Summer trip to Michigan
 

We need help planning our family trip to Michigan this summer w/two small children. We have a week and will fly into Detroit. We want to spend a few days playing at the beach; we also thinking of spending a day at Mackinac Island as well as the Tahquamenon Falls. Oh, also want to see a few lighthouses. We have never been to Michigan and would appreciate any tips/suggestions/accomodation recomendations.

Thanks,
Anne

When during the summer are you coming to MI? It will make a difference.

From Detroit, you are looking at a 3-4 hour drive minimum for the best beaches in the state. Do you want Lake Huron or Lake Michigan beaches? Most will recommend Lake Michigan with choices from Saugatuak in the south to Harbor Springs in the north.

If you plan on doing Mackinac Island and Tahquamenon Falls, you'll want to be in Traverse City and northward for your beach time.

Lighthouse are easy! From Traverse City to the Straits and up to Tahquamenon you have at least half a dozen possiblities. Do you just want to look at them or go inside? I love the views from the top of lighthouses!

We usually camp in the summer, so have no recommendations for places to stay. Good Luck!

It might really be better to fly into Chicago, and then follow the western shore up the coast of Michigan. Zillions of lighthouses on that side and really cute coastal towns and great beaches the whole way up. That way you can see Sleeping Bear Dunes as well. Mackinac Island is great and you will definitly want a day there. Traverse City, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs are all great as well. There is also an airport in Pellstan, Michigan and also Sault Ste. Marie, if you don't want to drive all the way up north. Going up and down I-75 is pretty crazy if you are going north on a Friday and south on a Sunday. And holiday weekends are extra slow.

As for accomodations, Bay Harbor is Petoskey is great, but there are also a ton of cute b&b's up there as well. You might want to consider spending the night on Mackinac Island. That is pretty fun. I think in the UP there are lighthouse b&b's.

I would suggest staying on Mackinac Island 3 nights if possible. Bring your bikes too. You can rent on the island but it is well worth it to have your own. Mission Point Resort is really nice with kids. Also, Metivier Inn, Haans 1830 Inn, The Inn on Mackinac or the Island House. You really want a place with a porch, and free breakfast, and these 4 all have that. My husband and I have taken our kids there about 10 times and that is their favorite place to go, even over Disneyworld :). Check out www.restaurant.com for a gift certificate for the Village Inn. Once you go to Mackinac Island, you will want to go back - it is that neat of a place. Bring kites, travel board games, deck of cards, and a cooler with beverages, sit on the porch and relax. There is a library at the end of the island that has a deck with chairs and you can sit there and enjoy the twinkling lights at night of the bridge too. Our kids loved when we rented a horse and buggy - it was pricey ( $75 for 1 1/2 hrs) that was a big splurge and worth it. If you book with any of these places, keep watching their websites and if the prices go down, call them and they will honor those prices. Bring a cooler with snacks and a backpack if you decide to bike around the island.

Do you plan to drive north from Detroit? St. Claire Shores has a great beach right near Detroit if you want to start there; then work your way north. Dearborn has the Henry Ford Musem, Greenfield Vilage, the Detroit Zoo, and an IMAX theater (again, right near Detroit). Places worthwhile to visit include Traverse City (including Mission peninsula), Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island. Staying on the island is more expensive, but worth it. I agree with the hotels mentioned in the previous reply. It is so neat to wake up on the island and not hear any cars; just the clomping of horses. I recommend taking an island tour from a 'local' who lives there year-round. Ask at the info center on the main street. The U.P. is nice, but too desolate for our family. Not very much to do. (Although Copper Harbor and Eagle River are charming). There are lighthouses in all those places. I hope you enjoy the great lake state! We love living here!

I'm going to suggest flying into Grand Rapids - if you haven't already purchased tix. Grand Rapids is much accessible to Lake Michigan and is easy to hop on the highway to head north.

My fave beach is in Pentwater - the water is fairly calm with a sandbar a few yards out. Small dunes for the kids to climb, a playground, and a snackbar.

If most of your activities are going to be north anyway, there's an airport in Traverse City. TC typically has the warmest water since the bays heat up - as opposed to Lake Michigan.

My fave lighthouse pier/beach/town is Charlevoix - they put on a great boat parade during (I think...) Venetian Festival. Bands on yachts, etc...but very, VERY crowded.

And...on Lake Huron - Tawas has a good beach and ...I think...a lighthouse. There's a sandbar that you can walk for quite a while from the beach. We used to anchor my Dad's boat on the sandbar...lots of fun.

Hi there...my suggestion is to fly into Chicago or Grand Rapids also, because the western side of Michigan, IMO has the very best most beautiful little towns and beaches in the midwest. We love Glen Arbor, Glen Haven, Ludington areas on Lk. Michigan, our favorite resort there is the Homestead in Glen Arbor. Also, beautiful areas are Harbor Springs and Petoskey, tons to do and wonderful beaches. Traverse City is so much fun if you are there at the less crowded times. Many little towns on the west shore of Lk. Michigan, you cannot go wrong. Also, Grand Haven, near Muskegon is a fun little beachtown we love. About a two and a half to three hour drive west of Detroit.

