Places to visit in Wisconsin & Michigan on the Great Lakes

[.270Rem]

My folks and I plan on leaving in a week and a half to wander around the Great Lakes and enjoy some early Fall weather. Might try to sneak in some fishing for me and Dad, and a boat ride for Mom, but largely looking at doing the touring thing. Possible stops include Milwaukee for a ball game, Green Bay to see a friend, Picture Rocks & Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshores, etc. I've only seen the Lansing airport so Michigan is new to me and I drove across Wisconsin twice.

So HT faithful, can you suggest any worthwhile and must-see stops? Our likely route would be to swing around Chicago and go into Wisconsin in the SE corner. Then head North towards Green Bay and the U.P. After that, we will come across the bridge and drive down through Michigan and across Ohio on our way back to Virginia.

 

[wihunter12]

Highly suggest continuing NE of Green Bay for a few days to Door County, WI. Now that achool is back in session, during the week it shouldn't be too busy. We have a family place near the tip of Door County, spent quite a bit of time there this Summer.

 

[gwhunter]

If you are going to come this far into the lower peninsula, I would recommend the tunnel of trees along M-119 (google it). Not sure if you will hit it during it's peak, but if you do it's a fairly cool visual experience.

I second the pictured rocks (doubly so if you get a kayak instead of going on the "tour", but the tour is no slouch). Tahquamenon falls is also cool. If you've never seen a shipping/river lock up close, the Soo Locks is a cool couple of hours. If boats and engineering aren't your thing, though, I'd say skip the locks.

There are a ton of cool little trout streams/rivers in the UP. If you bring your fishing pole, I would check a couple of them out. The Salmon are also running right now along Lake Michigan. The Betsie is where all my friends who don't go out west to archery hunt elk go every September.

The Keewenaw Peninsula & Copper Harbor are worth a drive through if you are planning to stay in that general area of the UP for a day/night.

If you are into craft/micro brews there are a ton along the western half of lower Michigan. Bell's is my favorite(Kalamazoo), but there are also a bunch in Grand Rapids.

As a general touristy area, Traverse City, Charlevoix, and the general coast of Lake Michigan from South Haven on north are very cool places to check-out.

If you have specifics you want to run by a local, just let me know.

 

[NEWHunter]

How many days are we talking for this trip? What kind of fishing?

Madison is only about an hour and a half out of your way. Best college town there is. There’s a few things to do there. Their farmers market on the Capitol square is pretty epic.

If you’re so religiously inclined, Holy Hill (near Erin Hills) might be worth a stop and Our Lady of Good Help in Champion. Kohler is nice and better if you golf. Get yourself some fresh cheese curds straight from the dairy and then some fried curds and a brat at a good restaurant. Door County is nice - Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, etc. Charter a boat on Lake Michigan for salmon - Kinn’s Catch in Algoma. That checks off fishing and a boat ride.

Around Green Bay you can check out the Packers/Titletown, the house where NEWHunter was born, some of NEWHunter’s treestands (if you know where to look), etc. Don’t bother with the Cabela’s. National Railroad museum if you like trains.

Marinette County has a few waterfalls to check out. They’re nice for Wisconsin and generally on or near trout streams/rivers. They’d be a bit out of your way and certainly off the beaten path. Grouse season opens in a week and a half. Lots of public land in Marinette county. Birds are tough though. Mackinaw Island is nice.

 

[Treeshark]

I would plan at least a day for Door County, could spend several days honestly. Outstanding fishing, sightseeing and shopping/walking around. Multiple state parks on the water, all of which are beautiful. I live nearby and spend several weekends up there a year.

Up to the UP- Keweenaw peninsula, Houghton/Copper Harbor area and Marquette would be in my list as well.

 

[Addicting]

A week and a half is really not enough time to do the loop and get back to Virginia. I did the 1/2 UP this summer and I live in SWMI. We did a full 10 days and did not see everything we wanted. That was just the UP. We didn’t do any Wisconsin nor any MI below the bridge. You have enough time to drive it but not to stop and actually do much of anything besides get gas and food.

Skip the Dells, it’s just a tourist trap with not much value.

Fishing is good now by mackinaw for salmon. Walleyes are good in Saginaw bay and Lake Erie.

I would skip Wisconsin all together and just do MI. There is tons to see and do and the color is still green everywhere. So push the trip to end of September for color or just find cool stops. Hotels in the UP are hard to get when color is in full swing. They are most mom and pop places and reach capacity fast.

I drive Chicago in a semi a couple days a week. STAY OFF 94 north towards the city, it alone will burn a half a day in just traffic, use 294.

Hope that helps.

 

[Henry22]

I don’t have much to add but stop in at Bears Den Pizzeria in Grayling Michigan if the timing works. Pretty good pizza and they have a bunch of Fred Bear memorabilia and old time hunting photos on display.

 

[homers]

UP - plenty of nice waterfalls, including National Black River Scenic Byway (5 nice ones within a few miles of each other), Bond falls, Laughing White Fish. Lake Superior is fantastic - Ontonagon up to Copper Harbor and then back down through Houghton. Eat some pasty and some cudighi.

