Remember the Raisin

We made a short run across the border into Michigan and ended up at Sterling State Park which is Michigan's only park right on Lake Erie. There are lots of sites here but I think the campground attendant must have liked me because I got the most bestest site in the whole park. Nobody could park between me and the beach.

View Out the Back of the RV

View out the Front

Well, ok - maybe the smoke stakes aren't all that great but I did really like this park.  Well, except for the fact that they nickel and dime you - it cost me $25 in additional fees besides the campsite cost.  Urg!!!

View From The Beach

200 of my closest neighbors

I think I am really liking the Great Lakes. They are just like being on the ocean – you have sand, you have waves but you don't have salt. It just seems more civilized.

I have come to this area for the River Raisin National Battlefield in Monroe Michigan. This was a battle that took place during the War of 1812. For some reason, I thought the War of 1812 was a war that mostly took place in the seas off of New England. I don't think I thought that Ohio/Indiana/Michigan had much more at that time then a few fur trappers. Wrong I was. There were many towns and villages that had already been settled by this time.

In brief, in this particular battle – Americans won, Americans lost, Native Americans swooped down and massacred the American wounded which lead to the battle cry “Remember the Raisin”. In the Native American defense, they had already been through several different massacres of their own people at the hands of the Americans previous to this particular encounter. There were several notable names involved in or around this battle (William Henry Harrison, Tecumseh, James Winchester). I lucked out again in that this particular national site is not heavily visited, in fact it had not even become a National site until 2011 so Ranger Wes was ready and willing to spend a great deal of time with me chitchatting about the battle, the time in history and also what is involved with being a National Park Ranger.

Right beyond this sidewalk, they found quite a few human remains from the battle in the year 2000.  Yes, I said 2000.

On a happier note: Michigan sunset over Lake Erie