MICHIGAN!

While in the Upper, one hour north is Neebish Island. A scenic island with down to earth people. You go back in time and deffinatly not a tourist trap. A campground, Neebish Island Resort, is on the island. Fifteen miles north is Sault Ste. Marie. If going back to NY you can cross over to Canada to drop down. Don't forget passports. Have fun. By the way, we love traveling New York.

FWIW, I lived my first 22 years in Michigan, was back for five years of school, and once or twice a year almost every year since. Several years of my youth, and my back to school years, was camping (not RVing) in the small lake recreation areas west of Detroit, and the U.P.

This year I'm paying a small fortune to join an escorted tour visiting Mackinac Island and The Henry Ford (already visited more than once), and will likely road trip back shortly afterward, for most of the summer.

My top places to visit for camping and outdoor recreation are the northwest L.P. (Charlevoix, Antrim, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau counties) and the north shore of the U.P. (Marquette and Schoolcraft counties, and the Keweenaw).

My top sites for sightseeing are Mackinac Island, The Henry Ford, the mine tours in the Keweenaw, and the Air Zoo at Kalamazoo (admittedly a special interest). My wife and daughters always thought Frankenmuth, and the Christmas ornament store, were special (it is also on my escorted tour), but I don't get the point, I've seen where all this stuff is manufactured in China.

The Soo is definitely worth a visit if you've never seen locks work. Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum if that's an interest, was for me because wrecks on the lakes were still common enough to be news when I was growing up. There's a ski jumping museum in the Marquette area (seems the sport was invented there?) if that's an interest, but a ski jumping hill in summer is just a hill.

Detroit may have deteriorated as a city since the '60s riots and flight to suburbs, but the culture (museums particularly) are still there. Lansing is another good center for studying Michigan history and culture, the state offices and archives concentrated in the capitol.

Camping and outdoor (esp water) recreation is good in southeastern Michigan, and in the forests intermixed with farmlands north of US-10. All the L.P. shoreline is dotted with lakeshore parks, but the way winds and waves work, the Lake Michigan shore is best for beaches, Holland to Manistee being popular, and north from there maintaining substantial "summer people" resort populations, since the late 19th century.

So what is it that you want to do?

Craft beers and micro brewries are simply outstanding and the best in West Michigan. In fact, Grand Rapids. MI has won the distinction of being "Beer City USA" as it has been voted as the number city of fine brews/beers. "After a nationwide vote in May 2012, it became official that Grand Rapids was Beer City USA." Google it!

Link:

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/eightwest/grand-rapids-is-beer-city-usa

If you like craft beer the Kalamazoo area is a great place to do tasting. Bells is right in downtown Kalamazoo. Arcadia is in Battle Creek and Dark Horse in Marshall. There is even a small one in Paw Paw. Also plenty of wine tasting if you like that from Kzoo west to the lakeshore.

That plus the Air Zoo and Gilmore Car Museum. Also just about every weekend in the summer they have live music and festivals on the downtown festival site (about 2 blocks from Bells). Good time.

Fort Custer Rec Area is a great place to camp in the area, it's about 15 minutes west of Kalamazoo almost to Battle Creek. Another good place is about 20 miles north, Yankee Springs Rec Area. If you like to dry camp there is a rustic campground there which is wooded and quiet.

If you like hamburgers, stop at Clyde's. It is just west of the bridge on US-2 next to the Shell station. BEST in the world. Also buy some pasties while in the UP.

Thank you everyone. I will copy your answers and plot them out on the map I have from the tourism department.

Drive US 2 between St. Ignace and Engadine for some nice views of Lake Michigan.

In Mackinaw City, if you like good bread be sure to stop at the bakery a block north of the main shopping area; I always try to get a loaf of the cinnamon bread. Of course, there's plenty of fudge, caramel corn, and fish to eat around there, too.

My favorite thing to do on Mackinac Island is to ride a bike all the way around the outer perimeter, enjoying the lake views.

