Jump to content

Power Island - Looking for suggestions


baloo&bd

Recommended Posts

June 7,8 and 9 we are coming up to do Power Island.

 

Our current plan is to come up with a pop up camper and POSSIBLY a canoe.

 

We need some suggestions for:

 

1. Where to camp. There is always a possibility we will be in a tent.

2. Where to rent a boat or canoe if needed.

3. Any good places to eat. Maybe a micro-brewery or something more local than a chain.

 

the plan is to cache on the way there (coming from 70 miles due west of Chicago) and working the peninsula and/or Traverse City, possibly even picking up a few holes in our D/T matrix.

 

Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

Link to comment

Dinner at least once here: Boones' Long Lake Inn .

 

There is a MI State Park on US-31 just about in downtown TC. I believe that pre-registration is required -- it is a busy campground at certain times. If you are planning to be there around July 4, ANY campground will probably require advance reservations.

TC State Park .

 

Moved away from there quite a while ago, so I cannot really advise on boat rentals. Taking a canoe out into Grand Traverse Bay is really risky business, but it has been done.

Regarding micro-breweries -- again, moved away before the current micro-brewery boom, but I would bet there is at least one available.

 

New from when we left -- http://www.tcblogger.com/?p=604 , located on Old Mission Peninsula. You can also see the Traverse City State Park on that map! The island you see on that map has your target cache.

 

Edit to Add: Do stop in to Sledder's Family Tavern, on Randolph Street near downtown TC. Once you walk through the door, you enter a different era.

 

If you are looking for higher terrain levels, you may want to wander through the U.P. The Lower Peninsula really doesn't have much in real terrain. :):lol:

Edited by Gitchee-Gummee
Link to comment

Like the previous poster stated, taking a canoe or kayak into Grand Traverse Bay can be a risky endeavor. The closest launch (GCT7Z9) is 3 miles from the island with a mile or so of open water. If using a larger boat, keep in mind, you can not stay docked to the island.

 

I have seen a couple of ways used to get there. One is to go to the marina located around GC14EWP and try and hire a boat ride from one of the fishermen (usually $20-30). Others have rented a boat, though I don't remember the name of the rental place. One of my friends used a jet-ski to get to the island, which works if it is calm. This allowed them to get right next to the caches and beach it without hiking around the island itself.

Link to comment

I'm pretty sure there are a few places that rent boats from Old Mission Penninsula. I was thinking of doing this last summer, but never got the chance. My parents live in the area and love to geocache with me. I'll ask my dad if he remembers what the boating situation was when we checked into it.

 

Depending on your budget, there's a great restaurant on the penninsula by the marina (expensive but great), and at least a couple of microbreweries in downtown TC. On the penninsula itself, it's all about the wineries. :) Oh, and the state park is awesome.

 

Come to think of it, I didn't get nearly enough smilies last time I was there...

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...