How to Spend One Week in Michigan

When planning a trip through Michigan it was very hard to decide what we should see and what we should wait for another trip. My daughter, whom has never spent anytime outside the Detroit Metro area except for one small trip to Kalamazoo to go skiing, wanted to see the sights of Michigan. There are so many things to explore and see in Michigan and "All in the palm of your hand."

Michigan is the birthplace of the automobile and Motown, Michigan has many adventurous spots to see being on the great lakes there is the great lakes of course, the Soo Locks, Mackinac Bridge, sand dunes, waterfalls, the unspoiled areas of Michigan's upper peninsula which include picture rocks. Now Michigan also has many settlements that include the Dutch, Polish, and German. There are also many festivals throughout the year that include the Cherry, Tulip, Chili and the annual Bud Bash to just name a few.

Planning a week in Michigan is not an easy thing to do when you never really have seen Michigan. It is almost impossible to touch every great lake in one trip to the fact that two of the great lakes don't border Michigan. But my plan was to hit the Three that do! After receiving my AAA Michigan & Wisconsin Guide book, I could start eliminating points of interest that could be made as day trips. The whole point was to go "up north" as we call it in Michigan. My main goal was to hit the dunes, three of the great lakes and go somewhere in the Michigan's upper peninsula. Due to work restraints for both my daughter and I, we need to make this trip in 5 days.

Mackinac Island was a must, this would cover Lake Huron, the Dunes was also a must and somewhere in the upper peninsula, I was originally thinking picture rocks, however due to time restraints, I didn't know if this was possible.

Leaving Monday we are going to head directly to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore. The dunes were created by several glacial assaults that ended over 11,000 years ago. As a result of these dunes shifting they created what is known as the "Ghost Forests." These are trees that are covered and then uncovered by the dunes. The trees are bleached from the sand. This is quite a site to see. After adventuring through the Sleeping Bear Dunes Tuesday morning our next stop is Traverse City. Traverse City is known for its flourishing cherry trees. A quick lunch in Traverse City and then we are off to Petoskey. Petoskey is on Little Traverse Bay, which is part of Lake Michigan. Petoskey is known all of the rocks that line the shore. You can only hope to be lucky to find Michigan's State stone. They calculate that these stones off Petoskey's shores have inhabited the shallow waters from over 350 million years ago.

Wednesday Afternoon we plan a quick stop for lunch at Legs Inn, which is in Cross Village, Michigan. This inn, which specializes in Polish cuisine, overlooks Lake Michigan. This will be our last look at Lake Michigan before venturing further north. This inn is built with medieval stone, tree stumps and branches. The building itself is an architectural marvel not to mention the view!

By late Wednesday afternoon we should be on the Ferry to Mackinac Island. Our plans for the evening include Dinner in the Grand Ball room at the Grand Hotel. Wednesday Night we will dine and stay at the Grand Hotel, which was established in 1886 when it became a summer wonderland for the wealthy. By 1895 Mark Twain was giving lectures at the Grand Hotel Casino for only $1.00 a person. The Grand Hotel has 385 rooms and no two rooms are the same. Besides the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, there is Fort Mackinac, tasting of the many shops that make fudge and during the day you can see very large bats hanging about.

Thursday morning our adventure continues over the Mackinac Bridge, which was built in 1957 to link the upper and lower peninsulas. The Mackinac Bridge according to the Discovery Channel is considered to be one of the Engineering wonders of the Century. Once a year on Labor Day they open the Mackinac Bridge to foot traffic. The eerie feeling of walking over this very large bridge just on grate is something everyone should experience but we will save this for another trip.

By Thursday evening we will be in Tahquamenon Falls State Park. The main site is the falls, which are 50 feet high and 200 feet wide. There are several other falls in the area that is divided by an "island with a series of rapids and cascades."

Friday morning for the long trip home, but our vacation is not over yet. Our first stop on our way home is at Indian River to visit The National Shrine of the Cross-in the Woods. The idea of the cross in the woods was first conceptualized in 1946 and by 1954 people could witness the cross being put into place. By 1959, Marshall Fredericks a famous Michigan Sculpture had finished his project of casting Christ out of Bronze to complete the cross in the woods. This is a very spiritual journey to see the shrines and the cross in the woods. A nice end to our adventure, but we don't stop there. We have one more stop to make.

By Friday night we will be dining at the famous Frankenmuth Bavarian Village for some of their famous family style chicken dinner. Frankenmuth is a German Settlement whereby many visitors can enjoy Christmas year-round. They are known for their family style dinner and Bavarian Architecture.

This will conclude our five days in Michigan. Maybe next year, we will have time to visit Holland, Michigan a Dutch settlement along with Picture Rocks and the Soo Locks. Just a few attractions I wish we would have been able to see this year!

Resources:

AAA Guide Book, 2007, AAA Guide Book Michigan & Wisconsin

National Park Service website, [Electronic Version] Retrieved on August 5, 2007

http://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/platterivercamp.htm

Michigan DNR website, [Electronic Version] Retrieved on August 5, 2007

http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=483

http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=428

Legs Inn website, [Electronic Version] retrieved on August 5, 2007

http://www.legsinn.com/

Mackinac Tourism Website, [Electronic Version] retrieved on August 5, 2007

www.mackinac.com

Frankenmuth website, [Electronic Version] retrieved on August 5, 2007

http://www.frankenmuth.org/