 

[JohnBud]

How many days are we talking for this trip? What kind of fishing?

Madison is only about an hour and a half out of your way. Best college town there is. There’s a few things to do there. Their farmers market on the Capitol square is pretty epic.

If you’re so religiously inclined, Holy Hill (near Erin Hills) might be worth a stop and Our Lady of Good Help in Champion. Kohler is nice and better if you golf. Get yourself some fresh cheese curds straight from the dairy and then some fried curds and a brat at a good restaurant. Door County is nice - Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, etc. Charter a boat on Lake Michigan for salmon - Kinn’s Catch in Algoma. That checks off fishing and a boat ride.

Around Green Bay you can check out the Packers/Titletown, the house where NEWHunter was born, some of NEWHunter’s treestands (if you know where to look), etc. Don’t bother with the Cabela’s. National Railroad museum if you like trains.

Marinette County has a few waterfalls to check out. They’re nice for Wisconsin and generally on or near trout streams/rivers. They’d be a bit out of your way and certainly off the beaten path. Grouse season opens in a week and a half. Lots of public land in Marinette county. Birds are tough though. Mackinaw Island is nice.

This is the right stuff. You will enjoy following these suggestions.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Literally just finished a trip to the U.P 2 weeks ago.....Macinac Island is a must, Ton's of water falls to visit and if you go to the Soo Locks be aware you cannot bring a gun in to the park/visitors center. Colors were already turning when I was there, I bet they are even better now....Have a great time.

 

[Steiny]

We've got a lake house on a chain a few miles east of Traverse City, know the area well.

Do the north shore of the UP and hit all cool spots along lake Superior. Inland in the UP, check out Tahquamenon falls and Kitchitikipi spring.
In northern LP, check out Sleeping Bear Dunes, the Leelanau Peninsula and various stops there, Elk Rapids, etc. Will probably be salmon in some of the Lake Michigan feeder rivers now.

 

[Addicting]

Do the north shore of the UP and hit all cool spots along lake Superior. Inland in the UP, check out Tahquamenon falls and Kitchitikipi spring.

This is solid info and must see stops.

 

[coleslaw]

If you are willing to spend the $, a ferry ride across Lake Michigan can be worth the trip and the time saved. Plenty of ferries up and down the coasts on both sides of the lake. Plenty of breweries in both states if you are into that. Lots of wineries in Dor county and SW Michigan. I actually prefer the wineries in SW Michigan to Door county which is basically just sweet and cherry themed wines.

Anything in the UP is always a great time. Not much for restaurants or cell service though. Not many people either, which is fine by me. The north shore of the UP (Lake Superior) is one of the most underrated drives in the U.S, especially in the fall.

If you are on the NE side of Michigan, Lake Huron is just as beautiful as the other lakes too. Alpena is an ok town, decent restaurants as well. A trip over the bridge is definitely something many are proud to say they have done.

Also, dress warm, especially this time.of year and if you are near the lakes. It's always "cooler by the lake".

 

[RealMuddyboots]

If you go to the Dell's, take the car ferry across to Ludington. +1 It is a really cool ride across Lake Michigan. I would add taking underwater wreck tour out of Munising? Glass bottom, crystal clear Lake Superior great looksee at old wrecks. +1 on Picture Rocks, Mackinac Island horse only tours, Platte River hatchery where the Great Lakes salmon saga began. Sleeping Bear Dunes.

 

[recon6036]

Being a Yooper, I'm obviously bias. As mentioned, you could spend your whole time here and not see everything. Some great ideas listed already include: Keweenaw Peninsula (Copper Harbor), abundant waterfalls - especially in the western part of the U.P., Kitchitikipi, Tahquamenon Falls, Soo Locks, Pictured Rocks & the Pictured rocks lakeshore (Log slide), Mackinac Island...the list goes on.
Enjoy!

 

[Gellar]

UP - plenty of nice waterfalls, including National Black River Scenic Byway (5 nice ones within a few miles of each other), Bond falls, Laughing White Fish. Lake Superior is fantastic - Ontonagon up to Copper Harbor and then back down through Houghton. Eat some pasty and some cudighi.

I could have spent a week in from Black River to Copper Harbor. The eastern end of the UP was nice, but it was much more crowded.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Sleeping Bear is fun, and you can hit most of it in 2-3 days. Great sunsets, outstanding colors, good little restaurants on the peninsula, etc. Heading east to traverse & over to Petoskey & Charlevoix is picturesque.

Heading down the Lake Michigan side would be nicer. Go down to Frankfort, Manistee, etc. Great fishing all around and lots of good hiking & scenery.

 

[gwhunter]

Hadn't seen that video yet. That made me chuckle a little bit!!!

 

[Ben Lamb]

Hadn't seen that video yet. That made me chuckle a little bit!!!

That youtube page is fire.

 

[gwhunter]

That youtube page is fire.

I watched the Royal Oak one years ago and I still laugh about it! I love that not-so-pure michigan page!