Any must see areas in Northern Michigan & Great Lakes?

precioustime wrote:
Thinking of going up that way near Canada and Minnesota.

When?

You are pretty much out of season now until April-May for the northern L.P., May-June for the U.P.

In season, I like Traverse City during the Cherry Festival, Sleeping Bear and Interlochen, and Benzie-Betsie area all summer long.

Mid to late May is nice for the U.P., parks, inns and restaurants starting to open but the crowds and biting flies not yet there. To see: Mackinac Island, Soo Locks, museum in the Valley Camp, Marquette iron ranges, mining country in the Keeweenaw, the port at Duluth-Superior (though outside Michigan). Some of the other sites, like the Picture Rocks shore and the falls, it depends on whether you've seen similar things in other places.

Then it gets to what do you want to do? The U.P. parks have places where you can hike and have a sense of being in the wilderness. Traverse City is great if you want the feel of an upscale, artsy resort community, kind of a Sedona on the lake without red rocks. Interlochen for almost continuous permormances of music and theater in the Arts camp. Point Betsie (or a few places on the Superior shore) for going to the beach on a really cold body of water. Deepwater game fishing out of Munising. Small game fishing and pleasure boating on the hundreds of larger small lakes (smaller small lakes number in the thousands). Golfing? That would be Traverse City to Mackinaw City.

If you go now, you are too early for the winter sports season (skiing and snowmobiling) but chances are good the U.P. and northern L.P. will be ready for winter visitors by Christmas. Don't expect RV parks to be open with services, though some campgrounds will be open for winter tent camping.