This morning we left Houghton and started our journey back home. We needed to be in the town of Munising by 11:45 AM to catch a boat tour. We aimed to leave the hotel by 9 AM but actually managed to leave the hotel around 8 AM. The drive to Munising took about 2.5 hours so we arrived to the town with enough time to walk around for a bit.
The boat company advertised that they would start boarding the boat fifteen minutes before departure however it was like a Southwest flight in the old days before they issued numeric boarding passes. People had started to line up early and by the time we got in line we were near the back. The line was also in the bright, hot sun. The company had said that it would be colder on the water so the adults were dressed for that weather but the kids were not. This turned out to be one instance when it was good that they did not listen to us.
The tour was 2.5 hours. I enjoyed it, relaxing on the boat and watching the lakeshore. Unfortunately it was a bit hazy from the wildfires in the west. Still we were able to get up close to the rocks. We passed one beach that Rachel said she wanted to stop at – Miners Beach.
After the tour we searched for lunch. David found a place that had very good reviews for gluten free food so Rachel and I walked there. She was so excited to order a pizza sub. We make it to the restaurant and with our luck, they were closed. Fortunately though David had researched gluten free and was able to point us to another restaurant close by where we were able to order something gluten free.
By this point the kids were hot and tired and when we asked them what they wanted to do next they said go to the next hotel. So, that is what we did. We skipped going to Tahquamenon Falls and instead drove to Saint Ignace. Our lodging for the evening was in a family run hotel which was very much outdated. They had real keys to the rooms…green carpeting, etc. However all rooms had a view and for this hotel we got two rooms. That made a HUGE difference with everyone. The kids were excited to have their independence and we were all happy to be able to spread out more.
Thus, we checked in and went down to the beach for a little bit. The water was cold. The kids headed back to their room away from the parents and made plans to go swimming at ten and stay until the pool closed at midnight. They also enjoyed purchasing their own snacks from the front desk and enjoyed being by themselves.
Family Vacation Adventures 