Plan B-Michigan/Mackinac Road Trip

[m15]

Ok, after looking into it further, our South Dakota road trip will have to wait until next year due to Sturgis.  Instead, we will do plan B, which is starting at Mackinac Island and then traveling down through Michigan and stopping at Torch Lake and Sleeping Bear Dunes.  Any places we need to hit up for sure along that route?  We will have six days and will camp. We will also likely have our dog along and will end the trip with the ferry back to Wisconsin.  

[whiterussian09]

What are your plans for Torch Lake? I ask because despite the fact that it’s an absolutely massive lake, there’s not a public beach that I can think it. You really need a boat or to be staying at a place right on the water.

If you are looking for good beaches and cute towns on the way from the island to Sleeping Bear I would recommend Charlevoix or Elk Rapids. Charlevoix has more in terms of shopping and restaurants and you can watch the ferry to Beaver Island come and go from the beach there. Glen Arbor is also a really cool little town right new Sleeping Bear.

Let me know if you have any other questions, I pretty familiar with those areas of the state.

[DotAndBuzz]

Ditto the torch lake comment. It’s beautiful, but I can’t think of a real “hang out/public access” beach there.

If you can go about an hour west, go through Traverse City and check out Leelanau County. Glen Arbor, Sutton’s Bay, Northport are all little towns there. You can camp there (need a reservation), and there’s lots to do. Kayak the crystal river, bike (rentals available for both), do sleeping bear dunes national lakeshore stuff - hiking trails, dune climb, scenic drive with stops and trails, LOADS of little public beaches around for Lake Michigan. If you want a warmer lake, check out little glen lake or Sutton’s Bay.

[m15]

Jul 17, 2021 8:58:14 GMT -5 whiterussian09 said:

What are your plans for Torch Lake? I ask because despite the fact that it’s an absolutely massive lake, there’s not a public beach that I can think it. You really need a boat or to be staying at a place right on the water.

If you are looking for good beaches and cute towns on the way from the island to Sleeping Bear I would recommend Charlevoix or Elk Rapids. Charlevoix has more in terms of shopping and restaurants and you can watch the ferry to Beaver Island come and go from the beach there. Glen Arbor is also a really cool little town right new Sleeping Bear.

Let me know if you have any other questions, I pretty familiar with those areas of the state.

I'm honestly not sure yet. Ha! I had read there are boats that take you to the sandbar area for swimming. I honestly haven't looked into it much yet.

After looking into more ideas, I thought we could start at Pictured Rocks and then head over to the island and then go south. But, I am having a hard time securing camp sites. Normally, I wouldn't wait this late to book, but I recently had surgery and wasn't sure how the recovery would be, so I didn't want to book things and then lose money for cancelling. Regardless, this whole thing has become super frustrating because so many things are booked solid.

[mildop]

Torch’s sandbar has a bit of a party reputation. Depends on what you are looking for!
The Traverse City area has tons to do, though. Agree with the posts above on the other towns as well. Elk Lake/Elk Rapids is right next to Torch, but it’s also smaller and quieter.

[m15]

Jul 17, 2021 22:10:54 GMT -5 mildop said:

Torch’s sandbar has a bit of a party reputation. Depends on what you are looking for!
The Traverse City area has tons to do, though. Agree with the posts above on the other towns as well. Elk Lake/Elk Rapids is right next to Torch, but it’s also smaller and quieter.

Thanks...a party scene is definitely not what we are looking for. Ha! I will have to ask my co-worker who went last year what she did. She kept talking about how beautiful it was and said they swam. They wouldn't have been partying, so now I am super curious.

[mildop]

You can hang in the periphery and avoid much of it - we’ve done that in the past. (But the people I visit aren’t based on Torch, we just visited from nearby.)

[irishbride2]

We love Traverse City.


Also, this is super cheesy, but on the way back from the UP, you will pass a Mystery Spot. It has mini golf and a tiny zip line, but it also has a tour you can do that has great story telling. My kids ate it up.

But it’s definitely a cheesy tourist trap.

[irishbride2]

Also check out other lakes with camping. There are tons! I We are on Burt Lake, but also check out Mullet Lake or any on the west coast (im more familiar with the east coast).

[m15]

Jul 18, 2021 9:34:42 GMT -5 irishbride2 said:

Also check out other lakes with camping. There are tons! I We are on Burt Lake, but also check out Mullet Lake or any on the west coast (im more familiar with the east coast).

Thanks I will look at that one. Any suggestions further in the UP closer to Pictured Rocks? I'd like to do Pictured Rocks and Taquamenon Falls too.

[m15]

Jul 18, 2021 5:27:25 GMT -5 mildop said:

You can hang in the periphery and avoid much of it - we’ve done that in the past. (But the people I visit aren’t based on Torch, we just visited from nearby.)

