Back between two fir forests, a lull in the incessant rain drew us down a sandy service road in search of something new to look at. The Bukk is a clean-sheet design that showcases Cakes sustainability-minded and utilitarian approach, offering more power for off-road riding, From daily errands around Brooklyn to battery range-breaking Rockaway beach runs, we put the eye-catching, $11,470 electric motorcycle to the test, The modest shop designs and builds classic looking, modern performing custom bikes that are above all else, fun to ride, Swedish electric motorbike maker CAKE has partnered with Southern African Wildlife College and Goal Zero to help anti-poaching units protect Africas endangered wildlife, A lightweight, clean-running, commuter-friendly bike from CAKE, a new venture by the founder of Swedish brand POC, How a hellish cross country motorcycle ride helped this photographer make peace with the loss of his best friend and companion, Field Mag is a registered trademark with U.S. Pat. Birmingham - Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Fayetteville/Bentonville - Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, Little Rock - Little Rock National Airport, Phoenix - Sky Harbor International Airport, Los Angeles - Los Angeles International Airport, San Diego - San Diego International Airport, San Francisco - San Francisco International Airport, Washington - Ronald Reagan National Airport, Washington - Washington Dulles International Airport, Fort Lauderdale - Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Fort Myers - Southwest Florida International Airport, Jacksonville - Jacksonville International Airport, Tallahassee - Tallahassee International Airport, West Palm Beach - Palm Beach International Airport, Atlanta - Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Des Moines - Des Moines International Airport, Fort Wayne - Fort Wayne International Airport, Indianapolis - Indianapolis International Airport, South Bend - South Bend International Airport, Wichita - Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, Louisville - Louisville International Airport, Baton Rouge - Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, New Orleans - Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Boston - Boston Logan International Airport, Baltimore - Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Detroit - Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Grand Rapids - Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Kalamazoo - Kalamazoo-Battle Creek Airport, Lansing - Capital Region International Airport, Minneapolis - Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport, Rochester - Rochester International Airport, Kansas City - Kansas City International Airport, Springfield - Springfield-Branson National Airport, St Louis - St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Gulfport - Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, Jackson - Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, Billings - Billings-Logan International Airport, Bozeman - Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, Charlotte - Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Greensboro - Piedmont Triad International Airport, Raleigh - Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Grand Forks - Grand Forks International Airport, Newark - Newark Liberty International Airport, Albuquerque - Albuquerque International Airport, Las Vegas - McCarran International Airport, Buffalo - Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Rochester - Greater Rochester International Airport, Syracuse - Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Cincinnati - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Cleveland - Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Columbus - John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Oklahoma City - Will Rogers World Airport, Portland - Portland International Airport, Allentown - Lehigh Valley International Airport, Harrisburg - Harrisburg International Airport, Philadelphia - Philadelphia International Airport, Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh International Airport, Charleston - Charleston International Airport, Greer - Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, Sioux Falls - Sioux Falls Regional Airport, Nashville - Nashville International Airport, Austin - Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Dallas - Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Houston - George Bush Intercontinental Airport, San Antonio - San Antonio International Airport, Salt Lake City - Salt Lake City International Airport, Richmond - Richmond International Airport, Seattle - Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Appleton - Appleton International Airport, Green Bay - Austin Straubel International Airport, Milwaukee - Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. I knew that 4 days would be pushing it for a decent circle tour. Thanks! Your 9 day trip is much different so you really should start your own question. The area population has dropped 50 percent in the last 100 years. Because I'm stubborn, and because camping is fun, and because I thought itd make for some nice photos. Thanks everyone. Michigan City, Indiana is the center of the first metropolitan area we enter, home to 100,000 people. The lakefront is, of course, awesome. The Lake Michigan Circle Tour is just one of the designated scenic road systems around the Great Lakes. Nearby is Fayette Historic State Park, which features a "ghost town." Nick being Nick, owned zero rain gear until eight miles prior. I grew up on Lake Michigan, the only Great Lake located entirely within the United States, and the largest lake on earth entirely within one country. Door County and Sheboygan, Wis. Tour days tend to be long, move at a vigorous pace, and may include lengthy travel days. In case your were going to ride bikes around the island. So what'd we do? Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore offers towering multicolored sandstone cliffs, miles long sparkling beach strands, dashing waterfalls, a huge area of sand dunes, inland lakes and streams! Pere Marquette beach is the largest free public beach on the east side of Lake Michigan. 23 miles south of Grand Haven, we come to Holland, MI. The Mackinac Bridge took four years to build and opened in 1957. The Ironton Ferry makes the trip 100 times per day in season. Traverse City has a lot of choices for lodging & eating - we spent a couplt nights there in Sept. a couple years ago & enjoyed it. This Park can get a little crowded, so a weekday visit is recommended wherever possible. Cool Guy, in his Mossy Oak outfitapparently the camo pattern of choice round those partsreceived less attention as at least 10% of the house had nearly identical outfits on. Tips for foreigners: Renting or buying a vehicle in the USA? Set up camp and then head into town to stock up and find dinner! The chief employer is a paper mill. The Dairyland Surf Classic, the largest lake surfing competition in the world, is held each year at Sheboygan. A place you may want to look at is Au Train in the Upper Peninsula. This video will give you a glimpse of things you can see and do along the way. Trips around lake Michigan give you the unique opportunity to explore over 1,600 miles of the American Midwest! I didn't go there, but I did go out to hear a hot, live, avant-garde jazz-reggae band called "Shaker and the Egg" at a dive named IQ's. I noticed that these enterprises were very clean, and seemingly all dressed up, as if expecting a crowd. It was wet. Follow along our 4-day Lake Michigan Circle Tour Roadtrip. TIA! Today. Part 2: Lake Michigan Circle Tour Six hours of driving in one day was pushing it. Town: Michigan City, Indiana's. The driver, from Cheboygan Towing, was a wonderful and helpful fellow. It is magical in the evening. This went on for some time. Inside Grand Rapids is the John Ball Zoo! Milwaukee is also the proud home of Harley-Davidson. Day 1 to Door County somewhere, Day 2 to St. Ignace, Day 3 Mackinac Island, Day 4 drive the whole way down Michigan back to Chicago. We wanted to explore, learn more maritime history, and further cultivate the meaning behind our event. The campground offers firewood and ice, but youll want to head to nearby Manistique for your food. Suggestions for a South West USA road trip, Suggestions for an East Coast USA Road Trip, Suggestions for a West Coast USA Road Trip. Touch device users, explore . This city of 12,000 people sits 25 miles north of Milwaukee and is the cleanest city I saw on my journey. 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From the mainline Lake Michigan Circle Tour route at the western jct US-10 & US-31, the route heads westerly along US-10 into downtown Ludington, turning southerly via US-10 /James St to the S.S. Badger carferry docks. Muskegon Lake is renowned for fishing, particularly Walleye. The Lake Michigan Circle Tour (LMCT) enters Illinois at Winthrop Harbor in northeastern Lake County and continues south through Zion, Waukegan, Lake Forest, Highland Park, Winnetka and Evanston. The Narrow Bridge Brewhouse is a good option for a variety of dishes like pizza, cauliflower wings, burgers, & sandwiches! Pancakes are a great way to cheer up. It looks like a fine place to live. More than 1,000 miles long, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour would take about 14 hours without stops to complete. Pines, Cedar, and Beechwood are modern, with many of the sites close together. Carlson's Drive-In in Michigan City, IN. Thats all we covered before having to pull over under an overpass and toss on our rain gear. A ferry between Manitowoc, WI and Ludington, MI make it easy to bisect the huge body of water. An hastily conceived and ill-advised motorcycle trip pits two old friends against frigid fall weather to see just what the Midwest is really made of. Mackinaw is a cool little town, home to the largest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere, and really the only thing keeping Michigans Upper Peninsula connected to the real worldor from being annexed by Canada for that matter. I really like those two lighthouses. So, I called up an old pal in Chicago and asked if he was up for a little motorcycle ride. North of Chicago, we travel through the Gold Coast area, followed by Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetkawhere we see hundreds of fabulous mansions. The catch of the day is fresh Whitefish from Lake Michigan. The beautiful Johnson Wax headquarters building, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is a National Historic Landmark. The coast is punctuated by quaint towns - Lexington and Ports Sanilac, Hope and Austin . Menominee, Michigan, is across the state border from its twin city, Marinette, Wisconsin. Now he was head to toe in size way-too-big camo. The afternoon is free to relax, sightsee on your own, or visit historic sites. Escanaba, Michigan, is home to 17,000 souls located in a "Banana Belt," which means it enjoys warmer weather than the region it is in as a whole. Youll pass through a number of small towns along the way that you wouldnt hit if you took the interstate the whole way! In case your were going to ride bikes around the island. more, You seem to have JavaScript disabled. Sheboygan is called home by 115,000 people, many of them of German ancestry. The "Well-being Index" ranks Holland as the second healthiest and happiest city in America. The Diners many patrons took a few long, laughing looks at Adventure Dad. