In Mackinac City -- just minutes from Mill Creek Campground or Wilderness State Park -- is Ft. Michilimakinac. We walk through every year. Tells a lot about the area's history with interpreters in period costume.
There are also many geocaches and a really neat lighthouse by a dark sky park. The lighthouse nature trail has a different view of the bridge.
If you do go southwest from the island , Traverse City, Glen Arbor, Northport, Leland, and Frankfort are cute little towns with artsy stores and LOTS of ice cream! There is canoeing on the Lower Platte River. The river empties into Lake Michigan. The Campground is right up the road -- Platte River Campground. There is a great car drive through the woods with scenic stops to see the lake. This is the Stocking Drive. Sleeping Bear dunes is just down the road. They have been building a very nice bike trail. My son says it is fantastic!
Farther down, Ludington is a nice beach town, and there is a very popular State Park there.
Then, farther downstate, along US 31, is Holland and Saugatauk -- both nice tourist towns.
As you can see, there are many places to see in this part of Michigan!
