A little cool and rainy when we arrived in Michigan from North Carolina in early May. Even with the COVID-19 induced “Stay at Home Order” still in place, it felt good to be back in MI as we settled into our spot at Indian Creek in Tecumseh.

Since Indian Creek was still restricted on allowing recreational camping, we were one of only a few people in the park for several weeks.

As restrictions started easing (different in every State it seemed), we considered some travel plans. Of course there is still some uncertainty; we will keep our plans flexible and follow personal health safety guidelines.

First on the list was to travel to Maryland since we missed stopping there on the way to MI due to the lock down. Cherry Hill Park near Kevin and Beth re-opened in mid-May, so we traveled there at the end of May for a nice week+ visit. The one-year old granddaughter, Gemma, was pure joy to visit (and her parents too).

Cherry Hill Park had strict guidelines to follow, including remote check-in, curb-side pick up if you needed anything from their store, no-tent camping, etc.

We felt comfortable and limited our contact to Beth, Kevin & Gemma. Traveling in a self-contained motor home also makes it pretty easy to limit contact and adhere to the local restrictions.

While we were there, we visited Great Falls National Park for the first time. Located in McLean, VA it was about a 35 minute drive from Beth & Kevin’s. Maybe not a well known park, there is plenty of history and nature in the 800 acre park along the Potomac River. It’s hard to believe it is only 15 miles from the nation’s capital.

The main feature of the park is the Potomac River as it flows through Mather Gorge with a significant drop over the jagged rocks. The park map highlights the hiking trails, overlooks and history of the area. A nice day use park that can get very busy especially on the weekends as mentioned on the park’s website http://www.nps.gov/grfa.

By the time we returned to Michigan the recreational camping restriction had been lifted, so Indian Creek was back in full camping mode.

With the park full on the weekends it seems people are a little lax on the social distancing, but it is easy enough for us to avoid close contact with others and still enjoy. The first weekend back included fireworks!

As late June approaches, we are heading west (again). It may be turning into an annual trip as we are making our first stop: Golden, CO. A spot we love and feel comfortable and know there are plenty of outdoor activities to keep us busy. After leaving Colorado, we will go to West Yellowstone, WY, spending a several days at Yellowstone and Teton National Parks. (Subject for the next post.)

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