Michigan Trip

[Anmacc2]

DW and I are headed to Michigan August 18- September 10. What places fall in the "don't miss" category? AND does anything shut down after Labor Day? Thanks for the help and suggestions!

[travelnutz]

There are very fine wineries all over the west side of Michigan from Petoskey south to the Indiana border and most all have wine tasting places. We have 3 right here where we live and there's dozens in the Traverse City area. One wine we really like that you can't hardly get anywhere else is REAL 100% cherry wine, Not flavored or blended but 100% made with only cherries. Montmorency Red cherries or dark sweet cherries.

The wineries in Michigan make so many different fruit wines as all kinds of fruit grows well in Michigan thanks to Lake Michigan's extreme temperature dampening temperate climate and rich well drained soils except no citrus fruits. Very little to no clay content in the deep soil along Lake Michigan and very like rock either, One reason that giant Gerber Baby foods and Kelloggs was founded and is and always been in West Michigan. Tremendous blueberry and apple production. The blueberries grow big here unlike what we've seen the tiny ones coming out of Jersey.

The Detroit side/east side of the state is mostly automotive and union industry dependent while the west side is very diversified with lots of office furniture, agriculture/fruit, tourism, recreation/water sports, medical entities and research operations, pharmaceutical plants, and higher education schools. the Grand Rapids metro area alone has 14 colleges and universities and is home to so many very large national corporations. Here and in the Grand Rapids area of well over one million population, our unemployment stays at 3% or less and that's very important for area economics and low poverty rates and it sure shows! Very different than the east side of the state numbers the news entities bloviate.

Michigan is like 3 very different states. The east side, the west side, and the U.P. You might notice where we choose to live and where we RV to so often?

[travelnutz]

Some info:

Want to see lighthouses? There's 124 still in Michigan which is only second to huge Alaska presently with its hundreds of remote islands, reefs, and rocky shoals and the intense fog they have there. At one time, Michigan had 247 lighthouses and about half of them that were in remote locations had/have been replaced with automated beacons on towers and now solar powered. The iconic, needed, and more pretty ones on shorelines are being kept in decent condition and are still working lighthouses.

One of the most famous, most public walked on/fished from, and most photographed is Grand Haven's over 1200 foot long very wide south pier which has 2 lighthouses on it and a full length iron raised catwalk. The entire pier is presently being totally reinforced and recapped with all new thick reinforced concrete and will be completed by next spring. This required the entire catwalk the full length of the pier be removed and stored and is being maintained/repaired and re-painted/coated before it will be put back and anchor bolted on the pier again next spring. Also not cheap to do.

The south pier is at the end of the mile long waterfront very popular fancy wide boardwalk thru constasnt parks from so much to do and venues pristene downtown one direction which then extends further the other way from downtown for several more miles thru marinas and parks over the south channel, the wide Grand River, and the Spring Lake channel bridge and into downtown Spring Lake all along the water. Almost 100 benches with backs and many clean flush bathroom buildings all the way plus food, ice cream, and beverages too and is all handicapped friendly and great for all ages. Yes, leashed behaved dog friendly too with pooch bags posts and trash barrels too. A tremendous popular people pleaser.

The piers/lighthouses rebuild is very major and expensive long project finally being completed. The GH harbor is very busy with very big ships up to 800 feet long coming and going and only 50-100' from your nose and of course, Grand Haven is the only official Coast Guard City USA by act of the U.S. Congress and was signed into law. Therefore, lots of Coast Guard boats and ships, and 10's of thousands of pleasure boats of all sizes and types. The lighthouses were totally rebuilt 5 years ago and are gorgeous and impressive. The exisitng entire pier structure was built over 100 years ago replacing the previous mostly wood pier, so it really needed this extensive redo that has taken about 9 years to complete. Planning to have it be good for another hundred years! The north pier was re-done several years ago.

[southernsnow]

Travelnutz,
You certainly are a great ambassador for Michigan and we look forward to our MI trip last week in August! Thanks for all your great info and being a positive contributor to the forum.
No one has mentioned wineries in the Leelanau and Harbor peninsulas. We are looking forward to checking those out!

[GordonThree]

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is fantastic. Also the Headlands Dark Sky Park is great to visit day or night.

Somerset Collection in Troy has a large collection of high end shopping, or it did 20 years ago. Someone mentioned Frankenmuth already I think. Actually there's plenty to see and do on the sunrise side, and its less busy as everyone flocks to the sunset side instead.

[afidel]

If you're a fan of adult beverages, you should definitely stop by Bell's Brewery while you're in Kalamazoo. If you're a pizza fan definitely get a pie while in Detroit, they have their own unique style which it's very good, Google for good spots to try. If you're not a pizza fan then if you'll be visiting the Henry Ford Museum then you'll be in Dearborn which has some of the best middle Eastern food in the country, check for your preference but if you just want an adventure I'd recommend Sheeba Restaurant and have them tell you what to order, we went in wanting to order our normal middle Eastern favorites and were very happy when the waiter recommended their specialties instead.

[rexlion]

While around Silver Lake, you can see some nice lighthouses. Little Sable Light is just a mile or two south of the SP cg. At Ludington SP you have a nice easy walk (1.5 miles each way IIRC) to another lighthouse. Plenty more nearby, too.

There is an rv museum in N Indiana... maybe on your way home?

