Thought I'd bump this thread and see if I can get any help planning a vacation. DH and I were born and raised in MI and so were our kids. We moved when the kids were almost 9 and 7 (18 & 16 now). We go back regularly to visit family in the Detroit area.
We think we'd like to take our summer vacation in MI this year and visit some of our favorite places that the kids barely remember. We'd love to do Traverse City, Petoskey, Mackinaw Island, Sault Ste Marie, and Tahquamenon Falls. We will probably have ten days or so.
Although I've been to those places too many times to count, things change and my memory is a little fuzzy! Any suggestions on places I've forgotten, things we should skip, places to stay, etc?
perfect timing - i'll be in detroit this summer (visiting family).
I'll have my daughter and son-in-law with me.
They're giving up disney to visit the family with me.
So i figured they need a consolation prize - a few day trips over the course of the 10 days.
i thought we could go to cedar point, niagara falls (easy drive via canada), the zoo and then a trip up north.
I've told my kids about mackinac island for years, so i thought this might be a nice opportunity. And they love to ride bikes, so that's perfect.
Now i just have to plan a trip around mackinac island.
They love anything active - zip lines, hikes, bikes, etc.
It's been so many years since i was up north (as in 40 years).
I hope the trip lives up to all my buildup over the years of how great it is up there!!
Try coming back the sunrise side and stop by Alpena, Oscoda, Tawas etc. It is a little more rustic than the western side of the state. Tawas point is awesome for swimming. Rent a cabin in the vacinity. Tawas is a town that's very dear to my heart. Go see a movie while you're there. The show is like $3 and the popcorn is $1.50. A treat for us city folk. (I worked at that movie theater as a teen. And also at the drive-in, which no longer exists).
$1.50 for popcorn????????????????? that's worth the trip right there!!!
My parents are snowbirds and live in Petoskey from June-October. They're both from Michigan. When we go up we do Avalanche Bay (water park at Boyne Mountain) and zipline (Boyne Highlands is where we generally go).
We did the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island for their 50th anniversary. I need to get the kids back to Mackinac Island. We loved riding bikes around the island. Lots of good memories.
Other than that we did typical stuff including playing at the "beach" and miniature golfing. And I eat way too much ice cream (our favorite is Yummies in Harbor Springs).
the grand hotel is something like $800/day in the summer. So a tad out of my price range.
But i don't think we want to stay on the island anyway.
Just a day trip. Take the ferry over. Rent bikes for a few hours. Eat fudge. Take the ferry back
The question is, where to stay up north and what else to see.
My daughter found a nice park in that area with a guided hike and zipline.
So we'll do that. Now we just have to find more of that.
I think Tahquamenon is probably a nice idea.
I've only been there in the dead of winter (on a week long snowshoeing trip back in 1972!! - yes i am old!!!)
But i'm sure it must be pretty in the summer.
Truth is, i'm really more familiar with northern michigan in the winter than the summer (and even that familiarity is from 40 years ago).
i'm looking forward to showing them the great lakes. That alone is worth the trip!!
Those who aren't from the area have no understanding of what 'great lakes' means. They think 'lake', not at all what they are!!
Just wanted to show the mitten some more love!
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There was a little bit of an "air of desperation" kind of thing, like people who were gambling who shouldn't have been. But the actual facilities were very nice then... it was several years ago (8?). Good luck!
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