Southeast Michigan- canoing the Thumb area

Southeast Michigan is a great place to live. At the moment our economy is suffering and the real estate market is in the crapper (which is a good time to buy- buy low and sell high, and you can't get much lower right now), but if you're thinking about moving to southeast Michigan, some of the things to consider is your play time. And there are plenty of places to play without spending a lot of money.

If you already live in the area, there's a good chance you're already personally feeling the financial pinch. This doesn't mean you can't still enjoy yourself. This is a good time to re-discover what Michigan has to offer. If you live in southeast Michigan you can be within minutes of state land where you can cross country ski, sled, fish, hunt, hike, camp and more. The possibilities are endless.

Last year I started canoing. Now that we are within a month or two of our spring thaw, I'm already starting to think about what parts of the Thumb area I want to discover via our many waterways. My first trip this year will be the Cass River. As soon as the snow has melted, I will be dropping my canoe in at Caro and rowing to Frankenmuth.

I tried this last July. I started in Caro with a friend of mine and had a truck waiting for us shortly before Vassar. A BIG mistake. Once you get past the dam in Caro, there's not much water in the Cass River in July. We were walking and pulling the boat as much as we were rowing. At the end of the day we were dog tired and very sore. But the beauty we experienced was worth the physical torture. The scenery was breathtaking. I've lived in Michigan all my life and saw my first bald eagle that day. 2 of them. And a beaver swam across the river in front of us at one point. The water was so clear you could see the fish swimming around the rocks (and there are a LOT of rocks). 

So I did my research and found that the best time to row this particular stretch of water is in very early spring. This year I intend on traversing the 23 mile stretch between Caro and Frankenmuth. I'll update this post in a couple of months with fresh photos (hopefully I'll get a shot of that eagle) and a report on how navigable it is earlier in the year.

If you live in north Oakland County, you only need to travel approximately an hour to an hour and a half to get to Caro. A little farther if you want to drive to Vassar and rent a canoe or kayak that comes with shuttle service.

For more about real estate in southeast Michigan please visit my web site at www.miRelocation.com.