Tioga Falls Upper Peninsula

Okay, finally got the macbook back with all the vacation pictures so here is the first post about Tioga Falls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

 On the road you obviously need to stop at Starbucks especially when driving for 12 hours, well I didn't do any of the driving because I have an incredible husband that does it all for me. I'm spoiled and I know it, don't worry I remembered to thank him several times for doing all the driving, but here is another thank you to my awesome driver!

 Hubs did all the driving even though Guido offered to drive for a bit, hahahaha!

 Here is the fully packed car, we over packed slightly. Actually I should re-phrase that, I overpacked slightly. I have been to the Upper Peninsula several times but you never know what you will need. The weather up there can be very unpredictable, sometimes its sunny and warm and other times it can be quite cold. We also needed outdoor gear, hiking gear, fishing gear, and since the closest market was about 30 minutes drive from the cabin we brought a good amount of food with us, just in case we didn't make it to a store we didn't want to starve.

 So here is the awesome cabin. This is the Tioga Falls cabin located close to Nestoria, Michigan. You can find more information on renting cabins and pictures of the area on the website in which we rented from. Check out www.upmichiganrentals.com or call Cara at 734-837-4976. It was a lovely trip and Cara was very kind and helpful, I will use them again the next trip up to the UP.
The picture above is the living area, the couches were not all that comfortable but you really shouldn't be renting this cabin if you are planning to sit on the couch.

 My favorite part of the cabin...the kitchen, this was one of the best kitchens I have had in a rented cabin, actually any property I rented. This kitchen had everything I needed to prepare 3 meals each day. The stove worked perfectly along with the oven. I was nervous on the first day because the fridge was not very cold but it must have just been because it was propane and needed to be turned on for about 24 hours before it started cooling nicely. Luckily we had a cooler with ice to keep our beverages nice and chilled.

 These steps go up to the loft where there are 4 beds on wooden frames, this cabin has 5 beds plus a sleeper sofa you could really pack this place full of people if you wanted.

 Above is the bedroom we slept in each night, the master suite, if you will. It was a queen size bed, I have slept on more comfortable mattresses but this one was just fine. You have to remember you didn't choose this cabin in the middle of 80 acres of forest for luxurious comforts, you chose this cabin to be closer to nature and far away from cell phones, TVs, computers, and well the world in general.

 This was one of the better bathrooms I have had in a cabin in the UP. The plumbing worked nicely, never had a problem.

 The shower was a bit difficult to shave in but the water pressure was good and hot and the bathroom was very clean.

 This picture did not turn out well at all because of the sun glare but you can at least get a look at the beds in the loft on the wooden frames. This is where we took a few afternoon naps.

 The view from the loft looking down.

 Here was my other favorite part of the cabin, this beautiful screened in porch. We ate most meals out here at the table with the flowing waterfall next to us. I would have been happy with just the kitchen, bathroom and screened in porch, the rest of the cabin was just an extra bonus. The waterfall was flowing nicely all week, it was incredible to wake up every morning and enjoy the first cup of coffee with the view below, it's quite amazing isn't it!

Just and FYI, the cabin runs on solar panels and propane, there is no electricity so you should remember this if you plan to go. There is no TV in the cabin and you cannot bring one because the solar panels do not generate enough power for large items that suck a lot of energy. If you want TV you shouldn't be booking a trip here anyway, there are miles and miles of trails, lakes, streams, waterfalls, rivers, there is more than enough to keep you entertained and if the weather gets bad you can always curl up inside next to the wood burning stove and read a nice book.
There will be more posts this was just the first, I will have more to show you of adventures on the property, our one trip to a close town with sandy beaches, and of course the food we cooked up in that lovely little kitchen.