Three week holiday in Michigan
 

Planning a three week holiday around Michigan area. We are flying from Scotland. What are the places and sights to see and the sights not to miss. Thanks<BR>Oh, nearly forgot, holiday is in June.

Any particular reason that you've chosen Michigan for a 3 week visit? While a nice enough state, it's not one of the more popular destination spots.

Ignore the above poster. The Sagatauk area is very nice on the western side as is the Petoskey/Harbor Springs area near the thumb. If you like cars, check out the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.

Tammy, I wouldn't ignore the poster who questioned your decision to spend three weeks in Michigan. <BR><BR>Would you be willing to drive to Chicago, up to Wisconsin and back down through Michigan? <BR>

I wasn't trying to be rude about my response. I was just curious if there was a reason that they had narrowed their vacation to Michigan. 3 weeks is a long vacation and I just wondered if they would be open to seeing neighboring states, or if there was a reason they wanted to stay in a particular area. Without more info, sometimes it's hard to give good suggestions.

What time of the year are you coming? We get a lot of snow in this area in winter. Summer and fall are beautiful in the midwest. Southwest Michigan is my favorite place in the midwest.

Opps! forgot you said June. Be sure to see the southwest portion of the state, and the northern part is beautiful too.

Michigan happens to be one of the top tourist states. Everything north of Lansing is geared towards tourists. Golf Digest ranks Northern Michigan as one of the top 5 Golf destinations in the world.<BR><BR>No, Detroit is not a top tourist city, but northern Michagan is beautiful. More shoreline than any other state except Alaska.<BR><BR>Petosky, Traverse City, Leelanau, and the UP are prime vacation spots. Enjoy. Time of year makes a big difference as well.

I'm curious as well about why 3 weeks in Michigan. Do you have family in the state and that will be your "home base"? While I've lived in 2 towns in Michigan, it's not the vacation destination I would choose coming from so far away from home you you are. ;-)<BR><BR>Tammy, what are your interests? Big cities? Hiking? More wide open spaces? Wanting to see the biggie tourist sights in Michigan? By saying "around Michigan area" do you mean you also plan to spend time in the neighboring states? <BR>Post back here with those answers and more specifics that you enjoy and I, along with others will give more definite suggestions.

I think you made a good choice Tammy, and I live in Michigan. I live in the northern part of the lower peninsula, but when I want to get away from it all I head for the upper peninsula. There's nothing there as far as shopping, but there's plenty to see in the way of natural beauty. <BR><BR>OK, I just erased a huge essay on the UP, but some of the things I'd recommend to a visitor are:<BR>*Kitch-iti-kipi Spring (also called The Big Spring) located in Palms Book State Park<BR>*Tahquamenon Falls, near Paradise <BR>*Whitefish Point, and the maritime museum there<BR>*Any and all waterfalls you can find<BR>*Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (there's a boat tour out of Munising)<BR>*The Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie where you can watch the freighters<BR>*Lighthouses galore <BR>*Make sure you try a pastie or 2 while in the U.P. My personal favorite is Lehto's just west of St. Ignace. But pasties are a personal thing.<BR><BR>There is really so much more. I just love it here and I know others will add their own favorite spots. The western part of the state along Lake Michigan has already been mentioned. A not-to-be-missed spot there is The Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes.<BR><BR>(They haven't been updated in ages, but I have a few pictures of my beloved Michigan here: http://www.geocities.com/michilimack...alwonders.html )

I love bicycling around Mackinack Island. It is beautiful. There is a spa on one end of the island. The Grand Hotel has a wonderful reputation but I would pass on dinner to save money and instead eat at the Grand Hotel cafe up at the Fort Mackinack. The food is wonderful and the view over the bay and marina is European post card material. The fort tour is fascinating with actors in period costume. There is a wonderful shopping mall near Dearborn with Nordstroms as an anchor store. I hope to visit again soon. Chicago is close (relatively) and the museums can't be beat! The Peninsula Hotel is getting rave reviews. Have a great time!

