Arrival:

We use Passport America to find cheap places to stay when we travel. We’re usually trying to get to where we’re going and typically don’t expect too much more than a decent place to park, a bathroom and, on a good day power and water hookups.

The Top-A-Rise Campground was a HUGE surprise for us. So much so that after our one night at Passport America price (50% off regular), we stayed two more nights at FULL PRICE. Thats a big splurge for us.

As we rolled in, one of the owners greeted us immediately, who was just a warm friendly person. She made sure we knew that they were celebrating Christmas in July to explain all the winter decorations and invited us to walk around at night to see the light displays. She also casually mentioned that if we were still around by Saturday, we would be warmly welcomed to the Christmas party. I thanked her politely and in my head thought I’ll be most of the way through Michigan by Saturday.

Glorious Playground:

We rolled into our site. It backed up the playground. That’s a big deal with 2 little people on the team. Unfettered access to space to run and toys to play with? Catch me if you can.

Then we started to meet other folks nearby. We aren’t normally very outgoing but man… didn’t everyone just seem nice and neighborly without being nosy.

Christmas In July:

This place is really a gem. It’s owned and operated by salt-of-the-earth type people. It shows how much work they put into the campground since buying it a few years ago. The value is incredible. $15 gets you a giant heap of wood (no overpriced $5 arm bundles here) delivered directly to your camper. The bathrooms were fresh and spacious. The space is thoughtfully laid out and perfect for travelers with kids. Dogs are welcome. The propane was inexpensive and a great value, I’m glad our tanks were empty.

They’ve built a real community here and it shows. We’ll be back for sure.