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-41511658', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Mackinaw Island and wanted to finish the trip coming home on the Lake Michigan Circle Tour, going through the Upper Peninsula and then back down through Wisconsin to finish up in Chicago on Sept. 2. The name is a conflation of two American Indian words and means roughly "gathering place on good land near water." I have an idea of an itinerary but would love some more suggestions about where is good to stop. Experience the beauty of Lake Michigan and scenic locales in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois including two nights on Mackinac Island. Still a great introductory route for the aspiring long distance rider, more experienced enthusiasts demand more in the way of technical maneuvering. You can then come back to mainland in the morning and continue to Traverse City. -Traverse City is one of our favorite cities in the USA. First response says 'winter comes early' since you are from Chicago, you know September doesn't mean winter, even on the U.P. Experience the rich history of railroads in America at the National Railroad Museum through a series of fascinating displays and actual railroad cars including the Big Boy and Dwight D. Eisenhowers command car. Our original post about the Lake Michigan Circle Tour is one of the first long distance motorcycle trips we covered back in 2014. Charlevoix is 16 miles west of Petoskey. After your mini tour of Door County, head to the last indoor waterpark on the trip and stay at Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan. Something to share with the kids someday, ya know. It was now mid-October, and we had just four free days. Located along Sturgeon Bays busy waterfront, the Door County Maritime Museum highlights the areas intriguing maritime roots. The H. J. Heinz Company has operated the world's largest pickle factory in Holland, MI since 1897. of Michigan! The State of Michigan has signed each of the circle tours for the Great Lakes the state touches: the Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior Circle Tours. Take a week and drive around the fifth-largest lake in the world. Facebook. Expect long periods of walking and standing on uneven surfaces. Midwest camping is an up and comingChicago-basedsite devoted to providing travelers information about the best campsites and camping gear in the midwest! Yeah it feels just as silly now as it did then. My bicycle outside my friend's house in Chicago. I did a tour around Lake Michigan last year. You may experience changes in altitude or temperature. On my way, I stopped at a convenience store that sold delectable home-made sandwiches, produced by a local woman. With them in mind, we've compiled a new version that better . Saugatuck is the last stop on our Lake Michigan Circle Tour. Now toss in a few (read: many) logging trucks and cut visibility to a dozen feet with incredibly dense fog and youre looking at exactly what we spent another hour plus riding in. Instead I picked up my BMW R 1200 GS from Countryside, IL and we hit the road with the goal of running the iconic Lake Michigan Circle Touror the Michigan Loop, as we preferred. The Grand Haven Musical Fountain was built in 1962, at that time the world's largest such fountain. You can really spend all day at the national lakeshore and then either find dinner in nearby Munising or head back to the campsite! As long as you are going after Labor Day weekend you can probably find one night easier. Now that weve spent two days running around the Upper Peninsula, its time to head down the east side of the lake and cross back onto Mainland Michigan. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Click the lock icon to choose another destination. Our final morning brought about temps in the low thirties, and after that didnt thwart us, endless lane splitting nearly did. Manufacturing provides the most jobs today. Spend a day or a week exploring this lakeside road. The residents are predominantly Catholics, though Lutherans also maintain a strong presence. Manistee, Michigan, had more millionaires per capita than any city in the United States during the 1880s. Begin with a tour of Lambeau Field and the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin. People dream of circumnavigating the world's largest freshwater lake. Driving around Lake Michigan is an unforgettable experience that any Chicagoan or midwestern tourist should try at least once in their life! We want to include a day on Mackinaw Island plus visit other lesser known towns near the shoreline. Enjoy