my favorites: driving leelenau peninsula on m-22 through leland, ferry to maintou island, sutton's bay etc. traverse city, sleeping bear national park, glen arbor.<BR><BR>charlevoix, petoskey and walloon lake, (ernest hemmingway country), sailing, drive beautiful m-119 through harbor springs, cross village to mackinaw city.<BR><BR>ferry to mackinac island (pronounced mackinaw) - no cars allowed, only horses, carriages and bikes. tours, mucho gift shops, visitors from all over the world. beautiful views of l. mich. and l. huron. picturesque.<BR><BR>soo locks in sault ste. marie. may be long lines to get back in if cross to canada.<BR><BR>lansing and east lansing, state capitol and huge, beautiful michigan state u. campus<BR><BR>southwest michigan along l. mich. from pentwater to st. joseph. spectacular sand dunes and sand beaches along scenic drive.<BR><BR>chicago.<BR><BR>it can be cool in northern mich. in june, take jackets and sweaters along with your swimsuit, much like scotland. accomodations are easier to get in june. high season is july and august. prices are better also. www.tcchamber.org, www.mackinacisland.org.<BR>www.petoskey.com<BR>www .lansing.org<BR>www.michigan.org<BR>

Hi everybody, its Tammy here. Reason for Michigan is house-swap with my sister. I've only ever been to Florida, no-where else in U.S. and just want to see as much as possible. Will be touring in car, and maybe could find a B&B if we travel a bit far. Keep coming with the suggestions.

Try to get to Chicago for a few days. If you have only been to Florida in the US, you should really try to go to one of America's great cities and Chicago is the only one remotely near Michigan.

Tammy, I live in Michigan. Where abouts is your sister's home? Upper penninsula? Lower? If in the lower, near what large city? Could help you better if we knew how close you are to things. I live near Detroit, and it takes me 7 1/2 hours to drive all the way to Marquette in the U.P.

Hi Tammy,<BR><BR>Since you'll have a car and if you're willing to do some driving, all of the suggestions so far have been good ones.<BR><BR>I lived in Cheboygan (very northern part of lower peninsula) and Escanaba (central to western part of U.P.). Small towns, but in lovely areas of the state.<BR><BR>If you're planning to venture into the U.P., enjoy going over the Mackinaw bridge - I believe it's the longest suspension bridge in the world (or at least the U.S.). I always preferred going over it at night. Gorgeous lights! Have some fudge in Mackinaw City - yeah, it's a "touristy" thing to do, but hey, you're on vacation, right?!<BR><BR>I always enjoyed going to Petoskey, Charlevoix, and Traverse City.<BR><BR>The U.P. is pretty sparse population wise and the distances between "major" towns are relatively large, but it's worth a few days' visit if you like gorgeous scenery. The Locks in Sault Ste. Marie are interesting. I agree with an above poster about trying a pastie. I can't remember now the name of the resturant in Escanaba I had a few at (lived there 8+ years ago), but they're a staple in Michigan restaurants.<BR><BR>Michigan City (near Indiana border) has some nice shopping malls. If you have time and enjoy big cities, do take the time to go to Chicago.<BR><BR>My favorite drive in Michigan was on route 23 from Cheboygan to Oscodo (eastern part of lower peninsula). The road hugs the coast, with a gorgeous view of the water. <BR><BR>Enjoy your planning. You've got plenty of time to get lots of advice and anticipate a wonderful vacation!

Hi again its Tammy. Thanks for all your help. I wondered if it would be possible to go to Niagara Falls and Toronto. How long would it take from Detroit?

It's 228 miles from Detroit to Toronto, mostly highway driving so somewhere around 3-4 hours travel time. I think it took us about 1 1/2 hours to get from Toronto to Niagara Falls. You'll definitely want to see the falls from the Canadian side, much more impressive and definitely worth the trip.<BR><BR>If you're based out of Detroit, I would definitely try to make the trip to Chicago which is a great place to visit, especially in the summer.<BR><BR>Other ideas include Northern Indiana Amish country-lots of shops, restaurants, antique stores and a large flea market in Shipshewana on Tues and Wed (also an auction on Wednesday).<BR><BR>Or if you're into amusement parks with big roller coasters there's Cedar Point in Sandusky Ohio (near Toledo). My brother in law raves about Put in Bay which is an island in Lake Erie, also close to Toledo. I think he's stayed at a B&B there and really enjoyed it.<BR><BR>Nearer to Detroit, there's the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn Michigan.<BR><BR>Michigan City Indiana has an outlet mall that's pretty good. I wouldn't go there just for that but if you're passing through on the way to Chicago or someplace else, it's worth a stop.

