Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Following our daughter's graduation, in Chicago, on the 21st, we plan a one lap tour of the coastline of Michigan. Can anyone offer up any campgrounds, lighthouse tours, state parks, restaurants, pasty shacks, whatever, which must not be missed? Joanne is a lighthouse junky, and we realize your state has 116, but which would you reccomend?

Mc T , is that a lap of the coastline of Lake Michigan ? Or are you gonna lap all the way aroud Michigan & all 5 Great Lakes?? Thats a lota coastline!!

The Sleeping Bear Dunes area is a GREAT place to hit. Its on Lake Michigan to the north end of the lake. They have dunes over 600 ft high, some great hiking . some good light houses to. Good luck!

Holland Michigan is a cool place, they have a fantastic Tulip Festival soon!

Boodro

The current plan is to circle the lower part of the state, with a bit of an excursion to the UP. This will complete a full circuit of Lake Michigan, interrupted by a kidney stone layover at the Cheboygan hospital, (!!!!), last time.

Here are a couple of links for the state parks. http://tinyurl.com/ektyq

You can reserve a camp site from this site: http://tinyurl.com/equd7.

I was in Petosky state park last summer for night in August. We walked on the beach for a little while. I was suprised on how warm the water was. On the way into Petosky there were stands everywhere that were selling black cherries. I don't remember the price on them now but it was a good price.

McTeardrops wrote:Following our daughter's graduation, in Chicago, on the 21st, we plan a one lap tour of the coastline of Michigan. Can anyone offer up any campgrounds, lighthouse tours, state parks, restaurants, pasty shacks, whatever, which must not be missed? Joanne is a lighthouse junky, and we realize your state has 116, but which would you reccomend?

Well, comes to mind vaguely Petosky MI... north of the city is a campground on the dunes....

then lunch at "Legs Inn" in a town to the north... Can't miss it - the entire building is built out of driftwood, and the parapet of the building is lined with enameled stove legs...

then Fort Michelemackinac [sp] in Mackinaw City and the Mighty Mac....

Plan on at least a week in Mackinaw area, so much to see, and you will want a day trip to Mackinaw Island (can't take your vehicles over there). Unless you can find a drayage team to pull the tear....

Just places you might want to map out for the NW portion of the LP...

Then head to Cheboygan on your eastern leg.... and drop a few down I-75 looking for Mullet Lake and a town called Topinabee, used to be a nice state park there...

Then Rogers City over in the NE has nice places...

Stay well north or south of Detroit however... traffic will kill ya'!
Don't try to take the tear into Canada... Either border will take forever getting out or back in... Customs and all that...

Once back over in the SW part of the LP, any of the dunes parks are nice...

And in any case, if you get to the UP, the SOO and Tahquamamen Falls is nice, ask MikeS!

(I wanna go back to MI, I miss my childhood stomping grounds!!! )

PS: BTW, get Google Earth for overhead and flybys of anywhere in the world that Goggle has mapped from satillite [sp].

Two of my favorites. Little Sable near Silver Lake and Big Sable in Ludington.


Little Sable
http://lighthousegetaway.com/lights/lsable.html

Great Lakes Lighthouses
http://lighthousegetaway.com/lights/g_lakes.html

I would also recommend going for a dune ride at Mac Woods while in the Silver Lake area.
http://www.macwoodsdunerides.com/

We're back from the Michigan trip: 4341 miles

Our initial stop was at Ferne Cliffe state park in Illinois, then Indiana Dunes. Commuted in to Chicago to attend graduation ceremonies at Loyola, and overnighted with our daughter. We were unable to obtain overnight reservations, for memorial day weekend, so stayed longer at KOA in Petoskey, and day tripped, rather than lapping the coast as planned. Not a real hardship, as this park has been a past "KOA's Best in the USA".

Made Lighthouse stops at Michigan City, Benton Harbor, South Haven, Holland, Grand Haven, Muskegon, White River, and Little Sable. Joanne had not recovered full use of her feet after our daughter's speed-walking tour of Chicago, so we passed on the hike to Big Sable. Joanne would'nt let me hook the TD to one of the dune cruisers for a photo-op, so we passed on that tour.

From Petoskey we made trips out to Sleeping Bear dunes, Charlevoix, Old Mission Point, Grand Traverse light, up to the UP for Whitefish Point, falls at Tahquamenon, and Painted Rocks, missing Au Sable light due NP closure for logging. Seul Choix Point , Mackinaw, Cheboygan, Forty-Mile-Point, Presque Isle, (Old and new), and Sturgeon Point Lights. (Did I mention, Joanne is a Lighthouse junkey?)

Before leaving Petoskey we were able to dine at Camp 33, near Upper Taquamenom Falls, and Legs Inn in Cross Village: excellent. Gourmet Polish food! The "Tunnel of Trees," route 119, from Cross Village back to Petoskey, was outstanding, a full arch over the road for miles, with occasional breaks for views down the cliffs to the lake on one side, and of million dollar "summer homes" on the other.

We couldn't find a campsite on the "Thumb", settling for motel accomidations in Saginaw. Visited lighthouses at Pointe Aux Barques, and Harbor Beach, and Port Sanilac, with a pause at Harbor Beach to pick up my E-bay prize: an 1995 Ranger 2.3 motor and T-5 tranny. Fine dining at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant in Frankenmuth.

Spent the last morning at the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg museum in Auburn Indiana, before the LONG push home.

hmmmmmmmmmmmm, the travelling McTearDrops...sounds like a Scottish band looks like y'all had a real nice trip...thanks for sharing the pics...
madjack

McTeardrops wrote:We're back from the Michigan trip: 4341 miles

KOA in Petoskey, and day tripped, rather than lapping the coast as planned. Not a real hardship, as this park has been a past "KOA's Best in the USA".

and Legs Inn in Cross Village: excellent. Gourmet Polish food!

The "Tunnel of Trees," route 119, from Cross Village back to Petoskey, was outstanding, a full arch over the road for miles, with occasional breaks for views down the cliffs to the lake on one side, and of million dollar "summer homes" on the other.

Oh thank you thank you THANK YOU!

You've given me a taste of home...

Sorry I forgot to tell you of the Tunnel of Trees, and sad to hear of the million dollar homes... They weren't there 20 years ago, I promise! Must be the grandchildren of the Petoskey and Harbour Pointe $$$$ familys too proud to stay in the grande Victorian-style summer homes...

Sounds like you had a great trip!

I love Whitefish Point! We try to take a trip up there about once every 3 years. Its a long drive but well worth it!!