ND, SD, OK are part of the The Great Plains, as is western MN. NE can go either way.

Back to the OP's question, Traverse City and Petoskey in MI are great places. If you like to visit wineries you can stay on Old Mission or Leelanau Peninsulas.

Pilot-Happy Birthday! We are just back from staying at the Inn at Bay Harbor near Petoskey MI and I would highly recommend it. We did not play tennis, but I would imagine it is available and we saw lots of bikers on nice paths. 3 towns close together with lots of good restaurants and shopping too!

A good place in Wisconsin is Madison. There are tons of great restaurants.
I'm not sure about tennis, but there are several country clubs in the burbs.
I know there are nice biking trails. Madison was voted healthest city in America last year because of all of the opportunities for exercise and healthy food.
If in future you want some specific restaurant, I can get you some.
We don't live there, but my son just graduated from UWM. I'll miss visiting there.

Second the suggestion for Madison. We live in the Midwest (yes, I consider St. Louis a midwestern city!) and drove up to Madison for the long July 4th weekend. We were both pleasantly surprised by how nice this city is. There are lots of great restaurants and there seemed to be tons of biking trails along the lakes.

Tracy

I moved to TX from MN for a few years. Most Texans consider anything in "The North" to be the same, as in MN is the same as NY and MA. Some people in MN consider NY and MA the same as Britain separated by a pond.

Minnesota! Even if you stay in "downtown" Minneapolis, you can bike over 30 miles (plus!) of nice paved parkway bikepath, & enjoy our chain of lakes, connected by bike path. Also connects to Minnehaha Falls, where you can do some hiking, & into Fort Snelling for more biking & hiking. Or, bike up & down both the Minneapolis & St Paul sides of the Mississippi river, awesome views. Don't know much about tennis, but, there are some avid tennis players in Minneapolis, & I'm sure there are fitness clubs, or other areas to play, including outdoor courts.

What dates, pilot? As we move toward winter, that becomes a big factor.

Keith

First of all, Michigan is in the Midwest - period.

I agree with tamryn - Inn at Bay Harbor in Petoskey. Beatiful resort in an area with great shopping and restaurants.

Oops - typo - should be Beautiful.

Sorry.

Okay, I am soooo confused. Family is originally from the South (are the Carolinas still considered part of the South?).

Have lived in either Michigan or Ohio most of my adult life. Always thought they was part of the midwest (even though we are closer to the East Coast).

So if MI and OH are NOT part of the Midwest, what do most people call our part of the country? Please help me here...I am feeling very disconnected. Sniff, sniff.

Sorry, that should be there WERE considered part of the Midwest.

I guess my Southern roots are haunting me.

CJBROWN, yes you are correct about Mpls. being a beautiful metropolitan city. My point is that people in MN do not at all consider ourselves to be northerners in the same sence as a New Yorker. New York is a totally different areas and sometimes considered an insult from people in the south who think its all the same thing or the same area "the north".

We're looking at Sept 8-10th. I'm leaning toward MN and the Boundary Waters. But looking at Mackinac Island/Traverse City.

Still haven't found something that jumps out at us...

Any suggestions near Hot Springs, AK?

And Jorr, I can tell you for sure New Yorkers would never consider themselves to be Northerners. They are without a doubt EASTERNERS! They think Vermonters are Northerners (and Minnesotans!) :-D

amaclise, how funny. I suppose people in Georgia don't consider themselves southerners. That's Florida!

I think Southpark should do an episode on this subject. They're all fighting over this then they just give up and throw their anger on Canada.

Jorr, LOL!!!

pilot...Mackinac Island is great! The Grand Hotel is really something special. They do great packages with huge breakfasts and dinners. You can also horseback ride or bike.

You take a ferry out to the island and they pick you up in a horse and carriage. It is really romantic. They do have tennis courts too. Worth a look, if you haven't already.

I was glancing through an issue of Traverse Northern Michigan magazine at the bookstore tonight and the latest issue has an article on biking at Grand Island National Rec. Area in MI. Maybe you could check that out.