That's what my coworker said when I asked. She said they accessed it from land and just hung out with the families that were on the edge. No boat.

[Pom]

Jul 18, 2021 9:33:15 GMT -5 irishbride2 said:

We love Traverse City.


Also, this is super cheesy, but on the way back from the UP, you will pass a Mystery Spot. It has mini golf and a tiny zip line, but it also has a tour you can do that has great story telling. My kids ate it up.

But it’s definitely a cheesy tourist trap.

Def Mystery Spot. It's super fun for kids.  I also love the beaches on Lake Michigan there along US 2. If you need a place to camp, there are some great spots out that way.  We like www.michigan.org/property/brevoort-lake-campground

Clyde's Drive In in St. Ignace just up the road from Mystery Spot is totally my H's thing. 

Agree with Torch Lake. It's gorgeous, but not many beaches except for the south end at a bar. You could hang out there for a while. www.docksidetorchlake.com/

Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Charlevoix are all pretty cool. Not sure what you are in to but lots of cute shops, fun eateries. Get a bakery thing at Johan's (in Harbor or Petoskey). www.petoskeyarea.com/

I love the drive out of Traverse City to Northport on M22. We were out there yesterday. There are some great areas to pull over (make sure it's public) to swim on Grand Traverse bay.  We always get a tasty lunch at folgarellis.net/ in downtown TVC at lunch out on the bay. Down the other side, Fishtown in Leland is cool too and I agree, Glen Arbor is a gorgeous area. We went to the beach in Empire last year and it was awesome as well as the Sleeping Bear Dunes NPS HQ. Enjoy! I haven't been on the Badger in 20 years, but that's a fun adventure too.


 

[Pom]

I'm not sure what your camping situation is and if you like busier State Parks or more rustic experiences, but I can offer suggestions if you need some advice. I live in the area and we have been camping a ton this year.

[m15]

Jul 18, 2021 12:06:44 GMT -5 Pom said:

I'm not sure what your camping situation is and if you like busier State Parks or more rustic experiences, but I can offer suggestions if you need some advice. I live in the area and we have been camping a ton this year.

We like quieter camping, not big RV resorts with pools, etc. We would prefer electric sites, but don't need water. We also will need a shower/real toilet because we just have a pop up. Feel free to PM me as well. I am getting super frustrated and finding absolutely nothing. I knew camping had increased since covid, but didn't realize it was this bad. WI state parks are booking a year out, like a national park. It's ridiculous.

[irishbride2]

Jul 18, 2021 11:51:24 GMT -5 m15 said:

Jul 18, 2021 9:34:42 GMT -5 irishbride2 said:

Also check out other lakes with camping. There are tons! I We are on Burt Lake, but also check out Mullet Lake or any on the west coast (im more familiar with the east coast).

Thanks I will look at that one. Any suggestions further in the UP closer to Pictured Rocks? I'd like to do Pictured Rocks and Taquamenon Falls too.

Pictured rocks is amazing but I’ve only done it once and I don’t remember where we stayed. Sorry!

[covergirl82]

The best way to see Pictured Rocks is from the water, so you could check into reserving spots on one of the boat tours. I'm sorry I don't have any suggestions for camping - we stayed with my SIL and her family when they lived in Munising (but they moved away around 6 years ago now).

Lake Kitch-iti-kipi is in the UP and I've heard it's a beautiful place to stop. The lake is clear and you can see all the way to the bottom. That's still on our list of places to go.

We like the public beach at Charlevoix for looking for Petoskey stones.

The drive along M22 is beautiful. Glen Arbor is a cute town and there is a good coffee place there (if you like coffee) - Leelanau Coffee Roasting Co.

If you're taking the ferry back from Ludington, Jamesport Brewing Co. is our favorite restaurant there and we always like to get ice cream from the House of Flavors.

[jaycee]

If you are taking the Manitowoc/Ludington ferry back (as opposed to the Milwaukee one), there is the most wonderful tiny little chocolate shop just a mile from the Manitowoc ferry dock. It is called Beernstens and they have homemade ice cream and chocolates and candies and they have a tiny table seating area. It's just straight from the 1940s.

[m15]

Jul 19, 2021 10:43:46 GMT -5 jaycee said:

If you are taking the Manitowoc/Ludington ferry back (as opposed to the Milwaukee one), there is the most wonderful tiny little chocolate shop just a mile from the Manitowoc ferry dock. It is called Beernstens and they have homemade ice cream and chocolates and candies and they have a tiny table seating area. It's just straight from the 1940s.

Awesome, I will keep that in mind! Still undecided on the ferry. It only cuts two hours off of our drive and costs $494, so we may drive around.

[m15]

Jul 19, 2021 10:33:25 GMT -5 covergirl82 said:

The best way to see Pictured Rocks is from the water, so you could check into reserving spots on one of the boat tours. I'm sorry I don't have any suggestions for camping - we stayed with my SIL and her family when they lived in Munising (but they moved away around 6 years ago now).

