Questions for you Michigan Folks!
All- Our family will be travelling north from Indiana to Michigan this June. Here is our trip plan: Stop 1 Holland (3 nights) Stop 2 Platte River (4 nights) Stop 3 Petoskey (4 nights) We a...
Forum Discussion
Haven't done the Manitou or Beaver ferries but decades ago, when we lived in MI we used to cruise from our Grand Haven port up and down Lk MI and cruised to the Manitou's. Basically all there is, AFAIC, are hiking trails. When in ports like Leland where a ferry does depart, those boarding the ferry appear to be die hard hikers and tenters. Wasn't my cup of tea.
Beaver was just slightly more interesting in that there is an actual town at their dockage. Very small and not all that touristy. 2 restaurants if I remember right. Walk from one end to the other in 10 minutes type of thing. All this was 40 years ago so much (doubt it) may have changed.
Also cruised to Mac Island. Great port. Extremely touristy - extremely! A really fun overnight IMO. Though we would stay in the harbor, the experience would be the same in a hotel. The last ferry of the evening leaves and the island quiets down (some) and becomes a bit more intimate. You can feel like you are 'special'. Plenty to do there for a couple of days. The ferries, which leave from both St Ignace and Mac City are fun rides. I've also taken them as recently as last summer. Don't know about Mac City route but the first few ferries in the morning from St Ignace add 15 or so minutes to their trip to detour under the Mighty Mac. It is an inspiring sight from the water - was always in awe as we went under it during the Chicago Mac sailboat races.
Sounds like you are a water-phile/beachie. If so you should like Holland SP. A good alternative (better AFAIC) would be Grand Haven SP cause the channel walk into town is really fun and the channel traffic watching is more interesting. Some parking lot type camping. Holland has some better off water areas for camping but the parking lot camping areas of both parks would be my beach camping choice. Pentwater SP is very very similar but less hectic.
Love camping at the NP at Platte River. Be sure to visit the port of Frankfort and drive to Trav. City and especially into the Leelanau Peninsula - Leland, Suttons Bay, Northport are must sees.
Petosky is nice, at least for boaters. There is a good SP along the shore isolated from town. I can't imagine as a tourist, spending 4 days in Petosky. Beaches are stony. I'd rather take a day and roam the Leelanau Peninsula, and drive along the lake through Cross Village etc up to the UP area.
I wouldn't spend more time in the Mac area than what you need for the island. The towns of Mac City and St Ignace aren't worth it IMO. As someone else mentioned, the rest of the Upper Peninsula is worth it. For starters and nearby, try Cedarville and Les Cheneaux area for marine museums, a tour of a hand crafted boat building school, and at the right time, a large wooden boat festival *google it for dates*.
I don't remember what parts I revisited in 2015 vs 2016 but those seen in 2016 are linked in by trip journal linked in my signature.
FWIW
Beaver was just slightly more interesting in that there is an actual town at their dockage. Very small and not all that touristy. 2 restaurants if I remember right. Walk from one end to the other in 10 minutes type of thing. All this was 40 years ago so much (doubt it) may have changed.
Also cruised to Mac Island. Great port. Extremely touristy - extremely! A really fun overnight IMO. Though we would stay in the harbor, the experience would be the same in a hotel. The last ferry of the evening leaves and the island quiets down (some) and becomes a bit more intimate. You can feel like you are 'special'. Plenty to do there for a couple of days. The ferries, which leave from both St Ignace and Mac City are fun rides. I've also taken them as recently as last summer. Don't know about Mac City route but the first few ferries in the morning from St Ignace add 15 or so minutes to their trip to detour under the Mighty Mac. It is an inspiring sight from the water - was always in awe as we went under it during the Chicago Mac sailboat races.
Sounds like you are a water-phile/beachie. If so you should like Holland SP. A good alternative (better AFAIC) would be Grand Haven SP cause the channel walk into town is really fun and the channel traffic watching is more interesting. Some parking lot type camping. Holland has some better off water areas for camping but the parking lot camping areas of both parks would be my beach camping choice. Pentwater SP is very very similar but less hectic.
Love camping at the NP at Platte River. Be sure to visit the port of Frankfort and drive to Trav. City and especially into the Leelanau Peninsula - Leland, Suttons Bay, Northport are must sees.
Petosky is nice, at least for boaters. There is a good SP along the shore isolated from town. I can't imagine as a tourist, spending 4 days in Petosky. Beaches are stony. I'd rather take a day and roam the Leelanau Peninsula, and drive along the lake through Cross Village etc up to the UP area.
I wouldn't spend more time in the Mac area than what you need for the island. The towns of Mac City and St Ignace aren't worth it IMO. As someone else mentioned, the rest of the Upper Peninsula is worth it. For starters and nearby, try Cedarville and Les Cheneaux area for marine museums, a tour of a hand crafted boat building school, and at the right time, a large wooden boat festival *google it for dates*.
I don't remember what parts I revisited in 2015 vs 2016 but those seen in 2016 are linked in by trip journal linked in my signature.
FWIW
