made a promise to myself that the rocks were going to stay on the beach, which was dumb, because my entire family knew many would migrate home.

Andrew and I have discovered that the best way to rock hunt is to use a clear dish and break the surface tension of the water. We found Puddingstones, agates, fossils, Petosky, jasper, and tons of unique specimens, which translates to: I-just-can’t-leave-them-behind…. Family won this round – as more rocks migrated home.

Rogers City Fossil Park

Rogers City has the most incredible fossil park I have ever been to. It is located in the South Shore Park behind the baseball diamonds. The trucks from the local quarry dump loads of limestone, so that kids (and adults) can hunt and chip away to retrieve fossils. If that isn’t awesome enough, the city created a screening table with running water. Fossil hunters can screen, soak, and observe the details in their wet specimens.

Suggestion: Take magnifying glasses, hammers and screwdrivers to chisel and work around the quarry limestone. I did not get any photos of this activity because I was too busy chippin’ away!

Magnet Fishing

Magnet fishing, if you have not heard, is just what it sounds like. Fishing with a magnet on the end of a rope. It was one of the new Covid lockdown activities that we took up. Actually, for kids with low tone, it is a great source of exercise because it requires shoulder and arm muscles to hurl the heavy earth magnet out into the water.
It has not yet been as lucrative as metal detecting, but every bit as fun. Most surprising, is how many rocks are magnetic!

Ocqueoc Falls

Andrew and I never let rainy days slow us down, so one rainy afternoon we found our way out to Ocqueoc Falls, (pronounced : ok-key-oc) near the little town of Onaway. The mossy, forest trails were moist and silent as we navigated the trails along the creek. Normally the falls are full of wet visitors enjoying the rushing water, but on this particular day it was void of people. It is such a beautiful area and just as nice on a gray day. Just before leaving, we tossed in the fishing magnet a few times and came out with some coins. Not bad return for a wet afternoon!

Rogers City, Michigan Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum

The locals are very friendly in Rogers City. Most families in the area are either involved in sailing (freighters), or related to a sailor. Andrew and I wandered into the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum.

Jim, welcomed us at the door, and let us wander around. He would check on each visitor and tell us stories and antidotes about sailing freighters and the locals who lost loved ones. Jim, really was one of our trip’s highlights and we stopped in several times to ask him questions about the local quarry and the freighters we saw. This little museum is packed with local photos, memorials, news clippings and other shipwreck related materials. Kids can handle a ‘monkey ball’ and see artifacts brought up from wrecks. There is a lot to take in and Host Jim, just made it better with his personal guidance.

Because Homeschool never Stays Home

I hadn’t planned on making this a homeschool vacation, but Andrew and I were really interested in maritime activity on the Great Lakes, as well as the historic shipwrecks. I noticed an advertisement for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, on Whitefish Bay, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Even though Andrew and I had just made the 10 hour drive north, I decided it was a homeschool side-trip we couldn’t pass up.

Our next adventure took us on a side-trip to the Upper Peninsula where we hung out at the Soo Locks, before heading to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. Read about our experience here:

Freighters and Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes

Discovering a Drawbridge and the Lighthouses of Northeast, Michigan

Stonecliffe Cottage, A Home Away from Home in the Caribbean of the North

Have we sold you on NE Michigan yet? Check out Stonecliffe Cottage at Airbnb and you can start on your Rogers City, Michigan memories!