TAWAS TIME!!! June 16-20

[Like To Kite]

It's that time of year again, gearing up and getting ready for a spectacular long weekend of kiting! Going to one of my favorite spots in the world, East Tawas, MI. Planning on heading there on Thursday June 16th and coming home Monday June 20th. We will be camping at Tawas Point State Park which is right next to the kite spot.

Everyone is welcome to join us for any length of time. Camp with us or rent a cabin. The more the merrier and we usually end up with an extremely fun group to kite and hang out with. We'll be bringing the kiting expedition RV. I have some spare camping equipment so if anyone needs to borrow anything just let me know.

We will run out of space at our campsites. If you are planning on coming it would be really helpful if you can try to make a reservation at the campground. Saturday night will be full. However, we have always been able to get spots last minute when we arrive. Also, we can camp at the National Forest about 15 minutes away for free. We also have a friend there where we can camp in his yard.

To make campground reservations:
http://www.midnrreservations.com/Search ... ?ParkID=62

Ride sharing usually works out well too. Some people only come for the weekend so there are different options depending on what your plans are. It would be helpful for coordinating if you post here.

I will be teaching lessons and there are also people coming just for fun, to ride and improve. It is the perfect spot for learning and any level of riding. Flat water and shallow over a huge area. This spot works in every wind direction because you can kite on both sides of the bay. Wind is more consistent at Tawas because it is thermal dependant. Ignore the forecast, you have to know what to look for. If you see any warm/sunny conditions with any Southerly flow, it is pretty much a sure thing. Some other conditions bring wind too. There have been so many times that the Chicago area had no wind and we got it good in Tawas.

I'm happy to help anyone out anytime. Always happy to provide the occasional tip and lessons are available. Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to schedule a lesson during the trip. We'll have lots of demo gear ready to ride too. Ozone, Royal, Spleene, CrazyFly and BroKite Boards!!!

We always have a great time! Here are some pics from one of last year's trips:
http://chicagokitesurfing.com/kiteboard ... =12&t=9181

It is about a 6.5 drive from Chicago.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?1c=Chicago ... 11d48abe9c

Hope you can make it, would be great to have you there!

[Dutchkiteboarder]

Hey Amanda,

Are you planning another trip to Tawas this year? Like you did last year? I really really really want to check it out this year! To bad I have a wedding that weekend keep us up to date!

[adseguy]

I have to be out of the house that weekend and I was looking for something to do. This might be PERFECT!

I'll get a hold of you Amanda

[Dutchkiteboarder]

So since I can't go that weekend. Kytbord and I decided to go the weekend of the 23 till 26. Please don't use up all the wind guys!

[nG]

Should be a great trip! It looks like the cabins are all full. Anyone ever lodged in any of those smaller motel/hotel type of places? None of them have even websites.

[Like To Kite]

This is shaping up to be a great trip! Looks like a really fun crew from Chi town going, will be great to see you guys there!

We've stayed a few different cabins in the past.

Timberlane is affiliated with Motor City Kiteboarding and is right down the street from the State Park where we are camping and riding. Please mention that you are a kiteboarder for a discount.

http://www.timberlaneresorts.com/

We've also had good luck at cabins down the road a bit, about 15 minutes away. Here's the link:

http://woodlandbeachcottages.com/

We've also stayed in a cabin right at the State Park. Basically two bunk beds in a room. Sounds like there may be none available for that weekend.

Hope this helps! It was too late to call and check tonight, I tried.

Camping at the Tawas Point State Park where we will be is always an excellent option too!

[WaWaZat]

Yep yep, Time for The Tawas Trek!! Dutch, or anyone else that can't make this one... we are planning one extendo weekend per month in the summer, just like last summer. In fact, if the weather looks good, the Woody Wind Wagon 'll probably get an early start and leave Wed. We've also been known to extend the stay into the following week... in fact last June, the crew in my vehicle packed up to leave on a windless Mon morn and as we reached the other side of the bay, we noticed the flags starting to extend. A quick stop to confirm our joy and we quickly spun the 2 1/2 ton, plus gear & bodies, Buick around only to almost literally run in to Amanda, who was staying another day or 2 anyway, as we both hurriedly tried to drive in to the launch parking lot entrance simultaneously from different directions! The Chi crew ended up solo seshing the day away which turned out to be the best day of the trip! Topped this off with some quesadillas over a camp stove on a lakeside picnic bench as the sun set, before setting out on the trip back home.

Always a good time with good kiting friends who are on the same wave... kiting, camping & cooking together the whole way.

[Like To Kite]

That's so true Mike. Each and every trip has been such a positive experience which is why I'm so excited to be getting ready for another one. Students that I begin lessons with in Chicago and continue on with me when we return home get such so much out of a kite excursion. With the consistently great conditions at Tawas, we always get some real kiting time in. It's also just so much fun to share the kiting stoke with fellow friendly kiters that are all excited to be riding together in the same place. There is always a great feeling of friendship and camaraderie swapping your favorite stories while enjoying a campfire later on in the night.

For anyone interested in going with the Chicago kite crew at a later date here are the dates that we have planned for future trips:

Tentative 2011 Dates for Trips to East Tawas, MI:

June 16-20
July 14-18
August 11-15
September 8-12

There is tons of space to ride on both the bay and beach side, plenty of room for everyone.

Happy Kiting!

[Like To Kite]

We may possibly have a change of plans this weekend. At the moment, the weather is not looking too promising. We are going to keep checking and see what happens though as the forecast is changing by the hour.

Whatever happens, we still want to kite this weekend. We are looking into where the best location may be. Love to do kite trips wherever they take us!

Happy Kiting!

[Dutchkiteboarder]

Even the weekend after doesn't look to good. BUT hey its still early to say. Maybe you guys can join us on the trip next week!

[Like To Kite]

We are going to wait for better weather to do the Tawas trip. I am sure we could get a little kiting in this weekend but probably much better to go a different time. The weather looks like it may be more pleasant at Tawas than in Chicago for anyone that would still like to go. However, Easterlies can sometimes be a hindrance for creating good wind at Tawas and it is a little cool for thermals. I know that we have great weather coming as it is only the beginning of summer. Looking forward to going to Tawas on our next planned dates.

July 14-18
August 11-15
September 8-12

Maurice, hope you guys get great conditions next weekend, good luck! I already have plans to visit a best friend of mine who is in Cleveland so won't be able to join you.

This weekend we decided to go paragliding In Nappanee, IN. My instructor friend Alan does tandem rides and also teaches on the ground. We are going to meet Saturday morning around 9 or 10AM. We use an SUV with a winch on the back to tow up. Alan says that the late afternoon will probably be stormy but the morning should be good weather with lots of lift.

The location is mostly Amish farm fields which is nice because there are no power lines and of the very little traffic on the road, it is mostly horse and buggy. It's about a 2 hour drive from Chicago:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 2&t=h&z=16

I apologize for any inconvenience caused by the change in plans because of the weather. We'll always aim to make the best out of the conditions that we have. Hope to see you soon!

Happy Kiting!