Advice please

louiskathy wrote:
Get some current info on hwy 2 thru ND.... Williston area is a whole different traveling scene than it was before the oil/fracking boom.

Plan a stop before Williston, ND and you'll have no issues. I recently heard that Williston isn't the booming area that it was a couple years ago.

Then your next stop should definitely be at Fort Peck Corp of Engineer campground in eastern Montana. The sites are huge with manicured lawns - very pretty.

Leaving Fort Peck you realize how Montana got its motto "Big Sky Country". Heading westward it's a beautiful drive. The highway is a very good 2-lane and not much traffic. Drive on the top 1/2 of your tank. It's big country out there. Have a good trip!

In Michigan you can go to michigan.gov/mdot and get the conditions on all the freeways and most of the major main highways if I'm not mistaken.. You can actually LOOK at many of the freeways.

Things to see: Just north of Flint is Birch Run (outlet mall, General RV) and Frankenmuth (A bravarian type village in the middle of Michigan) where you will find Bronner's Christmas Store (Always Christmas or Forever Christmas, forget chich, the other one is south of Flint and owned by other people and smaller).

Further north is Hartwick Pines State park but at this point I can not recommend regarding it.. used to have a park interperter (Naturalist) but the DNR eliminated his job.. HE was worth the stay.. Do not know how good it is today.

Farther north still (Indian River MI) is Big Lake state park.. Nothing special there but they do share a line fence with a Catholic Shrine, couple of names one is Cross in the Woods.. The world's largest wooden Crucifix as I recall.. The shrine is to our Native American Saint.. It is worth the trip even if you are NOT catholic (And I might add that is my Daughter's Confirmation saint).

Next stop (for me) is Straights State Park just to the right of the north end of the Bridge

From there you are on your own.. It has been too many years since I traveled route 2 and I only made short stops when I did (1985 to be specific).

When you get into Washington, I'd recommend heading a bit further north from US 2 and pick up SR-20 through Winthrop. IMO, it's a better road than US2, wider and less twisty and I think the scenery is better - more open vistas rather then the "down in the gorge" feel of US2. It does climb higher (5200 ft compared to 4200), but the traffic is less. The State Highway Dept. has done a lot of work on it in the last four years or so.

It's usually closed by snowdrifts by late November - too much work to keep it plowed, but in September it should be great.

Get some current info on hwy 2 thru ND.... Williston area is a whole different traveling scene than it was before the oil/fracking boom.

You want to plan your overnights carefully. Crime rate has gone way up in normally quiet ND.

To be a bit more specific to your questions:
Highway 2

• Highway 2 is a good paved US-Highway. It is two lane for much of its route
• We travelled Hwy 2 just last month and it was in good condition. Not many bumps, no harmonic bouncing

September Travel
This will be a great time to travel. Fall color will be getting along (especially if you travel a bit later in the month. Western U.P. especially has a lot of maples, with lots of color.

Attractions
Eastern/Central U.P.

• Mackinack Island. Touristy, but great!
• Soo Locks Another not to miss
• Tahquamenon Falls State Park (but not on Hwy 2)
• Seney National Wildlife Refuge. (but not on Hwy 2)
• Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (take the boat tour in the afternoon for best color) (not on Hwy 2)
• Kitchi-Ti-Kipi (Big Spring) (just off Hwy 2)
  

Central/Western U.P.

• Lake Gogebic State Park
• Porcupine Mountains State Park & Lake of the Clouds
• Keweenaw Peninsula/Copper Harbor/Houghton Area

General

• Hiawatha and Ottawa National Forest cover much of the UP. Lots of campgrounds, hiking trails, etc.
• Several scenic byways/drives, including Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway in the east, Copper Country Scenic Byway on the Keweenaw, and Black River Scenic Byway in the west
• Many state parks with camping, hiking and attractions
• Great views and some neat campgroundsright on the shores of both Lake Michigan (Lake Michigan CG outside of St. Ignace in the east) and Lake Superior (Bay Furnace outside of Munising in CentralUP)
  

Even if you just travel through on Hwy 2, there are some neat things to see. But lots more off the highway. It just depends on how much time you have to linger in the U.P. vs getting to your destinations out west. Have fun!

As et2 said, there's lots to see. If you are just passing through, I usually take Hwy 2 to Hwy 117 to Hwy 28 which joins back up with Hwy 2 near Ironwood. If you have some time, stop at the Bridge and sample some fudge, take a walk through Fort Michilimackinac(sp?, drop some tourist dollars:B. Once across the Bridge, take Hwy 2 and drive along Lake Michigan. Great scenic pull offs for viewing the Bridge and Lake. Visit Fayette State Park on the Garden Peninsula. Possibly spend the night at Indian Lake State Park. Or head up to Munising via 117 and stay at Munising Tourist Park on the shores of Lake Superior. Another good campground is Michigamee Shores RV Resort on Lake Michigamee near the town of Champion.

Have a Blast on your Trip!

yep, go in at port huron and then just pick a road and go north to the UP.

mackinaw island is a must.
stop in st. igance and get some pasties (what miners use to have for lunch).
get some white fish in mackinaw city and walk around.

as for US 2, get off it and go up to Lake Superior too.

Lived in MI. my whole life. The U.P. is beautiful especially the drive along the lake as you mentioned. However if your just flying through your going to miss some great sights. Mackinaw city and island. Taquamenom falls, pictured rocks (off 28), Houghton Hancock area us gorgeous and has a cute city campground in Houghton right on the river in downtown. Copper habor and the mines are neat and the old fort.

Take some time a see a few things. The scenery isn't going to disappoint you.