Put-In-Bay in Lake Erie is a fun place and there are many nice b&b's on the Island. It's probably about 2 hours from Detroit.<BR><BR>Here's the url:<BR>http://www.put-in-bay.com/

Tammy-There is another thread entitled, "Great Lakes" I topped it for you, but if you can't find it, do a text search on Great Lakes. It has tons of information on Michigan and the surrounding areas.

You are all so wonderful on this board. How did I ever manage without you all

If going thru Michigan City, Indiana, the name of the outlet mall is Lighthouse Place just a few blocks from a beautiful beach and lighthouse and Washington Park Marina (there are boats available for rent if you want to sail but would have to call ahead to make reservations)The Blue Chips Casino is but a few blocks away and interesting to visit. The hotel there is new and not real expensive.

If you're going to Niagara Falls and Toronto, you'll have to plan on a few days. If you skip all the "touristy" things in Niagara, you can just spend a day. However, view it from the Canadian AND the American sides. Two totally different perspectives. Toronto will require at least two days. Have fun.

Order the Michigan Travel Guide from the state tourism office. I bet you can order it on line at www.michigan.gov. This is a very good guide and handy planner.<BR><BR>If you travel to Ontario, be sure you won't have any problems crossing out and back into the US.<BR><BR>Michigan is beautiful. You have received some great suggestions so far. Three weeks is a good chuck of time. Why not take a road trip to other parts of the US? NYC can be only 12 hours away (depending how far south you are in the lower pen.) Washington DC is also a do-able road trip.<BR><BR>Also, Northwest has a hub in Detroit ansd has offered up some outrageous fares. Worth checking out if you dare to adventure. {recent example: RT DET - Orlando $119, after all taxes!)<BR><BR>One more thing: There is a great lakes tour guide that circumnavigates the lakes (L. Michigan, I believe) <BR><BR>

I knew it. I knew it. Foders has the best people around. Thank you

Many people have posted good suggestions, but if you want something real, real special and a unique Michigan experience get away from the usual- go inland and away from Lake Michigan. There are many small (St. Joseph or Cass counties especially) lakes South of Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids that would be delightful to visit in June and most are spring fed with very high quality for water sports and fishing. You can rent bikes, jetskis etc. lots of places. Remember that Lake Michigan is awesome but huge and very, very cold. Exactly 1/2 way between Chicago and Detroit, there is an 1873 era stagecoach inn/ house that has an interesting and extensive history. It has been restored as a B&B by a couple who are excellent hosts. The St. Joe River and canoeing can be done from the Inn itself, but you won't want to leave the property there are so many interesting views there and activities. It is located in Mendon and there are two excellent restaurants (1 in walking distance- Bistro) that have excellent food with presentation & quality closer to that found in Chicago or New York. You need to book way ahead and they have mystery, golf, Amish thresher etc. weekends also. The game room is beyond description. American Presidents have stayed in some of the rooms. You can do modern in the newer lodge / jacuzzi areas, but I love to stay on the second floor of the main house. If you are small you can fit into the showers. All the toys etc. around you are authentic. The only thing they won't tell you is where Elvis slept. <BR><BR>Although there are about 20 or 30 very good B&B's in Southern and SW Michigan, this one (Mendon Country Inn) is the most unique place we have ever stopped. We are hooked. You can go to Shipshewana in less than 1/2 an hour from Mendon. BUT be aware that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are really, really crowded. We waited over an hour to get into the parking lot and the Amish buggies only go so fast. NO shopping is done on Sunday. <BR><BR>If you like small lakes- Fisher Lake, Finch, Fish and Saddlebag are my favorites. These areas are so full of little creeks, massive dense forests, vineyards in wine country and hills with another creek beyond- that you can say you have never seen so many different shades of green. Michigan on a whole has tons to offer. One daughter just went to Grand Rapids zoo and said the place was almost empty and well worth the time. We are amazed every time we visit Michigan. Have a wonderful Michigan meander. If you golf, don't miss the Irish Hills either.

With 3 weeks, a trip on the Lake Michigan Scenic Route around Lake Michigan would give you agood look at the beauty of Lake Michigan and you would visit a multitude of quaint little towns by the lake. You would travel the West side of Michigan, the Southern portion of the upper peninsula, the East side of Wisconson and end up in Chicago, a fun place to visit. East from Chicago, on your way back to Michigan you go through the best secret of Indiana, the dunes and the beaches of Southern Lake Michigan.