Thousand Trails St Clair

We stayed at Thousand Trails St Clair in St Clair, Michigan. (Campground Reviews listing.)

A nice Thousand Trails campground.

Dates:

  • Check in: 2025-05-11
  • Check out: 2025-05-18
  • 7 nights

Weather:

  • Mix of sunny and rainy
  • High temps 67-81°F, lows 44-61°F
  • Some wind, gusts to 27 MPH

Noise:

  • Some freeway noise
  • No train horn noise
  • A bunch of neighbor noise (kids)

Site:

  • #C21, pull-through, gravel
  • Buddy site, with neighbor passenger side facing us on both sides (ugh)
  • Didn’t need to disconnect toad, parked behind coach
  • Fairly level site; high on passenger side; used hydraulic leveling
  • Gravel driveway about 70 feet long by 8 feet wide
  • 35 feet to neighbors on both sides
  • Just grass between sites
  • Picnic table
  • Fire pit
  • Some tall trees
  • Somewhat clean site
  • Elevation 620 feet, front facing due west

Utilities:

  • 50 amp power, conveniently located
  • 50 PSI very hard water, conveniently located
  • Unthreaded sewer connection, conveniently located (1 10-foot pipe needed)

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • Starlink: 130-300 Mbps down, 7-30 Mbps up, 30-40 ms ping
  • T-Mobile: 380-430 Mbps down, 7 Mbps up, 75-210 ms ping, unreliable
  • AT&T: 128-142 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up, 65 ms ping
  • Verizon: 5 Mbps down, 0.5-7 Mbps up, 60 ms ping (our SIM has 5 Mbps max)
  • Campground Wi-Fi: not used

Amenities:

  • Garbage dumpsters
  • Pool
  • Package delivery to office, at no charge (uncommon for Thousand Trails nowadays)

Our review on Campground Reviews:

A Nice Thousand Trails Campground

This place was typical of an older Thousand Trails campground, but the communal areas looked new and well-maintained. Like all other TT properties, they have switched to assigned sites, which I prefer. A word of warning, however, because the map they have online when you click the link in your confirmation email is highly outdated. Our original assignment was B2, which, on the old map, was a 15A site, which would not suffice, and we had some angst about what we’d do if that were the case. Thankfully, the map on the website itself was an updated version and showed it as a 50A & water site. When we checked in, however, the lovely lady at the front desk informed us that we would be in C-18, which was a full-hookup site. I wasn’t too happy about it since all the pull-throughs are buddy sites (I’d rather not have a sewer connection than have a buddy site). However, she very sweetly moved us to C-21, which was still a buddy site but had larger grassy areas between the sites, so we weren’t cheek-by-jowl with our neighbors, so it all worked out.

One of the best things about this campground is that it is one of the few Thousand Trails campgrounds that 1) still accepts packages for guests, and 2) doesn’t charge for them. It’s also one of the rare TT campgrounds that provides the actual gate code in the pre-arrival email. This is because you need to let yourself in when you arrive and then check in at the welcome center. I’ve been conditioned by past experiences at TT campgrounds to be skeptical of those emails, so it came as a surprise when I needed the gate code upon arrival. We camped at Thousand Trails St Clair in a Motorhome.

Campground map; it says C18, but the check-in person told us C21 was better:

Map

An interactive map:

Our site:

Our site

It was a buddy site, which we normally hate, but this wasn’t too bad, since there was a fair bit of space between the sites. Plus it was too cold to want to sit outside, so didn’t bother us too much:

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Utilities:

Utilities

Dusty truck (we did take it through a car wash after this, though it was dirty again a few days later from rain):

Dusty car

We added the Michigan sticker to states map, filling a hole:

Added Michigan sticker to states map

Just the little NE states left:

Added Michigan sticker to states map

Our original site assignment was here, next to that annual site; it would have been fine, but no sewer:

Original site assignment

Other sites:

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Office:

Office

Playground:

Playground

Community campfire:

Community campfire

Little library and game:

Little library and game

Mini golf:

Mini golf

We’d be happy to stay here again.

Travel from Ravenna, Ohio to St Clair, Michigan

We drove our coach 249 miles, about five hours of driving, from Ravenna, Ohio to St Clair, Michigan.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west then north:

Route

An interactive map, with potential stops pinned:

“Is your TV Antennae Down?” — okay, pedantically that should be either “are” or “antenna”:

Is your TV Antennae Down?

Leaving West Branch State Park:

Leaving West Branch State Park

High arching bridge over rail line:

High arching bridge over rail line

Ohio Turnpike I-80 West:

Ohio Turnpike I-80 West

“Trucks and slower traffic use left lane”; unusual:

Trucks and slower traffic use left lane

Large service plaza truck parking:

Large service plaza truck parking

Service plaza food court:

Service plaza food court

BK and Starbucks coffee for lunch:

BK for lunch

Paladin in his dash bed with some roadworks:

Paladin in his dash bed with some roadworks

Ohio turnpike I-80/90 West:

Ohio turnpike I-80/90 West

Another service plaza, with RV elctrical hookups!:

Another service plaza, with RV elctrical hookups!

