#203 CAMP SEVEN LAKE CAMPGROUND Munising MI

Camp 7 was one of the many federal campgrounds that we went to. I'm sure I've mentioned this but when India turned 62 we proceeded to get a lifetime senior national park to pass. This means we get into all the national parks for free and we get half of any camping that is under federal jurisdiction. We began to seek them out on purpose and a lot of these places aren't expensive anyway maybe $18 and so we would get it for 9 and I'm telling you it's a pretty good thing so thank you India.

Camp 7 was 2 hours down the road and a place that was pleasing to the eye.

We pulled into the camp and it was perfectly nice. I do remember it being a pretty long haul from anything that looks like a town. It seemed like we went about 10 miles down a one-lane road and the first time we missed the turn. I asked some fellow if he knew what the deal was and he said I missed a turn about three miles back. I went back and took the right turn. Sometimes I say it was really out the woods. This was really in the middle of nowhere and then you go 10 miles further. I have recently finished my invention of the homemade water heater.

The minor negative would be there although there was plenty of electricity on the site there was no water. I want my bath and it requires 60 gallons. My idea was to back up very carefully to a water spigot that was about maybe 200 feet away from the campsite. I would fill our freshwater tank and then fill the bathtub to at least 3/4 full. This took a little while because it's a lot of water.

The good news is that we almost have the place to ourselves. There might have been one or two other campers with the availability of 20 and the campground host so it was pretty quiet.

I was able to get my bathtub and freshwater tank full then I have to drive the RV is 200 feet back up the road to our site. I would carefully place it into the campsite area without spilling the water all over the place. Even just a bump in the road or a quick acceleration of any kind will make the water in the tub slosh all over the place. Half of it will be on the floor and that’s no good.

After I got settled in I filled the tub the rest of the way and prepared for a hot bath. I began to circulate the water with my 12-volt pump. I connected to the campground electricity in a way that would make the 4000 watts. About an hour and a half later I had boiling hot water in my tub. I typically found that it would get so hot I had to calm it down with some cold water. I would be watching a TV show and forget how hot it had become.

I remember the morning the camp the campground host knocked on the door and pointed out that we had read the sign about fees to our benefit. We paid the half-off price via the senior pass but then there was a surcharge of $5 for electricity or something like that. They had come to collect to do the taxes due. I took care of that and then we talked a little bit to them just about stuff as they were very friendly. They talked about how they were hosting here and this is one of the easier jobs you can get. The only trouble is it's pretty remote out in the woods. They said that they were responsible for the latrine and I said yeah that kind of sucks. She said well it's not that bad. Our method is I've got this long wand on the end of the hose and I just do it from afar.

I made peace with it because we like staying here for free. Now that I look back this would be a foreshadowing of us. Fast forward a year and we would be hosting Crosswinds at Jordan Lake for 5 months. Our job was to keep the bathhouse clean. I would hose everything down with a long wand on a hose.

Electrical Plumbing and handy would be clearly the best way for me to serve. The ranger said we appreciate that but what we really need is somebody to clean the bathroom. I thought about that couple back at Camp 7 and definitely took the job. Camp seven was a two-hour stop and unless you consider my success with a hot bath exciting that was about it.

46.05778, -86.54972

P.O. Box 171

Munising MI 49862

Phone Number:

Information: (906)387-1804