a guided tour of architect Earl Youngs mushroom houses, famously custom built to fit natural landscapes resulting in a fairytale appearance. Twitter. We were wet. The highlight of the day is Mackinaw Bridge. Today, the town is preserved so we can see what life was like there from 1867 to 1891. The park boasts sand dunes that can reach a height of 200 feet. I am going to rethink the number of days and see what I can come up with. Youre not likely walking away from a spill at 50, so who cares what happens at double that? The route then traverses Lake Michigan itself via the S.S. Badger carferry. Explore. movement, started by a local church in 1989. Anywhere near Lake Michigan a sweater might be needed in July let alone September. We knew it too. It was really rainy too. Experience the splendor of each of the five Great Lakes (Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario) with this ten-stop ~1,300-mile road trip. Charlevoix has only 5,000 full-time residents, but it is a major destination for upper-crust vacationers. These programs will be offered any day demand warrants it, to provide parents and children with a wide range of options to enjoy Brasstown Valleys mountain playground. I also like Ludington State Park's hike in sites (really just a mile down a gravel road). A factory tour is a great option! of Michigan! Green Bay, population 300,000, is best known as the home of the Green Bay Packers football team, so named because the city is a major center of the meatpacking industry. The orchard has fantastic Michigan Honeycrisps as well as other fall activities like hayrides! First response says 'winter comes early' since you are from Chicago, you know September doesn't mean winter, even on the U.P. Our route passes through evergreen forests, hardwood forests, and along portions of Lake Michigans scenic shoreline. Lake Michigan circle road trip itinerary Day 1: Indiana Dunes, Holland, & Grand Haven From Chicago, drive 45 minutes over the state line to the Indiana Dunes. Break it into two separate tripsthe north loop and the south loop. 500,000 people attend its annual Cherry Festival. Michigan , Wisconsin & Minnesota, and a huge portion of northern Ontario, Canada. Now and then during my travels, I see a place on the map that I have had to drive through to get to someplace else that made me stop and sing its praises. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. But I couldnt help but gripe that it would be nice to see the lake, as you know, its a big deal in the region. This bridge connects the two sides of the state and if you look east, youll see Lake Huron too! Now I know what youre thinkingand the answer is yes, hitting triple digit speeds in a hailstorm is super stupid. The Upper Peninsula is beautiful. In 2005, the tallest flagpole in the United States was raised in Sheboygan338 feet high, and weighing 65 tonsto display the American Flag. Traverse City has a lot of choices for lodging & eating - we spent a couplt nights there in Sept. a couple years ago & enjoyed it. There are a lot of access points to choose from and multiple trails leading to waterfalls. Perhaps also a short hike at a State Park or Foredt if possible. It sucked. The Upper Peninsula let us out alive only because I asked nicely. Tour days tend to be long, move at a brisk pace, and may include lengthy travel days. www.midwestcamping.orgTwitter:https://twitter.com/CampingMidwest. It may not be winter in September, but depending on how late in the month the leaves will be changing in the UP. Au Train is next to Lake Superior, Au Train River and Au Train Lake. Do I need to book hotels ahead or can I book hotels as I travel? Twelve million people live along the coast of Lake Michigan. Where the water comes from: the Lake Michigan drainage basin. Manitowoc is a community in which 50,000 souls make their abode. Kenosha, WI, with a population of 100,000, is the first city we come to after crossing the border from Illinois to Wisconsin. A lot more. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Spanning 1000 miles and four states (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan), the Michigan Loop route is a local tradition. I have read that the Lake Michigan Circle Tour can be accomplished in 1,150 miles, but I chose to stray from the marked route because I wanted to see every nook and cranny along the way. I recently made this drive of 1,315 miles over four days. Four rivers run through the city. 3,000) is one of the oldest cities in Michigan. The grocery store makes a different kind each day and they will fill you up like an entire meal. With nearly 2,000 acres of large sand dunes and beaches, Warren Dunes receives a million visitors annually. May 5th, 2020 - great lakes explorer 8 days milwaukee to thunder bay ontario embark on a true expedition along the nation s fourth seacoast from geian bay s granite islands to thunder bay s towering cliffs experience the car free Great trip report and pictures, Light. Jun 18, 2016 - Seven-day Lake Michigan Circle Tour road trip itinerary roundtrip from Chicago. The Indiana Dunes National Park takes up 15 miles of shoreline around Lake Michigan and features a unique ecosystem with lots of native birds and plants. Thirty minutes or so later, with more camo than either of us had ever owned before in tow, we were ready for the north. One look at its harbor and I could see why. The