After your day on Mackinac Island you could get to the Traverse City area to see Sleeping Bear Dunes in the morning before you ead back to Chicago. Day 1: New Buffalo to Saugatuck (90 miles) Near the border with Indiana, New Buffalo is the gateway to Lake Michigan's "Harbor Country," a series of beach towns strung together by the Red Arrow Highway and a popular cottage retreat for Chicagoans. Presently, half the workforce commutes to Chicago or Milwaukee. Spring into fun with the West Michigan Tourist Association- FOX 17 3/11/2023 . We continue southbound, passing through a very nice village called Pentwater, and the twin cities of Montague and Whitehall, which also seem to be fine places to dwell. The Mackinac Bridge is the third longest total suspension bridge in the world. This bridge connects the two sides of the state and if you look east, youll see Lake Huron too! Minutes later the shouldering trees receded and we were all alone on the waters edge. Following breakfast we head south towards the Windy City. First response says 'winter comes early' since you are from Chicago, you know September doesn't mean winter, even on the U.P. 500 people lived there before the blast furnaces closed. Manistee, Michigan, had more millionaires per capita than any city in the United States during the 1880s. Route 66 - how long do I need and where should I stop? Featuring dishes from all across the world, Engine Company really highlights Wisconsin ingredients for classic cheese curds, a locally sourced meat omelet, fresh bakery toast, and more. Just a topple. Updated on Nov 17, 2021 | Published on Nov 17, 2021, 9 Lessons Learned While Traveling During A Pandemic, A Complete Tour of the Best North Carolina Lighthouses. One look at its harbor and I could see why. Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. Traverse City has a lot of choices for lodging & eating - we spent a couplt nights there in Sept. a couple years ago & enjoyed it. Escanaba, Michigan, is home to 17,000 souls located in a "Banana Belt," which means it enjoys warmer weather than the region it is in as a whole. The labor unions drove the steel industry out of America, and this area is now desolate. We appreciate your patience! Inside Grand Rapids is the John Ball Zoo! CA Residents Only: Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Exceptional Accommodations Included with Baggage Handling, Low Deposit, Guaranteed Prices, & No Hidden Costs, 2 nights at Stone Harbor Resort in Sturgeon Bay, 2 nights at the Lake View Hotel on Mackinac Island, 1 night at the Embassy Suites Grand Rapids Downtown, 1 night at the Sonesta Chicago OHare Airport, Scenic ferry ride to/from Mackinac Island, Mackinac Island horse-drawn carriage tour, Grand Luncheon Buffet at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Holiday Vacations Farewell Dinner in Chicago. US National Parks Reservations and Fees 2022, http://www.tripadvisor.com/help/how_to_edit_your_posts, Edmonton to southern states road trip in April, Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier Road Trip Advice, Europe Road Trip Itinerary September/October. I noticed that these enterprises were very clean, and seemingly all dressed up, as if expecting a crowd. The Grand Haven Coast Guard coordinates all Lake Michigan Coast Guard activities. Before reaching Charlevoix, I came to a spot on Lake Charlevoix where the road ended. Pinterest. Your 9 day trip is much different so you really should start your own question. For more, see Camping around Lake Michigan. Lake Superior is a cold, deep lake that often acts more like an ocean and has claimed more lives than any other Michigan Lake. It was now mid-October, and we had just four free days. This takes place Thursday, April 13th through Read More When I told my daughter Sarrah I was going on the Lake Michigan Circle Tour, she said, "That sounds like fun! Lake Kitch-iti-kipi is a pristine spring-fed lake that with a small boat to view the underwater gushes and churning sand as ten thousand gallons pour from under the lake every minute! I certainly wouldnt call myself one, nor Nick, but man, I sure left US 2 with my tail between my legs. My bicycle outside my friend's house in Chicago. Now he was head to toe in size way-too-big camo. My near neon orange coat has long been a standby. to Green Bay,Wi and Door County,WI. Grand Haven, MI, is ten miles south of Muskegon. Enjoy your trip and Kitchitikipi! I had not been to Milwaukee in a long time. Twitter. And rainy. On my way back to our starting point, I passed through two more nice towns, Fennville and South Haven. Malted milk and the garbage disposal were invented in Racine, Wisconsin. Your GPS is going to try to take you along route 75 but its time to trust your directional senses to deviate from the GPS and take state highway 31. Still I hauled enough gear from Brooklyn to both break my back and keep us covered for a few days well outside the city. Petoskey sits next to the deepest natural harbor of the Great Lakes. Holland is sometimes called the "City of Churches;" it boasts 170 places of