Day Drive To Tawas City, MI, & Tawas Point State Park

                                 Tuesday 5/13/2014

While staying in Sterling, MI., we decided to take a day drive up Hwy 23. When we got a few miles past the town of Au Gres, Hwy. 23 started to following Lake Huron.

I saw Whitestone Point on the map, so we turned down a gravel road that had large pot holes to see the point.

There was an opening to the beach, but there was also the Whitestone Point Cabins.

The owner came out and we told him we were just poking around. (or put another way, we were from Iowa, making us, "idiots out wandering around").

He asked if we would like to walked out on his boardwalk to see Lake Huron. While Joe talked to the owner, I took pictures. I told him I was a blogger and would advertise this place for him.

This place was really well maintained. He has 5 cabins for rent.

He has 2 cabins that are on the waterfront. He took us inside one of the cabins, and they were decorated in the period of the cabins, but really clean. These cabins felt cozy and not creepy like some cabins.

View to the north from a cement patio.

A look to the south. He told us the island out on Lake Huron is 8 miles away. He has owned his home and cabins for 11 years. He said it was a family compound when he bought it. I asked what was a family compound. He said a couple owned it and their five adult children lived in each cabin. After a while the parents got tired of taking care of everything and sold it to him, making the children to fend for themselves.If you are interested in renting one of these cabins you can call 989-876-2775. You can also find out more information at www.whitestonepointcabins.com

From Whitestone Point we drove 14 miles to the town of Tawas City. Tawas City has a population of 2,005.

We stopped at a city park to have our lunch with Lake Huron for a view. This was the best day for the week to do anything, even though it was cold and cloudy. At least is wasn't raining.

Mallery had to be delegated to the back seat so I could balance my lunch on my lap.

The reason we always bring our own lunch instead of buying lunch is because we always have a salad for lunch. You are not going to have a better lunch and at as cheap a price as being brought from home.

Most of the trees have not budded out up this far north yet.

If you have kidos, this park had a animal shaped playground.

I thought this sea gull slide was appropriate. Even though Lake Huron is not a sea, sea gull are all around the Great Lakes.

Next we drove out to Tawas Point State Park.

Tawas Point is a migration trap for birds the Saginaw Bay area.

Next to the bird feeding station, I notice that this park has a "Pet Friendly" beach.

Lots of oranges and bird seed for the migrating birds.

I got my zoom lens out for birdie pictures.

This is the first time I have seen a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. This is a male Grosbeak.

Can anyone tell me what kind of bird this is? For the most part it kept it's back to me.

For a second it turned around before it flew away.

I have never got this close up of a view of a Blue Jay like this.

So glad to have my zoom lens so I can see all the detail of the Blue Jay's wings and tail. I think the brown bird maybe a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, but definitely a guess.

Another bird I am not sure what it is.

I believe this is a male Baltimore Oriole.

I have never seen one of these either and I think it is the prettiest bird I have ever seen.

Next we walked over to see the Tawas Point Light. Because the lighthouse is located at the end of a sand spit that forms the Tawas Bay, it has been referred as the "Cape Cod of the Midwest"

There is a Gift Shop too, but I decided to pass it up since I tend to be a shopaholic. There is a campground in the Tawas Point State Park that has only electricity for hook ups. We left River View Campground in Sterling, MI. today, and drove to the Super Wal-Mart in Tawas City for the night. (Can't pass up a free night stay to help our budget). Tomorrow we will continue north even though it has turned very cold up here!