Should you stay at the Clarke Motel and Campground? As you see the sign for the Clarke approaching along with the hotel up front, you can see it has a long history, but has been very well maintained. Pulling in, I had a grin on my face as soon as we pulled to the back to see the campground area.
It feels like you are pulling your camper into your best friend's backyard to camp, except your best friend has electric and water sites for all his buddies. Then he has also built a couple of bars in the back yard that just so happen to be connected by a fallout shelter underground and you climb out of a toilet stand (unused) to get from one to the other. Your buddy also makes a huge bonfire for anyone staying there each night, does pyrotechnic tricks to entertain, has cornhole and horseshoes for your enjoyment, operates a snack room on the honor system, and comes to the bar to hang with his guests at night.
Needless to say, it felt like camping where everyone was welcome and there to have a great time. Unfortunately, the owners were unable to be there during our stay, so we didn't get to experience everything, but Aunt Sue made us feel as welcome as we could have asked for. Missing out on some of the things just gives us a reason to plan another trip. As you can see in the pictures, they have a competitive frisbee team, so bring your best efforts. It's a fantastic location for short drives to plenty of UP activities. Our daughter had a great UP trip, but the days we were at the Clarke, she was just as excited to get back to the campground as she was to go see new things.
SHOULD you stay at the Clarke Motel & Campground? No. You HAVE to. As a lifelong Troll wanting to experience the UP and what it has to offer, I can't imagine a better example than the Clarke. We will be back as soon as we can! read more