My boyfriend and I are big baseball fans, so we've decided to get in 4 new baseball stadiums in during the first week in September. We fly into Chicago on Friday the 1st and leave the following Saturday afternoon from Chicago. Our plan so far is to hit the Detroit Tigers evening game on Saturday the 2nd. We'll stay someplace in the Detroit area that evening and then head out early on Sunday morning. I plan on driving up through the "thumb area" to pass through the area that my dad grew up.

We have baseball tickets and hotel reservations in Milwaukee on Tuesday evening. The question is where should we plan to spend Sunday and Monday evening if we're driving up through Northern Michigan and back down through Wisconsin. Needless to say that being a long holiday weekend, the hotels around Mackinac Island is booked. Any suggestions on areas that we should target to stay? No need for anything fancy. We just plan on sleeping there and moving on. We've got nice hotel rooms for Milwuakee and Chicago.

Any suggestions for a safe and economical (like Holiday Inn Express level or Courtyard) place tg stay after the Detroit Tigers game on Saturday evening?

Any suggestions for this roadtrip would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Another problem on Labor Day is the Mackinac Bridge Walk. It starts at 7 and continues until close to noon. Many places in the area have a 2 night minimum. Your best bet is to get over the bridge before Monday morning.

If you want to get out of the Detroit area and closer to the Thumb you could stay in Lapeer or Frankenmuth. There are Fairfield Inns in both towns. For each place you would get on 75 and head north. It would be about an hour drive for either one.
It's a long drive through the UP to get to Milwaukee. Have you considered going through Chicago? With the Labor Day events you may want to miss northern Michigan. Have you considered taking a ferry from Muskegon to Milwaukee? Just a thought. Hope this helps.

I second taking the ferry across. That way you can stop in Sheboygan for some Sheboygan style brats. I'm from WI and didn't know about these until I saw them on The Food Network.

On the Labor Day weekend (particularly Sunday night) motels throughout northern Michigan are full. 50,000 to 75,000 people walk over the 5 mile long bridge on Labor Day morning. The Governor participates in the walk (or runs). Some years even the President is there.

It isn't unusual for people to stay at motels over 100 miles from the Straits and get up at 4 AM to drive up for the Bridge Walk.

Two of the lanes on the bridge will be closed from about 6-10 AM, leaving only one lane each way for traffic. After 10, there will still be only one lane north bound, but most traffic will be headed back south at the end of the weekend.

Keith