Sebewaing and Thumb of Michigan

Updated 7/11/19

We stopped at Sebewaing for its location en route to our true destination, the Upper Penninsula of Michigan (to be achieved next stop). The Sebewaing County Park park where we camped was typical for municipal parks … truly crammed in with assorted variously-aged and sized rigs, and crotchety full-timers giving unneeded advice such as “pick up after your dog.” We considered dropping our kayak into the Saginaw Bay, but somehow never got around to it during the day, and evenings were out of the question due to mosquitoes.

A really nice feature of the “Thumb” of Michigan is that there’s a whole lot of coast – enough for everyone to enjoy, not just the kazillionaires. Across from the county park where we camped, a long row of modest houses enjoyed waterfront views of the Sebewaing Marina. Things are probably a little more pricey in larger Bay City, where we caught a great fireworks display, and in more picturesque Port Austin, where we clambered around the Lake Huron seashore in Crescent Beach State Park.

Would we come back?

Speaking generally about the Great Lakes area, we definitely want to come back. And, before we had seen the Upper Peninsula, I definitely felt like this would be a fun place to come back to for kayaking, and so on. However, writing from the future, having seen the Upper Peninsula, I'd probably just head straight there.

The campground we stayed at was the Huron County Park in Sebewaing. I picked it because there wasn't anything else available on that 4th of July weekend. I learned later that it was the only Huron County Park without a boat launch, so I'd think twice before staying there. However, it was completely adequate. Typical sardine configuration for a full hook-up RV park. The tent area was interesting. It was on its own little island and fully shaded by large weeping willows. The small dirt road that bridged the 15 or so feet of water was nearly inundated with the high water levels that were impacting the entire Great Lakes region. The water was precariously close to stranding the campers on the little island. But we left without seeing how that drama resolved.

Would we live here?

Probably not. The winters are long and the snow deep. However, it is possible that the thumb of Michigan is milder than, say, the Upper Peninsula, so if we were to consider Michigan at all, maybe the thumb is a good choice. We spent so little time there that it is hard to know for sure. Generally, though, except for the fact that I really like sailing, the Great Lakes are generally not anywhere near the top of our list. If we have a list of places we'd like to spend a spring or summer, then I'd say Michigan is now on that list--if such a list even exists; I admit to nothing.