scenic places from Dearborn
 

After considering many options, my husband and I are now thinking of Michigan for our 6 day vacation in August. We like history and thought it would be interesting to see Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum. My question is where could we go for the other days that would be scenic? We have been to Niagra Falls, UP, and Saugatuck area. I was wondering about Mackinaw Island or the Leelanau Peninsula. I like forests and hills. We like to take long walks, scenic drives, and just sit and look at pretty views. We'd be willing to drive about 4 hours.

Thanks for any suggestions.
krisz

Leelanau is an option. Also, you could try the Southwest portion of the Lake Michigan shoreline. Grand Haven, South Haven, etc.

I myself am more familiar with the Leelanau area, Sleeping Bear Dunes sound right up your alley. Let me know how many days you are thinking and I'd love to help you plan.

Icee2 (??) just posted a great extensive trip report on Northern Michigan that you can check out.

Thanks for the suggestions, Cassidy. I read the trip report. We have been to the SW area, South Haven, etc. and would like to see other areas. I think we'd have about 4 days.
Thanks for your help.
krisz

How about the Amish Area of Ohio - Holmes County? We frequently go over there when we are in Michigan (Detroit Area) and enjoy the area very much. It is a little west of Canton, near Wooster, Ohio.

Close by and very interesting and scenic is Cranbrook House and Garden. Art, landscape architecture, a historical home, and stunning gardens in the luxury community of Bloomfield Hills. Lots of good restaurants and shopping within a few miles of here as well.

I recommended it just yesterday here:

Author: LilMsFoodie
Date: 06/13/2004, 06:07 am

Message: The Cranbrook Estate in Bloomfield Hills MI has stunning gardens of every variety. I worked as a volunteer on their herbaceous borders for some time. There is a daffodil hill where over 100,000 bulbs are planted, there is a water garden, several types of border gardens, an evergreen tree garden with huge number of varieties, a woodland garden, a sunken garden that is replanted after the tulips are spent with annuals in the traditional bedding plant style. A new design is conceived each years. There is a Herbal knot garden with roses (hips for tea).

One seldom hears of it. It is a national trust property and home to a fabulous art school The sculptures, especially Carl Milles, are beautiful and the architecture is also lovely.

I've toured gardens in the south, in England, in France (Giverny, Versailles) and these gardens will stand to any of them.

http://www.cranbrook.edu/housgard/H_G-home.html

A picture of the annual display in the sunken garden:
http://www.designjk.com/photography/...crw_6020.shtml

LilMsFoodie (who is also an avid gardener)
------------------------------------------------------------

Lil M's Foodie gave me another idea, if you go east throught Detroit along Jefferson Ave, you will hug the Detroit River and go past some of the most beautiful homes in the Metro Detroit area. Of course, to get there you have to go through a kind of shady area of Detroit (not unsafe though). It will take you into the "Pointes" Grosse Pointe & Grosse Pointe Woods. In Grosse Pointe is Edsel & Eleanor Ford's House. www.fordhouse.org. If you continue and head a little north, you will then be hugging the Lake St Clair shoreline and can visit the "Nautical Mile" There are some nice places to grab lunch on the lake.....

Mackinaw Island, Traverse City and the Leelanau Pennisula are all worth the trip to see. The drive will be over 5 hours from the Dearborn area. Have you been to Empire and the Sleeping Bear Dunes? Not quite as far to drive and also worth the trip.
Another option is to drive around the Canadian Side of Lake Erie.
You could also continue the drive mentioned in the prevous post from St. Clair Shores up to Port Huron and beyond.

Thanks for all the tips. The garden idea sounds lovely and I'll try to figure out what to do among the other suggestions. Have not been to Sleeping Bear Dunes area.
krisz

krisz~
From what you say in your original post, I think that you would absolutely love the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Lots of beautiful scenery. There is the Pierce (?) Scenic Drive that takes you through the dunes and forest surrounding. Lots of stopoffs with beautiful views of the dunes & Lake Michigan. You could stay at the Homestead and use that as a base to explore the Leelanau area. Glen Arbor (must stop at Art's and have a burger) and Leland are cute little towns.

While it's not scenic, I have another suggestion for your time in Dearborn.

Ford has recently again started offering tours of its River Rouge plant. I remember, as a kid, touring this, though at the time they were a bit less safety conscious - I remember watching them pouring steel, which is not longer part of the deal.