Christian worship, and it is the birthplace of the "What Would Jesus Do?" Getting to late in the day for not knowing where we were going! Kenosha is a very nice, growing city with a thriving tourist industry. Youre not likely walking away from a spill at 50, so who cares what happens at double that? I thought, "perfect.". Thanks! An Unexpected Find on the Northern Michigan Road Trip. There is time for lunch on the pier before a local guide joins us to view many of Chicagos famous landmarks. Enjoy a full day discovering Wisconsins Door County, the Cape Cod of the Midwest. Make plans to search for parking and you may have to walk a short distance. Suggestions for a South West USA road trip, Suggestions for an East Coast USA Road Trip, Suggestions for a West Coast USA Road Trip. Sundays best in Escanaba. Youll pass through a number of small towns along the way that you wouldnt hit if you took the interstate the whole way! This charming island is three miles long by two miles wide and transportation on the island is limited to carriage, bike, horse, or foot! This city of 12,000 people sits 25 miles north of Milwaukee and is the cleanest city I saw on my journey. Kenosha, WI, with a population of 100,000, is the first city we come to after crossing the border from Illinois to Wisconsin. are there a lot of mosquito's , what is best thing to do against them? I expected to find a cesspool of a place, based on a visit there twenty years ago, but I am pleased to report that Muskegon is being revitalized. Port Washington is the original home of Paramount Records, and features the largest collection of pre-Civil War buildings in Wisconsin. We travel south along the scenic Lake Michigan shoreline to the charming waterfront town of Charlevoix. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Next we arrive in Door County, the Cape Cod of the Midwest, for a classic Wisconsin fish boil, a tour of the famous Eagle Bluff Lighthouse in Peninsula State Park, and more. What are safety concerns and precautions when experiencing nature in North America? The Packers have won 12 championships in the National Football Leaguemore than any other team. Expect standing and walking for long periods of time on uneven surfaces. In these areas, the LMCT follows the route of Sheridan Rd very closely. Traverse City is the largest city in northern Michigan, with an area population of 142,000. Mackinaw is a cool little town, home to the largest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere, and really the only thing keeping Michigans Upper Peninsula connected to the real worldor from being annexed by Canada for that matter. Sheboygan is called home by 115,000 people, many of them of German ancestry. Ate at: 18th Street Brewery in Hammond, IL. Tonight we enjoy our second evening on the island. But I didn't, so we didn't. Pere Marquette beach is the largest free public beach on the east side of Lake Michigan. At Jacks you might notice a freestanding hot station filled with foil packages. Our small group of 4 are planning a circle tour of Lake Michigan in Sep, starting and ending in Chicago. The lake forms a small river that winds out of view through the pine trees. Fort Michilimackinac, which dates from 1715, is also popular with tourists. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Then well explore a few places in the UP before heading over the Mackinaw bridge and spending a night outside of Traverse City, Michigan, and head back to Chicago to close out our five-day vacation. Pronounced past-ee, they are savory meals inside of pastry dough. To 5th girl, In high season most Door County hotels require a two night stay. Eight miles. The time has come for the five-hour drive from Traverse City to Chicago but that doesnt mean you have to go straight home! Jackpine is a primitive hike-in tent-only campground. Watch. As a native to the Pacific Northwest, I will be the first to admit to my coastal bias. I knew that 4 days would be pushing it for a decent circle tour. Round out this fall vacation with a trip to the apple orchard! Yeah, sure, in hindsight its easy to find a few holes in that logic, but when screaming T. Swift into your helmet is the only thing keeping your mind off how absolutely horrible the current conditions areand even that's not cutting itdancing with death is only a step away. This national park covers 15,000 acres along 25 miles of the Lake Michigan coast. Do I need to book hotels ahead or can I book hotels as I travel? Hang-gliding permits are only $10. we are not doing sleeping bear as we live near dunes in belgium. -Traverse City is one of our favorite cities in the USA. There are some short, easy to moderate, hikes in this area. Thanks everyone. The local high school consistently turns out excellent athletic teams. When I asked the nice girl at my motel how to get to the address, she said, "I've never been to that part of town. But we found lunch at some funny named town next to another funny named town, between two more towns with funny names. 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