Exploring Michigan - Trip Planning Help
 

My wife, 2 kids (age 10 & 12) and myself plan to take a trip to Michigan this summer.
Active family that enjoys nature, outdoors, history, hiking/biking/canoeing/ect.
Will be driving from southwest Ohio.
Prefer to stay overnight at only 3 locations (to minimize packing/unpacking).

My biggest question is what should we do after Day 3?
Should we use Mackinac City as a home base and do a day trip up to the UP? Or is that too much driving?
Should we instead find a place to stay in the UP for Days 4/5/6.
Or should we head over to the Traverse City/Sleeping Dunes area?

Day 1 -
Henry Ford Museum

Day 2 -
Greenfield Village
Head north in the afternoon.
Where to stay in Mackinaw City/Mackinac Island?

Day 3 -
Mackinac Island
Stay in Mackinaw City/Mackinac Island

Day 4 - ?
Day 5 - ?
Day 6 - ?
Day 7 - Drive home

Traverse City, MI Repeatedly declared as one of the best small towns in America, Traverse City has an astounding array of outdoor recreational opportunities and great restaurants. Nearby is the amazing Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore with its sky-high dunes, cool forests, inland lakes, picturesque farmsteads and historic maritime village.

Petoskey, MI. This friendly resort community, nestled along the shores of Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan, is steeped in history, Victorian architecture, and breathtaking views. It is an outdoors mecca with recreation opportunities such as biking on the Little Traverse Wheelway along Lake Michigan, sunbathing on one of the many beaches, such as Magnus City Park Beach, hiking in one of the many great trails in the region, or boating in the bay. Downtown is one of the most treasured downtowns in the United States with its famous Gaslight Shopping District.

Some of the best canoeing I remember doing (decades ago) was on the AuSable River north of Grayling. The water was clear enough that I spotted a can of beer that someone had dropped. That beer was good and cold. I do remember having to go to the side of the river to avoid the lines of fishermen. I do remember that we camped on that trip. On rivers dot gov. I see that 23 miles of the river are under federal or state control.

If you are visiting the UP then I would stay there. It might make more sense to stay in St Ignace, on the north end of the bridge in the UP. There are ferries from there to Mackinac Island also, it's closer actually. Some stay in Munising when they visit the UP, there's also a Choice hotel (Quality Inn?) in Newberry which is kind of central to UP attractions.