Michigan Travel Question

Re: Michigan Travel Question

Pete in Holland MI

Mackinaw City - - Old Mill Creek state park - they have a rebuilt water powered reciprocating saw mill.

Grayling - - Hartwick Pines state park - - walk the trails with some preserved virgin white pine trees.

Acme (NE of Traverse City) - - The Music House - - dedicated to all means of mechanically making music. Most things will be demonstrated.

Cross Village (along the west coast south of Mackinaw City) - Leggs Inn has all sorts of natural woodwork, great view of Lake Michigan, and good Polish food.

Tunnel of the Trees - - from Harbor Springs up to Cross Village along the shoreline. Should be good colors along that road now.

Indian River - - Cross in the Woods shrine - - largest crucifix in the world on a massive redwood timber

Mackinaw Island - - many victorian homes, colonial fort, Grand Hotel, and........fudge !

Digression

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

I'm always entertained that different locations up there are spelled "Mackinaw" or "Mackinac," both pronounced "Mac-in-nah." I guess it serves local folks well to identify tourists immediately.

One of my regrets from the five years I spent in southern Michigan is not ever getting to the Upper Peninsula.

Re: Digression

John W Foster

I imagine people on both sides of the lake have the same gripe too; it is not Lake Urine or Lake Your On it is Huron with a strong exhale H sound.

Re: Michigan Travel Question

Dick Coers

I'm a huge Frank Lloyd Wright fan, so my first thought was the restored May House in Grand Rapids. But looks like you won't be close to that at all. I've only been to the Henry Ford and Greenfield Village near the east side. I loved that trip too.

Re: Digression

Kent B

OK - Really? Your name is Houghton and you never went to the Keweenaw Peninsula? Something is seriously not right here.

Re: Michigan Travel Question

Kent B

John - I don't know if you only hike, or if you might be interested in a canoe trip.

As a kid in Boy Scouts, and on trips with friends, I canoed all the Michigan rivers multiple times. Great trips. The Manistee below Tippy Dam. The Pine. The Rifle. The Au Sable - which seems to go on forever. National and State forests everywhere around you.

Plenty of canoe trip outfitters everywhere. Right in your prime travel area.

Re: Michigan Travel Question

Walter Ahlgrim

Be sure to spend a week night on Mackinac island is a very different place after the boats leave (I hate crowds).

If you get to the UP stop and eat a pasty.

Walta

Michigan Travel......

roger lance

John.....From the Mackinaw area.....go west to get on 119 and head south along Lake Michigan.....you'll go through the Tunnel of Trees and into Harbor Springs.....then Petosky.....Charlevoix.....Elk Rapids.....Traverse City.....the Leelanaw Peninsula.....Sleeping Bear Dunes.....a series of gorgeous lakes from Glen Lake to Crystal Lake.....

You'll be passing by some unbelievably beautiful private homes where unlimited money has met with great private residential architecture. Most of these homes are best seen from the water.....from the road you'll only be getting a glimpse.....but, you'll get the idea.

If your timing is right, you might want to see the weir on the Platte River where thousands upon thousands of Great Lake salmon are stacking up for a chance to run the river.....quit a sight.

There are too many restaurants, bars, wineries, and sights to mention.....part of exploring. Enjoy.

Re: Michigan Travel Question

Andy Lincoln in Dearborn,MI.

Here's a FLW house that is on the route if coming down 75. https://www.wxyz.com/news/explore/explore-frank-lloyd-wrights-smith-house

Re: Digression

AZ in Colorado Springs

Yes, take a ride on M-22. It's a very scenic route. Then you get the sticker at the M-22 store (this is not a joke) and put the t on the back of your car. I've got one, and I've seen them on cars in many different states.

I wuz/we wuz busy

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

First time in Michigan, I had very little money. Second time, I had very little money, AND we had a kid who specialized in being very demanding for the first five years of his life.

Re: Michigan Travel Question

John W Foster

Thanks for the tips, we are probably going to follow the route Walter suggested, albeit in reverse order. The last decision now is whether to take the bikes, there looks to be some real nice smooth rail to trail routes, the only problem is the dog. we bought a nice flatbed cart with a soft crate on it thinking we could take him with us biking. he is a 32 pound Australian labradoodle and he has decided that he no longer likes the trailer, despite his size, he yowls like an old coon hound, it obviously stresses him, embarrasses us and annoys other people, we may end up just hiking.

Re: Michigan Travel Question

William Duffield

If he is stressed out, you might try getting him a thundershirt to put on him while he is riding. It sure helped my lab x golden get over her fear of lightning, thunder, guns and fireworks. She only needs it now under the most severe conditions. We tell the retriever it's her superheroine costume.

Re: The homes of Lumber Barons  Hackley and Hume

David Yoho

If he does go there maybe he can help hunt for the lost Civil War gold too. I'd love to just check out the tunnels running between the homes and elsewhere.

Back From a Good Trip

John W Foster

Thanks again for the tips. A great area to visit.

-State Museum and Archives in Lansing- Super Helpful!

-Former Isabella County Poor House in Shepherd- now privately owned, the owner was gracious enough to let us in and look around.

-Benzonia Museum and Historical Society- a great group that can really fill you in on local history

-Sleeping Bear Dunes Park, we took the Empire Bluff Trail- really getting devastated by Emerald Ash-Borer; now I know what my bush will look like in a few years.

-Traverse Commons- a tour of the former state hospital; a great ongoing project.

-A tour of the Earl Young houses in Charlevoix- totally worth the cost of the tour.

-Tunnel of Trees- A nice drive but no great colors yet.

-Legs Inn- Lots of rustic Carving, I recommend the Bigos

- Mackinac Island- Beautiful, we walked it , would recommend cycling!

We were too worn out the next day to go to Hartwick Pines- maybe next time.