Midwest Family Road Trip

[trirod]

Is a circle all the way around Lake Michigan doable or too much to see in one week probably? Has anyone made this trip?

I don't think it's too much but I like driving and don't mind some longer days behind the wheel - may be different with a couple of young kids!

I did this trip many years ago, visiting most of the places people have mentioned in other posts. It was a great trip but definitely a lot of driving.

 

[savory]

Just saw this today https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/26/travel/what-to-do-in-traverse-city-michigan.html

 

[JoeWras]

Another idea: do an out and back to N. Wisconsin or Minnesota. Many nice lake resorts. Best if you like water. We just came back from MN. Very nice.

Here's another: Chicago->Indiana Dunes State Park->Cedar Point->Cleveland (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)->Dayton OH (National Airforce Museum or others)->Hocking Hills State Park OH-> back.

This can be done in a different order. It combines inside and outside you can base on weather. You can also skip some based on interest of the party.

If you like Rock and Roll, the Hall of Fame is worth it.
If you like Airplanes, the National Airforce Museum (FREE) is awesome.
If you like hiking, Hocking Hills is cool. Indiana Dunes is OK.
If you like amusements, there is none better than Cedar Point.

 

[DrRoy]

Hit Starved Rock state park for a nice hike. Go to Springfield for a ton of history. Go to St. Louis. Hit the arch. Do a riverboat tour.


Going north, I like the U.P. of Michigan. Mackinac is cool for the adults. Potentially boring for the kids. A ring around Lake Michigan is one trip we took. Sleeping Bear dunes in lower MI is cool. Go to a cherry festival, it is the season. There is also Indiana State Dunes park.

We have done Starved Rock and the UP of MI and liked them both a lot. The Apostle Islands in WI look interesting.

 

[Canoeboy]

Agree with all the suggestions to head to the Upper Peninsula (UP). One idea would be to circumnavigate Lake Michigan given your starting point is Chicago. Couple of great national parks to visit - Sleeping Bear Dunes, Picture Rocks - and lots of nice state parks and National Forests around along with quaint towns. If you take bicycles, consider taking them out to Grand Island NF on Lake Superior - nice 20 mile loop trail along its coast. Safe travels!

 

[Revlefty]

Tahquameon Falls is definitely worth the effort. When my kids were little (and we were living in Southern Wisconsin), we saw an article in the Milwaukee newspaper that talked about all the waterfalls in Northern Michigan. So we spend a week combing the backwoods for the falls--and loved the trip. You have to do some research, but it was a great week.

 

[savory]

To answer your question,we did a circle tour from Manitowoc to Ludington but it was on bicycles. We took the ferry back to Manitowoc. One of our favorite bike tours. It will also work with a car. Just watch what you eat.

 

[MOSAT]

I would suggest Gogebic County in Michigan's UP. It has Lake Gogebic with plenty of lake front cottages to rent along with a few resorts with boat rentals etc. If you like a more wilderness camping experience check out the Ottawa National Forest. There are small lakes that have small campgrounds, generally not improved (outhouses and maybe some non potable water).

North of Ironwood/Bessemer there are many waterfalls to explore and of course Lake Superior shore.
The Porcupine Mountains have a lot of hiking in old growth forests (never been logged). Check out Lake of the Clouds.

This spring Northern Wisconsin and the UP had very significant rain fall that severely impacted the roads (washouts and many detours) I would check with the local Chamber's of Commerce for local conditions.

 

[MI-Roger]

One of my favorite spots in the Upper Peninsula is Au Train Lake, halfway between Marquette and Munising. It's lightly developed, so you can enjoy the amenities of a rented cabin and a nearby convenience store amid the depths of the Northwoods.

There's also a National Forest campground at the undeveloped south end of the lake. At the north end, the winding Au Train river flows out toward Lake Superior, providing some excellent canoeing (rentals available). At the nearby mouth of the river, there's a beautiful white-sand beach on the big lake where the river outflow moderates water temperatures -- one of those rare spots on Superior where swimming is comfortable.

Au Train, it has been ~45 years since I have been there.

Catching Walleye there was a challenge in the Summer, but with enough patience they are in the lake...........

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Au Train, it has been ~45 years since I have been there.

Catching Walleye there was a challenge in the Summer, but with enough patience they are in the lake...........

Au Train, it has been ~45 years since I have been there.

Catching Walleye there was a challenge in the Summer, but with enough patience they are in the lake...........

I have family roots in the area. My grandmother grew up on a farm just west of Au Train on Slapneck Creek.

I learned early in life, at Au Train and the nearby Whitefish River, that I don't have the patience to be a good fisherman.

Ernest Hemingway used the area (east of there, actually) for a setting in some of his early works, most notably "Big Two Hearted River." A used bookstore in Munising has a nice Hemingway collection.

 

[enginerd]

We just got back from our trip and it was a good one. We expanded our distance a bit and went into Canada. We left Chicago and drove to Silver Beach in St Joseph Mi for a few hour stopover then straight to Niagara Falls. We spent 1 day at Niagara Falls (Canada Side). Niagara on the Lake 1 day. Toronto 1 day. Blue Mountain Resort 3 days. And then returned straight home.

Overall we are very happy with our choices. Blue Mountain is a ski resort near Collingwood Ontario. It had a bunch of summer activities, a beach and quite a few shops and restaurants. If we had to follow the same route again, we would probably skip Toronto. Being that we are from Chicago, Toronto didn't offer enough of an experience in that one single day...but no regrets in going there.

Kids are rolling right back to school tomorrow.