Turns out late May in the UP features some sunny days, but chiiiilllly nights. I had a marvelous nap in my hammock mid-day, but waking up at 4:00 am to run to the outhouse turned out to be less than fun when it was 40º F (that's about 4.5º C for my global friends). Sleeping in my car with the mosquito net awning and rear window covers was actually cozy, believe it or not. Down comforter and a throw blanket underneath me for the win! I actually really appreciated the fresh brisk air while sleeping, and the netting totally worked for keeping bugs at bay.

The real adventure part of the visit came the morning I was supposed to leave. Apparently my 2016 Ford Escape (that has been mine since the end of last July) has a feature that when a door or back hatch is open the dome light and reflector lights stay on for an extra length of time after all the other doors have been closed. And every time you open one of the doors of the car it starts the timer anew. Sooooo, after two days of indiscriminately getting things in and out of the car without starting the engine (remember that awning setup?) I discovered I had drained the battery. Fortunately the owner of the property had a jumper pack, and I was able to get on my way (a bit later than I had planned).

On the road again. I loved having stretches of driving up here where I was the only one on the road. Along the way I found an A&W drive-in. I have some fond memories of being a kid and my grandfather taking me to go play tennis and then stopping at the A&W drive-in afterward for a root-beer float. Had to stop and get one, of course.

Gallery

Camping Must-Haves of the Day

Slip-Over Window Netting

Provides some shade, but more importantly--AIR FLOW!

Back Hatch Awning/Netting

I looked at a couple of netting options for the car, and so far I'm really glad I went with this one. The awning can roll up if I don't want it in the way, or zip up against the car if I need more rain protection but still want the "tent" flexibility.

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