Reservations steady at tourism destinations in Lenawee County
Spring was good to local tourist destinations.
And, so far, the summer has been the same with reservations at about the same point as last year, when destinations posted record growth.
The only thing cramping tourists’ style this summer is the impact of gas prices on their pocketbooks. With gas at about $5 a gallon, local people are staying local and people from northern Ohio and Indiana are making one-tank trips to their favorite places in Lenawee County.
“Travelers are still wanting to travel, but they’re looking for something closer to home to kind of ease the burden on the pocketbook due to inflation in gas prices,” said Justin Gifford, executive director of Visit Lenawee. “We do have two of our large nationwide events coming back to the campus of Michigan International Speedway. This summer Faster Horses will be back and then we’ll also have the August NASCAR race taking place there.”
The county offers
Among the county's travel attractions are lakes, camping, a wine trail, kayaking, boating, a summer filled with events, trails, and a huge botanical garden.
Mark Johnson, owner of Tecumseh Paddling Co. at Globe Mill Pond said business has been good.
“Everybody is having a good time," he said. "We have good water levels right now, which is nice. Can’t complain."
He said their customers come from "Jackson to Toledo and everywhere in between."
Johnson offers three different trips: the paddle the ponds, which is the easy trip; the two-hour river trip on the River Raisin through Indian Crossing Trails; and the five-hour trip where Tecumseh Paddling takes people to Clinton and drops them off. The long trip is the only one needing a reservation. Everything else is first come, first serve.
“There’s other places to go, about an hour out or so, but we think we have a pretty good thing going here because it’s all in the inner-city park here so there’s a lot less concrete here," Johnson said. "It’s a lot of wilderness and a lot of wildlife."
Different trips use different types of watercraft, but they offer single and double kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddle boards.
"We really cater toward beginners," Johnson said. "We like folks to get out there and use kayaks. They are very stable. They are more stable than canoes and we also have like a handicap launch which also makes it fun to use for people who have bad knees and bad hips. They have an easier time getting in and out of the boat.”
Business for restaurants is better this year with COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, according to Two Lakes Tavern of Manitou Beach owner Misty Robertson.
The restaurant is next to Devils and Round lakes and gets a lot of the people with cottages who visit for the summer. When there are events at MIS they get some people from out of town, but the restaurant caters mainly to the summer locals.
“Business is not bad," Robertson said. "It’s picking up. People are starting to get out again. So it’s a lot better than the year before with COVID and the 50% (capacity limit). The restaurant and businesses like ours hurt pretty bad over all that.”
Reservations are steady for Hayes State Park compared to last year according to manager Shane Morse.
“I would say that we’re right in line with where we were in 2021," Morse said. "We had one of busiest years ever. Within the park we have boating, camping, obviously, our Wamplers Lake Beach. We also have access to the lakes in the area; Evans Lake, Devils Lake and Allen’s Lake. And then within our areas we have swimming, we have a concession stand, shelter rentals, volleyball — all that good stuff for recreation.”
Morse does not track where people are coming from, so it's unknown whether people are coming in from local areas or out of state. He also oversees the Lake Hudson Recreation Area. While the park offers tent camping, the bulk of campers use trailers. Fishing and swimming are very good right now with water temperatures perfect for summer.
“Depending on the weekend, you’re looking at anywhere from 85% occupied to 100% occupied at both Hayes State Park and Lake Hudson Recreation Area," Morse said. "Then during the week we’re sitting at between 40%-50% right now at Hayes State Park and probably a little lower than that at Lake Hudson. So we’re definitely a weekend park destination on both sides."
Evans Lake Resort in Tipton is bustling as well. IKEA retirees and now business partners Thomas Emerson and Allan Macher bought the resort in the height of COVID in December 2020 and gutted everything and renovated it.
“We have 11 lakeside cottages or cabins and they’re all steps away from our private sandy beaches and tiki bar," Emerson said. "We have kayaks, fishing boats, row boats that are all free of charge for our guests. Any nonmotorized boats are free for our guests. For motorized boats of course there’s rental fees, but we also have pontoons for rent as well."
They also partner with Sandy Bottom Adventures to offer paddle board classes, he said.
Every cabin has a full kitchen, all plates, dishes, cutlery, knives, silverware and bed linens. Everything is all-included in the stay. The cabins can sleep from two people all the way up to 12 people. Prices vary from $159 to $599 depending on how large the cabin is and whether it is a weekend trip or weekday trip. Sundays through Thursdays are cheaper.
“There’s a lot of Sunday through Thursday availability," Emerson said. "That is a little bit more affordable for families looking to get away. Weekends, it varies but we’re probably at this point about 80 to 85% booked for the summer. We do have a percentage from Lenawee County, but a lot of our guests travel. It's like a one-tank trip kind of idea where it only takes one tank of gas to come visit us. Indiana is very popular. Ohio is very popular for us. If we had to rank them it would probably be Ohio guests, then Indiana guests and then Michigan guests.”
Indian Creek Campground near Tecumseh also offers nature interactions for tourists. The campground has a gem and fossil mining set up for 2022. This is the 25th year celebration for Indian Creek.
“The Dorman family still owns and operates it and has put their heart and soul into providing both locals and out-of-towners an adventurous and relaxing camping experience,” said campground manager Angela Harris.
They offer a family-friendly environment without alcohol or marijuana, she said.
"We mostly see families camping but also have many travelers that seek a peaceful retreat,” Harris said.
Tents to mega-sized RVs all find the park comfortable and clean. The target market is families wanting to continue the tradition of camping generation after generation. The camp even has daily pool passes available during the week to allow noncamping guests to enjoy the park. The camp also offers cabin rentals.
“This year is pretty close to last year," Harris said. "The cold spring and rise in local COVID cases has caused more than usual last-minute cancellations. We do see a lot of local campers. Many families from Lenawee County and neighboring areas enjoy our campground because it makes for a quick getaway without breaking the bank. But also many travel from Ohio and Indiana to visit. There have been a few cases where campers had long travel trips planned and decided to cancel due to gas prices, but it hasn't been as bad as COVID cancellations. Also, I have had an increase in those who decided to find a new place closer to home to avoid the extra gas prices.”
The 45-acre campground includes nature trails, catch-and-release fishing on the pond with paddle boat and kayak rental, Wi-Fi, heated swimming pool, jumping pillow, nine-hole mini golf, disc golf, sand volleyball, basketball, playground with large sandbox, recreation hall with library and games as well as a water wars game, 700-foot zip line and 45-foot rock climbing tower and leap of faith adventures.
There are llamas, goats and horses on site for campers to visit on their hikes. The campground has special activities every weekend with the staples like movie and karaoke nights all the way up to fireworks and live bands.
This year it is also had a classic auto show to benefit the Ridgeway Township Fire Department.
To find out more about Lenawee County travel, see visitlenawee.com. For a current events calendar, see visitlenawee.com/events and for a digital travel guide with an annual event listing, see tinyurl.com/VisitLenaweeGuide2022.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Reservations steady at tourism destinations in Lenawee County
