One Family's Quest to Camp All Five Great Lakes

Their story

In June 2020, the Williams family borrowed a pop-up from Terrence's coworker and drove north. It rained for most of the weekend. Nia wore rubber boots with pajamas and announced that sleeping near a lake was better than sleeping anywhere else. By August, her parents had found a used bunkhouse small enough for their Jeep.

They gave themselves a mission: camp beside all five Great Lakes. Erie was first and easiest. Huron followed with a windstorm that folded their awning despite the forecast. Michigan brought sandy breakfasts. Superior required a longer vacation and rewarded them with a night at Twelve Mile Beach when the stars seemed closer than the opposite shore.

Ontario completed the set in 2023. They crossed into Canada over Labor Day weekend, misjudged the holiday traffic, and arrived late enough to make dinner from cereal and apples. The next morning, the lake was glassy and the campground quiet. Nia drew all five lakes in a notebook and labeled them by the snacks she associated with each.

The map has expanded, but the family remains loyal to modest distances. Terrence says a two-hour drive taken often can shape a childhood more than a cross-country trip taken once. They are saving for a longer Lake Superior circuit while continuing to revisit the same beaches. Nia is old enough to help back the trailer now, though her directions include phrases like a little more lakeward.

How the family kept the five lakes from becoming a checklist

The Williams family gave every lake one signature memory. Erie had bicycles. Huron had wind. Michigan had dunes. Superior had cold water and stars. Ontario had the cereal dinner after a late border day. Nia's notebook held those details, not mileage.

They also left room to return. The loop did not need to contain every shoreline. By staying three nights or more, they learned which places deserved another year. Superior became a tradition rather than a completed objective.