If you go west in the U.P., I'd suggest Palms Book SP where you can float across the Big Spring... perfectly clear water with fish 40' below that look like they're only 10' away. Also check out Fayette SP and the historic buildings and artifacts there. As previously mentioned, the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore is worth seeing by boat (pricey, but worth it... try to book the sunset cruise on a sunny day for best light on the rock cliffs). Tahquamenon Falls is worth visiting, as well as Whitefish Point's lighthouse/tiny museum.

If staying in Kalamazoo, this is a great little park to stay:

Markin Glen Campground

Definitely don't pass up Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. For Pictured Rocks - stay in Munising - a nice forest service campground on the waterfront. If you get to the far west of the Upper Peninsula there is a 'waterfall map' available at the visitor centers. Lots of beautiful ones with a small walk. Have fun!

If you're going up either I-75 or US127, check out the logging museum in Hartwick Pines State Park near Grayling.

Coming up the west side of Michigan from Indiana and seeing what your interests are, here's some not to miss:

Holland: Actual huge 1600's Dutch windmill brought over piece by piece and re-assembled, the vast tulip farms and fruit farms, very nice pure sand beaches only second the those at Grand Haven, much more.

Grand Haven: One of the 5 best beaches in the entire USA and travel magazines rate it as one of the 5 best in the freely visitable world, museums, paved 7 mile long boardwalk from the end of the long pier going out into Lake Michigan to past the ultra clean diverse downtown and on into Spring Lake with many clean bathrooms along the way, foods & beverages galore, benches, constant pleasure boats and many large ships, 12 outstanding marinas, a large charter fishing fleet for Lake Michigan laketrout, steelhead, salmon etc, a double masted sailing schooner for fun rides sailing out into Lake Michigan including a sunset cruise with food, fantastic scenery abounds 360 degrees, huge sandunes, G.H. is Coast Guard City USA where the national festival is held each year and for the last 88 years with usually 500,000 attending end of July thru 1st Saturday in August, the free several thousand seat waterfront stadium downtown on the boardwalk from where you enjoy dances-programs-and of course viewing the worlds largest musical dancing fountain nightly (same size as a football field and water goes 125 ft high in brilliant color and is right across the river - 50 years old this year), diverse downtown outdoor at many places, 11 nice campgrounds in the area, plenty of free parking downtown, free large kids (and adults) splash pad om the waterfront, free concerts in Central Park G.H. on Tuesdays with a variety of music types, over 2 dozen properly manitained nice parks sprinkled thruout the area with many right on the water, G.H. was voted both the friendliest and healthiest city in America and the local high schools are annually rated in the top 3% in America as the area residents take education very very seriously, just a small sampling!

Grand Rapids: World renowned top Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculptuer park is one of a kind and very special, The Grand Rapids Art Museum, The Grand Rapids Public Museum, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, G.R, was named the best place in America to raise a family. G.R. is very clean and prosperous, lots of performing arts venues if that's an interest, just the tip of the iceberg!

Muskegon area: Historic ornate 1800's lumber baron's mansions, Great Lakes Naval Menorial & Museum wiath a WWII submarime you can go down into, several Lake Michigan beaches to use, 6 CG's, Michigan Adventure Amusement/Theme Park, more!

Going on north: Pentwater, Ludington, Manistee, Frankfort are all beachtowns with lots to do and including Silver Lake area with it's vast sandune riding area and resort venues.

Now goint further north: You are in the huge Sleeping Bear National lakeshore Park area and not to be missed as it's one of a kind and simply gorgeous with true vista views everywhere and virtually unlimited things to do and see.

Traverse City area is next and you can have fun for days there and in the general area.

The west side of Michigan is very special, clean, prosperous, growing, and extremely family oriented and it's a huge long playground for Americans and they sure do come year after year after year the then their grown kids keep on coming back. Canadians love it too! You'll see why and will likely come back too!