Toll plaza:

Toll plaza

I-280 North:

I-280 North

Oregon?!

Oregon?!

Bridge over Maumee River in Toledo:

Bridge over Maumee River in Toledo

Maumee River

I-75 North:

I-75 North

“Welcome to Pure Michigan”:

Welcome to Pure Michigan

Not the best road surface:

Not the best road surface

TA fuel stop:

TA fuel stop

I-75 North:

I-75 North

“Speed limit 70, truck speed 65, minimum speed 55”:

Speed limit 70, truck speed 65, minimum speed 55

“Welcome to Thousand Trails St Clair”:

Welcome to Thousand Trails St Clair

Gate:

Gate

Our site:

Our site

Moved toilet paper holder in half bath

I’m sure most people are super-excited by minor modifications to our motorhome like this… and what’s more thrilling than toilet paper?!

But fellow owners of our coach (e.g. in the Tiffin Allegro Bus 2016-2018 Owners group on Facebook) might find it useful. For them, we have a 2017 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40SP.

The toilet paper holder used to be next to the door, but was kinda in the way there. I tried raising it up, but that didn’t help much:

Toilet paper holder

So we decided to move it to under the corner cabinet. Here’s the mount, screwed into the cabinet:

Toilet paper holder

The toilet paper holder attached to the mount:

Toilet paper holder

The final result, along with a rechargeable motion light and replaced soap dispenser and faucet:

Toilet paper holder

Much better; still easily reachable, without getting in the way.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Scenic Railroad: Vamos Vino Grape Escape

We rode the Scenic Railroad train in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, doing the Vamos Vino Grape Escape wine tasting journey.

Akron Northside train station:

Akron Northside train station

Train engine:

Train engine

Each train car had different activities, including murder mystery, cigars (in an open car), cocktails, bingo, trivia, etc:

Train car

The Silver Lariat dome train car, which we were in:

Silver Lariat dome train car

The dome car table and seats:

Dome car table and seats

Wine tasting menu:

Wine tasting menu

Winemakers talking about their wines:

Winemakers talking about their wines

First tasting (in a souvenir glass):

First tasting

Selfie:

Selfie

Food tray… described as a “tasty charcuterie box, filled with artisan cheeses, cured meats, and other treats”… with some corn chips and no meats:

Food tray

Wine tasting:

Wine tasting

The “scenic” tour was not particularly scenic (and hard to see out the dirty dome windows anyway):

River

Looking out of the dome over the roof of the train:

Looking out of dome over roof of train

Train conductor:

Train conductor

Downstairs in the train car:

Downstairs in the train car

Last tasting:

Last tasting

Train car:

Train car

Somewhat disappointing, but it was a thing we did.

Baseball: Akron RubberDucks vs Somerset Patriots

We attended a double-A baseball game between the Akron RubberDucks (Cleveland Guardians affiliate) vs Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees affiliate) at Canal Park in Akron, Ohio.

An interactive map of the ballpark:

Entrance of Canal Park:

Entrance of Canal Park

Team store:

Team store

The Dog Pound:

The Dog Pound

Food:

Food

The ballpark:

Ballpark

Our seats, right behind home plate: section 12, row A, seats 9 & 10. It had been raining, so an usher kindly wiped our seats for us:

Wiping our seats for us

Selfie:

Selfie

Our front-row view:

Our view

Play ball:

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Home run:

Baseball

Mascots:

Mascot

Mascot

Our seats

Exploring the ballpark:

Concourse

Ballpark

Ballpark

Ballpark

Mascot

Ballpark

Popcorn and hot chocolate:

Popcorn and hot chocolate

Jenn admired this pitcher’s long hair:

Baseball

A baseball on the field:

Baseball

Dancing grounds crew:

Baseball

Baseball

AC replacements

Our front and mid AC units were having issues for some time — mostly not getting cold, and sometimes refusing to come on at all. We got a few techs to look at them, without any conclusive results or solutions.

While staying at Thousand Trails Orlando, we got Charles Sutton of CS Mobile RV Repair LLC to take a look, and he determined that the compressors on both were shot, and we needed to replace them. An unpleasantly large expense, but he handled it very professionally.

Here he is lugging the very heavy AC unit up to the roof (and I appreciate the padding on the ladder to protect our paint):

Carrying new AC up to roof

The offending part:

Failed part

Inside the old AC unit, partially disassembled:

Inside AC unit

It is nice to have reliably working AC units now.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

We visited the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

The roots of rock and roll:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

1984 exhibit; an excellent year:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

More exhibits:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

The garage, where they have lots of musical instruments that you can play:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Create your own band sticker:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Pink Floyd’s The Wall:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Bon Jovi exhibit on the top floor:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Exit through the gift store:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Waterfront Cleveland sign and the back of the Hall of Fame:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame