We joined a handful of long-term campers at Algonac State Park mid-week last week because it was the best time to score a campsite along the St. Clair River. Every weekend all summer was already booked when we made our plans, but for these three nights we were able to reserve a prime camping spot right on the water. Right out the front door of our GO, we watched huge boats float by. We took pictures and did research about where the boats had come from or where they were going. If you’ve seen these boats, you probably know why they’re interesting to watch: One that we saw was the H. Lee White, which is 704 feet long and can carry 35,000 tons of material. We have spent time in the Upper Peninsula watching freight boats in Marquette and the Soo Locks, so it was fun to do that again in this spot.
If this campground had been anywhere else, it would have been unremarkable. There weren’t many trees and there was a road nearby that was pretty busy and loud. But the water was cool and beautiful and made it all worth it. We spent a lot of time sitting and relaxing watching the water. Lina also tried fishing the St. Clair River. We had heard that she might have some luck from shore, but after snapping a fly-fishing rod while casting into the wind and fishing for hours into the night, she didn’t have much success.
This camping trip was lucky: We enjoyed great weather, great food that we made on our new camp stove and a lot of fun exploring. We had just purchased a Spire Camping Stove from Eureka Camping, and it worked great to cook everything from Brussels sprouts to brats.
Both of us had never visited the east side of the state before, so one day we spent the day driving along the river, exploring small Michigan cities like Marine City and Marysville. I had done research in the past about how Port Huron is a great place to watch the boats enter the St. Clair River from Lake Huron, so we sat along the river there below the bridge to Canada and went to a restaurant under the bridge.
This was a great trip overall. It was short but we kept busy and saw a lot of boats. I’m looking forward to visiting Algonac State Park in the future.
Hanging out below the bridge to Canada, along the St. Clair River near port Huron.
Cooking up some delicious Brussels Sprouts (and Brats) on the shores of the St. Clair River