While you are in the Straits of Mackinac area, take one of the lighouse cruises with Shepler's: http://www.sheplersferry.com/lightho...ghthouses.html

Keith

Oh yeah, Grand Rapid would be great to fly into. And sometimes even cheaper.

Don't know know anything about costs, but MUCH second the idea of flying into Grand Rapids, especially if you are going so far North. Also second pepper131 and several others, who highlight places better than Mackinac, IMHO.

Enjoy it all, as right now is "the good old days" when few know what is really "there".

Yeah, I think 3 nights on Mackinac Island are too many for someone who has never been to the state before. A day trip is definitly sufficient, but it is charming to spend the night.

And there really isn't too much in the UP. I did the Soo locks last summer which was nice. I want to do Tahquamenon this summer.

"And there really isn't too much in the UP"

Unless you are going for shopping, it would be easy to fill a week in the UP.

Keith

Oh the scenery is wonderful in the UP. There is definitly a lot to do there, but I was thinking of the young kids. It is definitly no Disney World! And with only having a week and wanting to be by the beach, I don't think doing more than Tahquamenon is worth it.

I've heard there are other waterfalls even better than Tahquamenon. Is that true and where are they?

There are other Michigan falls that I like (for example Grand Sable Falls), but none that rival Tahquamenon.

Keith

It really depends what you want to do with your two kids. The real michigan is all about clean sandy beaches and swimmingin fresh water. Or hiking, camping and experienceing the woodlands. personally I would rather have a root canal than go to Mackinac Island.
And with only a week I would say that trying to fly into Detroit or GR and rying to make it to the UP is way too much. It would be like flying into LA, doing SF and then going up into northern CA. You just can't do it and enjoy yourself. If you wanted to experience Detroit culturally and the beauty that is Michigan, I recommend doing the Detroit Institute of Art. They entry room has the huge Diego Rivera Murals that will dazzel any kid. Then head up to the heart of beauty in the Lower pennisula..Leelanau county. Get yourself a cottage at the Jollie Lodge, swim, roast marshmellows on the beach, have a bonfire, spend days soaking in the water and sun, take days trips to Art's in Glen Arbor for great burger, let the kids have Cherry ice cream at Cherry republic, spend the day in Leland at Historic Fishtown and even take a dy trip on the ferry to South Manitou Island. These are the things people wait all year to do in Michigan. If you want Disney Land go to Florida.

I really agree with artman. You can't do all of MI in that way/method in a week and "get" MI. He/she has the essence of the best, where you land.

"Oh the scenery is wonderful in the UP.... (but) It is definitly no Disney World!"

Thank goodness for that!!!

:) Yes, I'm sure that is why people live there!

I'd have to agree with everyone else that the west michigan is the place go.

I'd really try to fly to grand rapids or traverse city, so you can have more time to meander up the coast.

South Haven and Saugatuck are my favorites on the south end.

Glen Arbor is great near the dunes and that can occupy you for days and the kids will love it. Tip at sleeping bear dunes: take M-109 (south dunes rd) until it ends at the lake in glen haven and then hang a left , go down a 1/2 mile and all the beach there is public access near some homes (there is parking lot and trailhead at the end of the road). You can then just walk along the flat beach to the west and see the big dunes hitting the lake without having to do the longer hike with the kids through the entire park, and most of the time you'll have the beach to yourself, as not too many people seem to know about this short cut.

Personally I'd look to rent a cottage (cottage is a misnomer - these days its more like huge houses) on lake michigan somewhere between harbor springs and cross village. Cross village is a no stop light town but has a great "famous" polish place - the legs inn, food is great and the sunset views from their porch on a cliff over lake michigan are fitting way to end a day. This area has great towns harbor spring/petosky near by, and mackinac city isn't far. Its a little more of what northwest michigan used to be 15 -20 years ago.

Also - unless you are set on being on the big lake - I'd look into renting a place on torch lake near traverse city. It is deep (300ft+) so cold, but the water is deep blue and green that looks like you are in the southern seas.

If your husband or you golf at all, I'd advise bring the clubs as well. Great courses all over the place.

It really depends what you want to do. I love the area and don't think you can wrong, have been in love with the area since my parents would ship me up to TC as a kid for "fresh air" (otherwise know as working on my uncle's cherry farm for the summers).

JJ5, you mentioned in a previous post a place called Sunnybrook Farm in Michigan. My family and I went there for many years when I was a kid.(about 30 years ago)It was in South Haven. I have been trying to see if it's still there so I can take my family.Some of my best memories are from there. No one seems to have heard about it. Do you have any info? Please let me know!! Thanks