Indiana and Michigan

Hidden Ridge RV Resort is an extremely nice RV Park in Hopkins, MI, just south of Grand Rapids. We stayed there a couple of times.


Hidden Ridge RV Resort - Good Sam Travel guide page

Hidden Ridge RV Resort - Website

Say you're coming out of the Chicago area.

About 2 hours out puts you in South Haven. Sunnybrook is a good rv park just east of town. A number of things to see and do in the area including beaches, blueberries, SH shops, Saugatuck shops, Grand Rapids, etc.

I-94 between Chicago and Detroit is my least favorite road. Numerous big trucks and commuters who think 80 mph is slow. Its also a rough road. If coming from the South and don't have to do Chicago, then I like US-31 out of Indianapolis. Along that route just SW of South Bend, IN you will find Potato Creek State Park. I can't speak for Indiana, but Michigan State Parks are difficult to get into. Plan well in advance for those.

What a great resort of information,Thank you all for it, Can wait to begin planning the trip, that's usually the best part.

Happy RVing
Jose

I can't even begin to suggest campgrounds as we so seldom use them, and without knowing what you would be interested in seeing (like museums, scenery or history) I can't even be much help other than the suggestions you do have above. There are AAA guide books and the state's own tourist information, but there is just too much to see in the area you have outlined. Last year we spent a week between Chicago and Escanaba just picking up the things we had missed or wanted to see again.

Matt

check out the area around Petoskey. The whole West side of the from ST. Joseph north is great.

Since you said Rv parks, here are some nice ones.
In the traverse city / Lake Leelanau area - must stop in the Traverse city area.

http://lakeleelanaurvpark.com
http://traversebayrv.com


Just over an hour North to Petoskey - another must see & Harbor Springs

Petoskey KOA - very nice campground

Holland State park is nice but I'm sure it is full. Here is a campground near it and it is very nice. http://www.oakgroveresort.com/

Grand Haven is nice to visit. The state park always fills up though. But it is worth a try.

Meijers Gardens is a nice day trip from either of these cities.

Silver Lake is a nice area. Like someone said you can climb the lighthouse.

Also make a stop at the Gilmore Car Museum http://www.gilmorecarmuseum.org
Located between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids it is home to:

Classic Car Club of America Museum
Pierce-Arrow Museum

Franklin Collection
Cadillac-LaSalle Club Museum

Model A Ford Museum
Lincoln Motor Car Museum

2ndhom wrote:
Any route going north along Lake Michigan heading toward the Upper Penninsula. Stay away from Detroit and eastern part of the state !!!

Why??
Dearborn, MI has Greenfield Village, Henry Ford Museum and Ford plant tours. Detroit has many great thing to see. Like any other city that has suffered budget problems there are bad parts but there are many good things there. Frankenmuth is a little North of Detroit and a great German community to visit. Bronner's Christmas store is the largest one in the world. On the West side there is Holland, where Dutch is still spoken by many. Grand Haven has Coast Guard Festival in the summer. Muskegon has Silver Sides ship for tours. The entire Lake Mi. shore is sand dunes all the way to Seeping Bear Dunes. There is a lot to see &do in Mich. Mackinac Island is worth the trip with no cars there and only reachable by ferry in the summer. In winter you can use a snow machine to get there. Sault Ste. Marie has the locks that carry all traffic from Lake Superior to Lake Huron. Tahquamenon Falls allow you to walk out on the falls at the lower falls. Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior is a great bot ride to the rocks. There is a lot here.

If you get as far north as Grand Rapids and would enjoy horseback riding, Rainbow Ranch is a great place to go.
http://www.rainbowranch-inc.com/index.html
Very pleasant place. Lots of woods, small ravines and lots of deer, especially if you go on a morning ride. Its always a highlight of our trip when you go to Silver Lake.
BTW: Silver Lake is a 400 acre sand dunes off road park. You can drive your own vehicle or rent Jeeps for a guided tour. Its pretty tame during the weekdays, but on weekends, it gets pretty wild. We've only gone during the week, so I only have that perspective. There is also a light house that you can go up inside.