[travelnutz]

Gobs of vintage boats in Michigan because all we have is fresh water with no salt to ruin boats prematurely. Remember that Chris Craft, Four Winns, Century, Slickcraft, Tiaira, Crownline, River Queen houseboats, and Roamer steel yachts, to name a few of the quality wood, fiberglass, and steel boats of all types and sizes and lots of others were/are made in Michigan and where each manufacture was based and most still are. From a little south of Traverse City to Saugatuck mostly along the lakeshore. Algonac N.E. of Detroit also.

Michigan is the automotive state and where you will find so many old car meseums.

Meijer Gardens and Sculpture park in Grand Rapids is one of the most celebrated on the planet Earth.

One trip to Michigan is merely a tantalizer as we have lived in Michigan on the Lake Michigan lakeshore at Grand Haven and have been RVing the state very often each year for over 52 years now and still have new places to to visit and explore. Did I mention that the temperatures here are like being in air conditioning constantly near one of the Great Lake's without even having A/C in your RV. Just open the windows!

The over 3200 miles of fresh water Great Lakes shoreline in Michigan wit having 4 of the 5 huge Great Lakes on its shores with CG's everywhere is such a releif from the extremely hot and humid Florida in summer and fall. Average of 80 daytime highs and 60 at night for the low even in Southern Michigan. Even a few degrees cooler in the Northern Lower Peninsula and the U.P. Gods Country!

Simply stated, we absolutely love living in West Michigan and will never move away and we have lots of family who live in the WPB area, Disney/192/27 area, and the Englewood areas who were land developers of subdivisions, housing developments, CG's and commercial venues. All are retired now and had sold most of the corporations.

[Opie431]

We were in the UP seven years ago and found some things we wanted to see were closed for the season. Check if you will be there.
And if you want to go to Canada you will need a passport to get back into the US.

Be sure you have reservations for Labor Day weekend.

[Anmacc2]

GREAT SUGGESTIONS!!! here's waht we've got so far:
We are leaving South Florida at 5:00PM on August 17. DW is retired and will take the first leg. We have 1500 miles to our first desired spot and will travel at what is comfortable and fun pace for us. Then it is in order:Detroit, Mount Pleasant, Cheboygan, Charlevoix, Traverse City, Silver Lake, Saugatuck, Kalamazoo, then head home. DW and I are experienced travelers and waht we're looking for is FUN suggestions and time saving tips! Thank you everyone for your suggestions. Except for the upper peninsula which will difinitely be afuture trip we have used just about every suggestion.

[drsteve]

The entire Lake Michigan shore of the lower peninsula is great. Excellent sandy beaches, an abundance of state parks and private campgrounds, great scenery, and plenty of things to do and see.

Cars, you say? Do not miss the Gilmore Museum. Over 400 classic, antique, and muscle cars, the place is a must see for any car buff. They have events nearly every weekend, highly recommended.

Gilmore

[Mfan]

Henry Ford museum and Greenfield village.

Gilmore car museum.

[Anmacc2]

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!!!!!!!!!! This is exactly what we were hoping for! We specifically didn't want to guide the discussion by saying what we generally like. We wanted to hear your unbiased thoughts and opinions and are very grateful for your generous sharing! Now I will say I have a love of vintage cars, boats, RVs, and trains...... Any suggestions? Again, thank you!

[travelnutz]

midnightsadie,

The roads on the West side of the state and up north are fine as we just traveled them about a month ago all the way into the U.P. and back down the center of the state with our diesel truck with the big Lance truck camper on. Also, we live on the west side of the state and drive all over here. Of course, there's always road work going on in various places just like in any other state. I do agree that the roads in S.E, Michigan are in very bad shape presently. Unfortunately, the forum rules won't let me explain why but you probably could see it for yourself.

[travelnutz]

Almost everything and all venues are open in both the U.P. and the L.P. until about mid October when the colored leaves start to fall. The many Ferries run to Mackinac Island also and the island stuff is still going. Sure, the crowds are smaller as most families with kids are home as school is open again.

Later in October in the U.P. there can be nights with hard frost or even some freezing in the U.P. so that is why most CG's close by mid October but not all as some are open year around. Even the upper CG at Beautiful Tahquamenon Falls State Park Lower Falls CG which is only ~25 miles south of Lake Superior and is open all year. Water is shut off but electric is on and they plow the roads and sites of snow in winter so there's no snow depth problems. Been there camped several times in January and February before.

Also have RV'ed to the U.P. for over 50 years of our 56 years of marriage in late Sept and Oct for the spectacular colored leaves and then when coming back south to home on the West Michigan Shoreline, we virtually follow the colored leaf changing all the way! Only one trip to the U.P. in the over 50 for fall colors did we have any snow at all and that was about 2" on an October 16th. Usually in the 60's to low 70's in the first 2 weeks of Oct up there. The West side of the state is very different than the east side and The U.P. is very different again. Like 3 distinct different landscapes and features all in one state.

Roughly, only 300,000 people live in the entire Upper Peninsula. About 700,000 live in the northern half on the Lower Peninsula and the remaining 9 million live in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula with approx 5 million of those in the Detroit S.E. Michigan area.

Even later in the L.P. (especially on the west side of the state) as being farther south and warmed by the constant summer heated water rising up from the huge very deep Lake Michigan and then blowing over the land to the east and S.E., more CG's stay open longer as do many venues until after Thanksgiving and several CG's are open all year too. Platte River CG at Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore National Park is open year around and so are the nice tiled and heated bathrooms and private door showers. Gorgeous area!

As said, there's so much to do a see in all of Michigan year around. It sure would help if you'd mention some types of things that interest you as Michigan has so many things to see and/or do.