Michigan

Upper Peninsula

Mackinac Island

  • Fort Mackinac Tour
  • Mackinac Island Horse Drawn Carriage Tour
  • Grand Hotel
    • Buffet Lunch
    • Front Porch – white rocking chair. The $10 fee also buys you access to shops and other public places of the hotel.

Eastern Upper Peninsula

To avoid the most flies and mosquitos, plan on late July through the end of October.

  • St Ignace
    • Bridge View Park
    • Castle Rock
    • Museum of Ojibwa Culture
    • Straits State Park
    • Deer Ranch
    • Mystery Spot
    • Wawatam Lighthouse
    • Huron Boardwalk
  • Sault Ste. Marie,
    • Soo Locks Boat Tours http://www.soolocks.com/
    • Sault Historic Sites – https://www.saulthistoricsites.com/ Combo tickets available
      • Tower of History – Soaring 210 feet above Sault Ste. Marie and the Soo Locks, visitors get a spectacular view of the world’s busiest inland shipping channel.
      • Museum Ship Valley Camp – Explore an actual Great Lakes freighter!Housed inside her massive cargo hold is a 20,000 square foot museum with over 100 exhibits!
      • River of History – Opened by The Sault Ste. Marie Foundation for Culture and History in 1992, with the mission of preserving and promoting the history of the St. Mary’s River system.
      • Water Street Historic Block – These historic homes are operated through a cooperative effort between the Chippewa County Historical Society, the Sault Historic Sites, and the City of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
  • Whitefish Point
    • Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
    • Whitefish Point Lighthouse
    • Crisp Point Lighthouse
  • Upper/Lower Tahquamenon Falls
  • Grand Marais
  • Munising –
    • Waterfalls – 18 Waterfalls https://www.exploremunising.com/waterfalls/
    • Pictured Rocks Cruises,
    • Glass Bottom Shipwreck Tours
    • Muldoon’s Pasties – there are two locations in Munising, less than a mile apart. The original is right off M-28., and the second location (same recipe, less busy) is on Elm Ave
    • Miners Castle Overlook – Upper Overlook 15 minutes. Lower Overlook half-mile hike.
    • Munising to Grand Marais – Adjust your map to make sure you drive on H-58
  • Manistique
    • Kitch-iti-kipi – The Big Spring
    • The Manistique Boardwalk and River Walk.
    • Fayette Historic Site – This ghost town, living museum, 20 restored buildings from the 1890s that visitors can still walk through today. A short walk from a beach and a picnic area.
  • Newberry – Oswald’s Bear Ranch 
  • Pictured Rocks National Seashore
    • Pictured Rocks Cruise – You’ll need to dedicate 3-4 hours for the cruise. Seating is first-come, first-serve and you can line up as early as an hour beforehand to get the best seat. The cruise itself lasts about 2.5 hours. Sit upper deck on right for the views, back right for a calmer ride when waves are big! Both sides get the same view but return trip faster without narration.
  • Grand Marais
    • Au Sable Point and Lighthouse – Trail is 3 mile round trip.
    • Sable Falls – Trail is only .5 miles (including 168 steps), this trail is good for all skill levels and can be done quickly.
    • Agate Beach – There are tons of beautiful rocks and if you’re lucky, you can find an agate. Great sunsets.
    • Pickle Barrel House Museum – Showcases artifacts of Donahey and The Teenie Weenies, as well as a décor reminiscent of its old life as a cartoonist’s retreat. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pickle-barrel-house

Central Upper Peninsula

  • Marquette
    • Lakenenland – Large one-man sculpture park WITH about 80 different iron sculptures build out of scraps
    • Da Yoopers Tourist Trap, Ishpeming, Michigan, A comedy troupe’s collection of bizarre humor.
  • Keweenaw Peninsula – the northernmost point of the Upper Peninsula.
    • Lake Superior shoreline
    • Keweenaw National Historic Park
    • Quincy Mine
    • Fort Wilkins Historic State Park
  • The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
    • Waterfalls
    • Lake of the Clouds – ADA accessible
    • Summit Peak Observation Tower
  • Crystal Falls
    • Water falls
  • Isle Royale National Park 
  • Visit the famous Copper Island, near Houghton with its beautiful copper deposits.

