westchester

My daughter has recommended the UP for my 50th birthday trip. My mom and I are going, but the problem is we don't DRIVE. I've done some research and it seems that most location are not accessible by plane or train direct. HELP! Need recommendations!

Budman

I'm sorry, where is UP? Upper Peninsula? Upper Pennsylvania?

emd

Budman: It's north of Down. But it's a long drive, and as west noted, it's hard to get to.

Mollie

Try Mackinac Island. Cars are banned. The web site gives info on getting there, where to stay, etc.

The Grand Hotel is the grande dame of hotels there, but there are plenty of others to choose from.

http://www.mackinacisland.org/visitor.php

Keith

I agree with Mollie, Mackinac Island is your best bet for a UP vacation if you don't drive. Fly into Pellston and take either Mackanaw Shuttle (888-349-8294) or the Wolverine Stagecoach (800-825-1450) to the docks.

You will also be able to see all of the attractions in Mackinaw City without needing a car, and you could take a casino shuttle from Mackinaw to the casino outside St. Ignace and also get a ride over the beautiful 5 mile long Mackinac Bridge.

Keith

emd

Can you tell us where this is?

Mollie

emd- it is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, above Wisconsin.

SuzieTrue

Mollie, you are right about Michigan, but most of the UP is north of either Lake Huron or Michigan. Only the far western end is north of Wisconsin.

Sorry for the details, but I teach my students[4th & 5th] to give accurate and exact geography details.

Mollie

SuzieTrue- I always thought of it as being "above" Wisconsin since that is the way we went, unlike the rest of Michigan which is across the lake. But you're right, it is located mostly north of the state of Michigan.

emd1

above, across, up, down!

Thanks for the info. We need more geography teachers on the forums. (I must have been sick the day they taught Michigan.)

iceeu2

emd1, I must have missed geography class the day they taught Michigan also, BUT, we just returned from Northern Michigan (went the week of Memorial Day) and it was one of the most wonderful vacations we have ever had!
Neither of us had a clue how beautiful it is up there. Gorgeous...and the people are so nice.
And westchester, I agree with the others since you don't drive. Stay on Mackinac Island. Beautiful!

Flyboy

I live in the U.P. for several years and I would agree with Mackinac Island. It is one of the few places I can think of in Upper Michigan where not having a car wouldn't represent a major problem.

gbhost

I'll third the Mackinac Island suggestion. We just returned from four days in the Eastern U.P. I was amazed at what a desolate place it is up there. If you like wilderness, this is the place for you. We found a nice hotel in Paradise, a new Best Western right on Lake Superior, but there was little else in town.

Much of the landscape was scrubby and uninteresting, but the highlights like Taquamenon Falls and especially the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore were spectacular.

However, if you don't drive, I suspect you'd be stuck with little to do. Our hotel TV didn't even get NBC! Perhaps you like the sedate backwoods life, however....just bring plenty of mosquito repellent....