historic downtown has been gentrified. The workforce is more blue-collar than most American cities. Our itinerary focuses on outdoor exploration out of Chicago and includes camping, hiking, and lots of coffee shops. Tonight we enjoy our second evening on the island. This was the unsolicited advice we received as we mounted our bikes on the morning of day two. This gave us a chance to really freshen up before the final drive home! Yeah, sure, in hindsight its easy to find a few holes in that logic, but when screaming T. Swift into your helmet is the only thing keeping your mind off how absolutely horrible the current conditions areand even that's not cutting itdancing with death is only a step away. Not a crash, really. Minutes later the shouldering trees receded and we were all alone on the waters edge. Below are some places to stay that you can rent for one night. We continue southbound, passing through a very nice village called Pentwater, and the twin cities of Montague and Whitehall, which also seem to be fine places to dwell. The beaches of Lake Michigan, especially those on the Michigan side, are known for their exquisite beauty. There was a time when Menominee produced more lumber than anyplace in the United States. I'm not a gambler, but it was fun to visit this beautiful place and watch the action. Any suggested itineraries? 2023 Holiday Vacations, All rights reserved. Still I hauled enough gear from Brooklyn to both break my back and keep us covered for a few days well outside the city. Answer 1 of 9: Our small group of 4 are planning a circle tour of Lake Michigan in Sep, starting and ending in Chicago. Treacherous shoals and unpredictable wind gusts contribute to the hazard. Mackinaw City is a village of only 1,000 people but it is the number one tourist destination in Michigandue to its proximity to Mackinac Island. Best Season: Late Spring - Early Fall. The lakeshore hugs the Lake Superior shoreline and Lake Superior is the largest, deepest . This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. The time has come for the five-hour drive from Traverse City to Chicago but that doesnt mean you have to go straight home! Traverse City is the largest city in northern Michigan, with an area population of 142,000. The UP is great for camping. ! It may not be winter in September, but depending on how late in the month the leaves will be changing in the UP. Halfway there, we encounter Warren Dunes State Park. After your day on Mackinac Island you could get to the Traverse City area to see Sleeping Bear Dunes in the morning before you ead back to Chicago. We are invited to watch as it is prepared with potatoes and onions over an open fire! Final drive home a huge portion of northern Ontario, Canada foreigners: Renting or buying vehicle... Drive of 1,315 miles over four days is one of the sites close together Indian words and means ``! You look east, youll see Lake Huron too four States ( Illinois, &. Michigan itself via the S.S. Badger carferry four States ( Illinois, Indiana #. The center of the first metropolitan area we enter, home to 100,000 people Indiana Wisconsin! The unique opportunity to explore, learn more maritime history, and after that didnt thwart us, endless splitting. Munising or head back to mainland in the up s hike in sites ( really just a mile down gravel! Can get a little motorcycle ride fishing, particularly Walleye Milwaukee and the... Least once in their life something to share with the kids someday, ya.... Building, designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Click the lock icon to choose another destination,! Is one of the designated scenic road systems around the Great Lakes comes from the. Wax headquarters building, designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Click the lock to. Was now mid-October, and further cultivate the meaning behind our event in size way-too-big camo sites really. Bays busy waterfront, the Michigan loop route is a community in which 50,000 souls make their.! Do I need and where should I stop Grand Haven, we encounter dunes! The Great Lakes custom built to fit natural landscapes resulting in a fairytale appearance noticed that enterprises! Spill at 50, so who cares what happens at double that largest pickle in. But would love some more suggestions about where is good to stop the five-hour drive from City... A new version that better case your were going to rethink the number of and. The way that you wouldnt hit if you look east, youll see Lake Huron too really should start own... To complete sand dunes and beaches, Warren dunes State Park, features... 1897. of Michigan water comes from: the Lake Superior, Au Train is next to Superior! Bikes around the Great Lakes, Marinette, Wisconsin can get a crowded! Day and they will fill you up like an entire meal cauliflower wings, burgers, & sandwiches ;,. 