Lake Kitch-iti-kipi is in the UP and I've heard it's a beautiful place to stop. The lake is clear and you can see all the way to the bottom. That's still on our list of places to go.

We like the public beach at Charlevoix for looking for Petoskey stones.

The drive along M22 is beautiful. Glen Arbor is a cute town and there is a good coffee place there (if you like coffee) - Leelanau Coffee Roasting Co.

If you're taking the ferry back from Ludington, Jamesport Brewing Co. is our favorite restaurant there and we always like to get ice cream from the House of Flavors.

Thanks! We found a place near PR to camp, so we can hit up that with a boat ride and then explore Tahquamenon Falls as well. I will look up that other lake as well.

[waverly]

We ran into the same problem with camping, so I just booked the closest sites and planned my trip around there. We were still able to do Picture Rocks and Tahquamenon Falls. We cruised by the locks on our way down to the lower peninsula. I like the Straits campground, but it might be booked.

We found that at the tail end of the trip we left too late, and didn't have time or desire to put the tent up again, so I might plan on a hotel on that last night on your way back home.  Our PR boat tour was cancelled due to waves.  We went when I was a kid, and it was fine, so that wasn't on my radar.  They were at least 4 foot waves.  We did get our money back.  

[m15]

Jul 19, 2021 16:57:02 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

Young state park is really great (lake charlevoix) if you are looking for a beach on that side. There are some really nice beaches on Lake Michigan near Glen Arbor, which is not too far from sleeping bear dunes. If you swim on Lake Michigan, please be careful. Especially if your small children are swimming, please watch for the flag warnings at the beaches. Not trying to alarm you at all, but many people not familiar with the lakes are not aware of how powerful they are.

I would stay away From any of the beaches on grand Traverse Bay in Traverse city, they’ve had a lot of different warnings through the bacteria levels from storm runoff. Lots of Cute restaurants and shops downtown to see if you stop there. If you like wine, drive up to the leelenau or old Mission Peninsula and check out some of the wineries. If you want to kayak, or do a boat tour, there are different places that do that kind of thing.

Have fun!

Thanks! I will check out young state park. We've been to several parts of Lake Michigan, but have never swam in it. It's always been too cold. I always tell my kids it's just like when we swim in the ocean though. Excellent advice. The bacteria levels have been horrible around us lately too, so I appreciate knowing that.

[m15]

Jul 19, 2021 16:07:25 GMT -5 waverly said:

We ran into the same problem with camping, so I just booked the closest sites and planned my trip around there. We were still able to do Picture Rocks and Tahquamenon Falls. We cruised by the locks on our way down to the lower peninsula. I like the Straits campground, but it might be booked.

We found that at the tail end of the trip we left too late, and didn't have time or desire to put the tent up again, so I might plan on a hotel on that last night on your way back home.  Our PR boat tour was cancelled due to waves.  We went when I was a kid, and it was fine, so that wasn't on my radar.  They were at least 4 foot waves.  We did get our money back.  

That was one of the first parks I tried and it was booked. I've made reservations at two different places, both kind of larger and not as quiet as we like, but we are taking what we can get at this point. We will be out exploring a lot anyway!

[Deleted]

Am I the only one that thought this thread was going to be about Plan B the emergency contraceptive?

#nothelpful

[m15]

Jul 19, 2021 18:10:56 GMT -5 @heyitsme said:

Am I the only one that thought this thread was going to be about Plan B the emergency contraceptive?

#nothelpful

Yeah. I realized that after I posted. Oops.

[susquehanna]

Jul 19, 2021 10:43:46 GMT -5 jaycee said:

If you are taking the Manitowoc/Ludington ferry back (as opposed to the Milwaukee one), there is the most wonderful tiny little chocolate shop just a mile from the Manitowoc ferry dock. It is called Beernstens and they have homemade ice cream and chocolates and candies and they have a tiny table seating area. It's just straight from the 1940s.

Is this owned by the family of Penny Beerntsen from the "Making a Murderer" documentary about Steven Avery?

[jaycee]

Jul 21, 2021 19:06:59 GMT -5 susquehanna said:

Jul 19, 2021 10:43:46 GMT -5 jaycee said:

If you are taking the Manitowoc/Ludington ferry back (as opposed to the Milwaukee one), there is the most wonderful tiny little chocolate shop just a mile from the Manitowoc ferry dock. It is called Beernstens and they have homemade ice cream and chocolates and candies and they have a tiny table seating area. It's just straight from the 1940s.

Is this owned by the family of Penny Beerntsen from the "Making a Murderer" documentary about Steven Avery?

I think it has changed hands now.  You have such a good memory to remember it from the documentary.  Do you know if the 3rd installment will come out soon?