The tour begins at Henry Ford Museum with a 1/2 bus ride, which has a pretty good video that highlights points of interest in the factory complex. Then there are two videos, one of which replaces the steel-pouring part of the old tour. Last, you get to tour (on an overhead catwalk) a truck assembly plant. I admit the tour is probably more interesting to people who are interested in cars, or Ford, and you might notice the obvious self-promotion of Ford and the UAW, but our group of kids and adults (including two former Ford employees) had a great time.

If you are in Dearborn for more than one day, you might want to visit Henry Ford's Fair Lane Estate, a National Historic Landmark: http://www.umd.umich.edu/fairlane/
It's near Greenfield Village.

A good 3-1/2 hour trip from Detroit is Shipshewana, Indiana. The town is dedicated to preserving the amish life and there are many stores and places to visit. I've attached a link to get you there. Just don't go on Sunday. The sidewalks roll up and everyone goes to church.
http://www.shipshewana.com/

Thanks for the suggestions everybody.
We have a choice of two possible weeks in Aug. Would there be any noticeable difference in numbers of people I'd encounter in Sleeping Bear Dunes area and other tourist spots between a week starting Aug.6 or one starting Aug 18? Also I'd like opinions about how long we need to alow for Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. I was thinking two days, but we like to move faster than most folks choose to. Also I see that on Fridays and Saturdays they are open until 9pm. Do you think we could do it in one long day? Also I can't decide whether I would enjoy Mackinaw Island unless I can find the time (and money) to overnight there. I love scenery, but not crowds or shopping. And we've been to several forts and fur trading outposts. Sure do like fudge though.
I appreciate your help.
krisz

I think that the difference in crowds "up north" between those two weeks would be negligible.

As far as Greenfield Village/Henry Ford, I think you could make a judgement call once there. I took my aunt & uncle when they were in from Texas and was astounded by the ammount of stuff there. We spent 6 hours in the museum alone, but we are also "lingerers". Of course, we didn't see everything either. I think you can do both in one long day, but would that be enjoyable? I guess I'm from the school of thought that vacations are for enjoying, so rushing through two museums just to get done in one day doesn't appeal to me. In a nutshell though, it can be done.

Mackinac Island: I think a day trip over is perfectly reasonable. Honestly, you can see the entire island in one day. You can get over in the AM, do the fort, take an island carriage tour (or rent a horse & buggy & tour yourself), grab a snack, go to the Grand Hotel, do some shopping, then have dinner before the last ferry back. IMHO hotel prices are a little bit outrageous on the island, and an overnight stay is not completely needed.

I Don't know about SLeaping Bear, but in the Mackinac Straits area, the crowds will be much smaller during the week of the 18th - 23rd.

For me, Greenfield Village is good for a full day, Henry Ford Museum about 3-4 hours.

Keith

Thanks for the advice. Now I'm wondering about the temperature in August. I realize it may be hot in the Detroit area, but what will it be like in the Mackinaw and Leelanau areas? Pn a web site I saw average highs that are hotter than I expected.
Thanks,
krisz

Just wanted to mention that if you have any interest the Woodward Dream Cruise is Saturday, August 21st.

the biggest tourist times up north are the last week in july and the first in aug. after that, everyone gets ready to go back to school. some prices on accomodations may go down with a little bargaining.

the leelanau is the most wonderful place in the world. get out of that dirty city asap. forget ohio and ind. - zzzzzz.

take a jacket and a sweater just in case.

Just a thought on Mackinaw Island, yes it can be done in one day but to me the island is so much more enjoyable in the evening after the crowds have left. So much more peaceful, the island takes on a different tone. One of my favorite memories is taking a buggy ride after dinner one evening then enjoying a spectacular sunset over the lake.

I'm not sure where your historic interests lie, but Meadowbrook Hall in Rochester is a wonderful place to visit. It is the former residence of Oakland University founders Matilda Dodge Wilson, widow of automobile pioneer John Dodge, and her second husband, lumber broker Alfred Wilson. It would be an easy drive from Dearborn if that's your home base. Also, Pewabic Pottery in Detroit is a great place to visit if you're interested in pottery or tile.

I live in northern Michigan near Mackinaw City. If you like forests and hiking, Wildernes State Park has lots of trails along with Lake Michigan beach areas.

The water surrounding Mackinac Island and on three sides of Mackinaw City keeps things temperate. The temperatures just a few miles inland fluctuate more.

Mackinaw City's average high in the month of August is 75, the average low is 59.

Keith