RVing in the wintertime
We're just back from a 1,100 mile RV trip that took us across Michigan's Upper Peninsula – in the wintertime.
We headquartered our trip in Marquette, where we got a chance to take in all the excitement around the annual UP200 dog sled race, one of the nation's premier such events, a qualifying race for Alaska's famed Iditarod. I wrote about that the other day.
We really fell in love with Marquette, a city of about 21,000 in the north central UP, right on the shores of Lake Superior. The town is the home of Northern Michigan University, has a first rate medical center and lots of great restaurants. Marquette also has the most accessible lakefront I've sever seen. And all around it are vast stretches of gorgeous wilderness. Everyone in Marquette seemingly loves the winter. They embrace it. Grown men and women wear snow pants and don't feel the least self conscious. Nor does anyone worry about having hat hair.
Marquette is an outdoor lover's paradise.
And from there, we set off to visit many of the places we reported on last summer. We were really curious about how the summertime beauty would look under a blanket of ice and snow.
I wanted to see how feasible it was to RV in the wintertime. Turns out, as you can see in the video, it is very feasible. I even ran into another Roadtreking RVer, Gary Hennes, from suburban Minneapolis. He drove up to see the dog sled race in his 2006 Roadtrek RS Adventurous, accompanied by his 14-year-old grandson. Hennes routinely camps in the winter. He says it's just as much fun as it is during the summertime.
And we were also very curious to see what it would be like to spend the night in our new Roadtrek eTrek  when it was so cold it. We did so, staying at the Tahquamenon Falls State Park, which keeps a handful of camping spots open all year. I'll share that experience in a a story and video later this week.
Jennifer’s Petal Pusher cap looks great. I’ve been thinking about ordering one from Stormy Kromer. Glad to see it even works in the cold cold UP.
I agree with the comment earlier that we need to share this with our friends at Pure Michigan. I testified before the newly formed Michigan House Tourism committee yesterday. Tom Nemecek, executive director of UPTRA (Upper Pennisula Travel and Recreation Association) and I could have made a joint presentation and told both of our stories with this great piece!
Wonderful story. Great video and photos. Keep em coming. Where is your next adventure? We are hooked on your blog and have read every single post you have made since you first bought your Roadtrek. You have a great way of taking us along with you through your words and videos. Thank you! You and your wife are great ambassadors for the FMCA and the RV community!
This is a wonderfully fun story to read and I thank you for the great photographs of a very beautiful region of the country. I also want to compliment you on the new look for this website. Very clean and chock full of interesting stories. I really look forward to reading about the places you visit. I do not own an RV but I can certainly see how handy it would be to have one after seeing your videos.
Winter is a great time to camp. As you note, it just takes the right clothing. We haven’t been out yet this year but seeing your video makes us think we better take a long weekend and head up to our Northern Minnesota.
We like to head to cabin country. My husband I are empty nesters and we have a LTV Class B. I look forward to reading your next installment about sleeping in your Roadtrek when it was four below zero. That, my friend, is, as they say, a bit nippy!
Mr. Wendland, That was a wonderful video and story. The folks at Pure Michigan should show your videos across the country. I am not an RV owner but after watching your report, I think that my wife and I could be. I am intrigued by the van you traveled in. I look forward to seeing more of it in your next report about spending the night at Tahquamenon Falls. It looks like such a machine can provide a very enjoyable lifestyle. I know of you from your Local 4 WDIV reporting and your NBC-TV technology reports. I am glad to have found your excellent RV blog. I am a native Michigander now living in Arizona. Your imagery makes me lonesome for my home state. If you ever het out here, let me know and I’ll show you the beauty of the Southwest.
Rving in the winter is a lot of fun. We did it many year ago in Southern Ontario in our class B then our small class C.
But now with the Class A we winter in warmer climates, just because we can.