Upper Lower Peninsula

  • Mackinaw City
    • Colonial Michilimackinac
    • Lake Michigan Scenic Drive
    • Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse Tour
    • Historic Mill Creek
  • Traverse City
    • Cherry Festival
    • Cherry Pancake Breakfast
    • Cherry Festival Air Show
    • Traverse City Area Highlights Motorcoach Tour
    • Leelanau Peninsula Tour
    • Grand Traverse Lighthouse & Museum
    • Moomers Ice Cream Store Visit
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes
    • Sleeping Bear Dunes Welcome Center
    • Sleeping Bear Dunes and Scenic Dunes Drive – Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. I hear No. 9 on the route is a good stopping point for a scenic view of Lake Michigan.
  • Leland – Old Fishing Village
  • Interlochen School for the Arts
  • Music House Museum
  • Old Mission Peninsula
  • Hippie Tree – Though its branches are painted bright colors by generations of locals, the tree is said to be a haunted portal to hell.
  • Petosky / Bay View
  • Gaylord – The Call of the Wild Museum
  • Rogers City –
    • 40 Mile Point Lighthouse
    • Ocqueoc Falls – The Lower Peninsula’s largest waterfall, this was also the country’s first universally accessible waterfall.
  • Tunnel of Trees – canopied section of M-119 from Harbor Springs to Cross Village.
  • Cross in the Woods National Shrine,
  • Headlands International Dark Sky Park
  • Petosky
    • Petosky Pierhead Lighthouse & Bayfront Park. You can easily park once at Bayfront Park and explore the area by the water and downtown.
    • The Little Traverse Historical Museum opens seasonally. Exhibits include displays depicting the Little Traverse Bay region’s history, including the Odawa Indians, where the museum has some of their rare artifacts. Some exhibits provide more detail on Ernest Hemingway’s life in Michigan.
    • Magnus Park, with its 1,000 feet of rocky shoreline, is the best place to find Michigan’s sought-after state stone, the Petoskey stone. Bring a spray water bottle as the rocks are easier to spot when wet.
    • Kilwins Tours are conducted Monday to Friday from 10 am – 4:30 pm, every half hour. Reservations are recommended.
    • Petosky State Park
      • The Old Baldy Trail is a half-mile loop to the top of the Old Baldy dune, prized for its scenic views
    • Restaurants
      • City Park Grill offers a bit of history with your meal. Ernest Hemingway drafted stories at the bar. Visit Pennsylvania Park to see the statue of the young Hemingway.
      • Duffy’s Garage and Grille has two decks overlooking Little Traverse Bay. the unique decor features old car parts, front and rear ends, hoods, camshafts, and hubcaps suspended from the walls.
  • Charlevoix
    • Former World’s Largest Cherry Pie Pan
    • Castle Farms, built in 1918, features gardens with an abundance of photo opportunities and the largest outdoor model train in the state of Michigan. If you’re into history, visit the on-site World War I museum. Allow at least 2 hours. https://castlefarms.com/ Tuesday through Sunday: 10 am – 5 pm, Closed Monday
    • Mushroom houses – Self-guided walking tours. Tours: https://www.mushroomhousetours.com/tours/gem-car-tour/ $22 10 am-5 pm every hour and can accommodate up to 11 people at certain times.
    • Charlevoix South Pier Light Station, watch the drawbridge rise on the half-hour where boats cross through between Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan.
    • Ferry Beach is family-friendly, situated on the shores of Lake Charlevoix,
    • Ferry to Beaver Island to find lighthouses to tour, wildlife to spot, lakes to kayak, trails to bike, and history to explore on the 13-mile long island.
    • East Park – 400 Bridge St, Charlevoix, MI 49720 It’s definitely a great place to stop and have your Kilwins Ice Cream and watch the boats there in the marina.
    • The Cherry Republic, 221 Bridge St, Charlevoix, MI – gift shop

Central Lower Peninsula

  • Ludington
    • Ludington State Park – easy hike around Lost Lake, taking a dip in the cold water about half-way
    • Big Sable Point Lighthouse – In Ludington SP. It is a 1.8-mile walk on the sand to the lighthouse.
    • Stems Point – The spacious beach, long pier with the lighthouse at the end,
    • Ludington Riverfront Park – Walked around this beautiful area while we ate our ice cream from House of Flavors – you can’t miss going to House of Flavors!
    • Ludington North Breakwater Light – Walk on a pier and follow the path to the lighthouse if it is not too windy. The lighthouse was not open but you could stay there and have a perfect sunset picture. Don’t wear your good shoes and keep your phone in a left pocket. The waves could splash you a bit or more
    • Amber Elk Ranch – Working elk ranch, take a 50-minute ride through our 130 acres of beautiful pasture where you will see elk cows and calves, spikers, and bull elk up close. You will have the opportunity to feed the elk right from the wagon.
    • Historic White Pine Village – Historic White Pine Village offers a living history, family-friendly, fun-filled tour of a late 19th – early 20th-century pioneer village. The Village boasts 30 historic exhibit buildings,
    • Country DairyIce Cream!
    • Harbor Tours
  • Muskegon
    • Pere Marquette Park – Beach, Pier, Lighthouse.
    • USS Silversides Submarine Museum – The museum is cut into three parts: The museum itself, the submarine, and a cutter ship.
    • P.J. Hoffmaster State Park – Beach, Trails, Very Popular State Park
    • Hackley and Hume Historic Site – features the restored homes of Muskegon’s most well-known lumber barons with outstanding wood carving, stained glass windows, and period furnishings. A guided tour of the homes offers visitors a look at life; Closed for Covid.
    • USS LST 393 – Veterans Museum is on board a historic World War II warship. It contains thousands of artifacts and can be toured May-September.
    • Muskegon State Park – Beach
    • Muskegon Heritage Museum – exhibits the history of the industries of the Muskegon area.
  • Manistee
    • Manistee North Pierhead Lighthouse – Beach, Pier, Lighthouse. Get to the beach off 5th street before 11am and find plenty of parking.
    • S.S. City of Milwaukee/ USCGC Acacia – This preserved Lake Michigan car ferry.
    • Canoeing Manistee River
    • Manistee Riverwalk
  • Grand Haven
  • Saugatuck
  • Silver Lake (Sand dunes)
  • Baldwin – World’s Largest Brown Trout Sculpture

Lower Lower Peninsula

  • Indiana Dunes National Park
  • Benton Harbor
  • Holland
    • Historic Houses Tour
    • Holland State Park
  • South Haven – Michigan Maritime Museum

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