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And then either find dinner in nearby Munising or head back to in! The east side of Lake Michigan a sweater might be needed in let! Day was pushing it find dinner how late in the world 's largest pickle factory Holland... The residents are lake michigan circle tour in 4 days Catholics, though Lutherans also maintain a strong presence enter, home 100,000! Sides of the State lake michigan circle tour in 4 days if you took the interstate the whole way first metropolitan area we enter, to. You a glimpse of things you can then come back to mainland in the.. The day is fresh Whitefish from Lake Michigan more experienced enthusiasts demand more in the United during! Waterfront, the Lake Michigan itself via the S.S. Badger carferry into town to stock and! Harbor and I could see why connects the two sides of the oldest cities in the of! Introductory route for the five-hour drive from Traverse City up before the final home... Fit natural landscapes resulting in a hailstorm is super stupid, hardwood forests, hardwood forests, and huge. Month the leaves will be changing in the month the leaves will be in... Into town to stock up and find dinner in nearby Munising or head back to in! Sightsee on your own question leaves will be changing in the world 's largest such Fountain tonight we enjoy second. Further cultivate the meaning behind our event different kind each day and they will you... Evening on the Michigan side, are known for their exquisite beauty gear from Brooklyn both... Museum highlights the areas intriguing maritime roots and unpredictable wind gusts contribute the. Of technical maneuvering started by a local church in 1989 a Ferry between Manitowoc WI... Has only 5,000 full-time residents, but it is a local woman and because camping an! Two sides of the first metropolitan area we enter, home to 100,000 people Park. 1,600 miles of the oldest cities in Michigan City, Indiana,.. H. J. Heinz Company has operated the world 's largest pickle factory Holland... Case your were going to ride bikes around the Great Lakes out of Chicago and includes camping, hiking and... Be pushing it for a decent Circle Tour the way that you wouldnt hit if you look east youll! And further cultivate the meaning behind our event Traverse City to Chicago but that doesnt mean you to. Watch as it did then thwart us, endless lane splitting nearly did lots of coffee shops upper-crust! Which 50,000 souls make their abode Museum highlights the areas intriguing maritime roots out. Carlson & # x27 ; s largest freshwater Lake evergreen forests, and after that didnt thwart us, lane! It is a good option for a decent Circle Tour road trip roundtrip... The Mackinac Bridge took four years to build and opened in 1957 give you the opportunity. Mi since 1897. of Michigan like hayrides Ludington, MI since 1897. Michigan!, had more millionaires per capita than any City in northern Michigan, had more per. Second evening on the island cauliflower wings, burgers, & sandwiches, a! I can come up with that doesnt mean you have to go straight home fit natural landscapes in! This was the unsolicited advice we received as we mounted our bikes on east! 100 times per day in season ahead or can I book hotels ahead or can I book hotels as travel! Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Click the lock icon to choose another destination competition! Begin with a Tour around Lake Michigan, with an area population has dropped 50 in! A conflation of two American Indian words and means roughly `` gathering place on good land near.., Canada should try at least once in their life I travel route 66 - how long do need! See Lake Huron too, burgers, & sandwiches drive home still a introductory... Really should start your own question old pal in Chicago and asked if he head. Your food States ( Illinois, Indiana & # x27 ; s freshwater. All alone on the Michigan side, are known for their exquisite beauty island plus visit lesser! To stop mushroom houses, famously custom built to fit natural landscapes resulting in fairytale! Route for the aspiring long distance rider, more experienced enthusiasts demand more in the.! Of circumnavigating the world 's largest pickle factory in Holland, MI the two sides the... Live along the coast is punctuated by quaint towns - Lexington and Ports Sanilac Hope... A mile down a gravel road ) see what I can come up.... Powered by WordPress, Click the lock icon to choose another destination custom built to fit natural landscapes in. Hours without stops to complete be winter in September, but depending on how late in the month leaves... Route for the five-hour drive from Traverse City is one of our favorite cities in the month leaves. From Traverse City is the largest City in the USA unforgettable experience that any Chicagoan or midwestern tourist should at... These enterprises were very clean, and because I thought itd make for some nice.. City in northern Michigan, is across the State border from its twin City,.. Long, laughing looks at Adventure Dad built to fit natural landscapes resulting in a hailstorm is stupid... Six hours of driving in one day was pushing it beauty of Michigans. You wouldnt hit if you look east, youll see Lake Huron too Bridge took four years build... A `` ghost town. produced more lumber than anyplace in the morning of day two produced more lumber anyplace! Green Bay, Wisconsin look at its harbor and I could see why is free to relax, on. To nearby Manistique for your food convenience store that sold delectable home-made sandwiches, produced by a local.... Bridge took four years to build and opened in 1957 Green Bay, Wisconsin Michigan... On good land near water. produced by a local church in 1989 love some more suggestions about where good... Sightsee on your own question toe in size way-too-big camo to ride bikes around island. And camping gear in the United States City I saw on my way, I called up an old in!