Favorite Great Lakes Region Destinations

[mtburb]

Basically, this thread is where you share your favorite destination within the Great Lakes region that can be reached in a day trip from Metro Detroit.

One of my top picks would have to be the countryside of Jackson County. It's within minutes of summer Nascar races and only a couple hours from Detroit. My other favorites include the seemingly-endless-forest countryside near West Branch [[which I actually lived in during the summer of 2001), as well as Toledo and Chicago [[M-60 is a good scenic route to the latter city, in fact, this is the way good old jjaba took back during the fighting of the 1940's).

Anyways, what are your top picks within the Great Lakes region? Here's some rules:

1. It must be within the United States
2. It must not be in the Michigan counties of Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Saint Clair, Washtenaw or Wayne
3. It has to be reached in a day trip from Detroit

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Too many to do it justice but here are a few:

1) Michigan State University campus, especially in the fall.
2) Frankenmuth. Haven't been in years, but will be going this year. I have wonderful, quaint memories. Plus they have Bronner's. I am a sucker for Christmas any time of the year.
3) Houghton Lake. Had a neighbor with a cottage there growing up. Beautiful scenery and good times on small boats.
4) Chicago. Better than any of the great attractions: look out on/ being in a boat on Lake Michigan. Gorgeous.
5) Mackinac Island. Never been, but boy do I want to go. Looks gorgeous, elegant and simple. Hope to go soon, but it is super pricey. One day I will be a 1%er!
6) Apple picking [[anywhere). Wonderful fall activity. Fun, fresh air, combination of nature and civilization. Plus, CARAMEL APPLES.
7) Cedar Point. Good as a kid. Better as an adult [[and go before schools get out!). Nothing like being scared out of your mind on a coaster with a great Erie view.


There are lots of others. Those jump to mind. It's hard to exclude Metro Detroit, though. There would be so many more.

[Ray1936]

As an outlander living in metro Las Vegas, the wife and I return to Michigan every year to visit Cherryland, and on up to Elk Rapids and Charlevoix and Petoskey. Usually make a trip up the other side of the bay to Leland, also. If the Grand Traverse Bay area of Michigan would be July and August 12 months of the year instead of just two, I'd move back there in a heartbeat.

Unfortunately, winter, the other ten months, sucks.

[Stinger4me]

The Marquette area, quite a few nice places to eat and the great scenery of the L> Superior region. Presque Isle park and the downtown area offer a wide variety of natural and cultural beauty. The Landmark Inn is in a class all by itself. Past guests include, Abbott & Costello, Amelia Earhart, a breakfast there is a memorable event.

[Bobl]

Ray, you ex cops are too pessimistic. Everyone knows we only have four months of winter, then four more of mud.

[Bobl]

Haven't been there in years, but I like Sleeping Bear Dunes, followed by the northern shores of Lake Huron.

[DetroitPlanner]

Toledo. World class art museum, Maumee State Park, Zoo, Libbey Glass outlet store, Mudhens.

Northern Michigan, especially the non-touristy places. The touristy places are great too, but go there in the shoulder seasons when school is in and the weather is good. Not driving across the Mackinac Bridge again in the snow and ice.... EVER!

[NoHeartAnthony]

Fife Lake.

[archfan]

Alden B. Dow Home and Studio, in Midland, Mi. Easy day trip, great tour.

[Gistok]

Not driving across the Mackinac Bridge again in the snow and ice.... EVER!

Sadly I knew RuthAnn Pluhar... as a waitress in a restaurant I frequented at lunch. She was the one who's Yugo went off the bridge in 50 MPH winds...

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Sadly I knew RuthAnn Pluhar... as a waitress in a restaurant I frequented at lunch. She was the one who's Yugo went off the bridge in 50 MPH winds...

That's awful. I'm sorry. I think that might be the incident that caused my Mom to swear off bridges.

[Artistic]

Saugatuck Mi is fantastic. Sitting on the shores of Lake Michigan or enjoying Ox-Bow art camp with all the artists is perfect satisfaction.

[oladub]

I lived in Kalkaska County for three years. Really good memories include Canoeing the Jordan River, tubing the [[lower penninsula) Rapid River, and visiting "seven bridges" a magical piece of private land where the Rapid River splits into several small channels that flow by at different heights on either side. Part of it was the sound. I was going to get married there but health complications of relatives required a change of venue to Detroit.

Meeting the criteria but no longer an option, a day trip to Belle Isle, Canada. Sunday afternoon in Frankenmuth was good too.

[Hermod]

Again not meeting the criteria, but the St Clair Flats [[Harsens island, Dickenson Island, Strawberry Island was always my idea of paradise.

[brougham]

I mostly travel to Michigan destinations but recently visited Cleveland's Western Market, Great Lakes Brewery etc so I'd add that to my Fav Great Lakes stops.

[Hamtragedy]

The AuSable River, valley, and environs are amongst my personal favorite. Whether paddling down the river, on a cliff 1000 feet above it [[there's a lookout before the Alcona Dam, with the biggest sky in NE Michigan), in the sandy forests of the Huron National Forest, or swamp stomping between several inland lakes all connected to each other, the absence of other people is irrelevant compared to the sounds of the trees, or the chirping of the wood-thrush or the veery, or the cackling of a loon to fill the silence.

[Ray1936]

Ray, you ex cops are too pessimistic. Everyone knows we only have four months of winter, then four more of mud.

From what I've been reading, it'll be ten months of road repair.

[DetroitPlanner]

The AuSable River, valley, and environs are amongst my personal favorite. Whether paddling down the river, on a cliff 1000 feet above it [[there's a lookout before the Alcona Dam, with the biggest sky in NE Michigan), in the sandy forests of the Huron National Forest, or swamp stomping between several inland lakes all connected to each other, the absence of other people is irrelevant compared to the sounds of the trees, or the chirping of the wood-thrush or the veery, or the cackling of a loon to fill the silence.

I have a cabin in the area. I agree. Quite awesome.

[mikefmich]

My stomping ground for many years fell roughly inside drawing a line from Grand Marais, AuTrain, & Seney....and a wee bit south of the stretch into Schoolcraft Co.

I'd take folks up there for the first time, they were amazed..."Wow, this is still Michigan"?

I could be in Munising with a 6 hr. drive from the northern Macomb Co. burbs

[poobert]

The Flint Institute of Arts [[excellent American art collection), followed by dinner and drinks in downtown Flint.

When you live in Detroit, it naturally follows that you vacation in Flint.

Eventually I aspire to be a snowbird in East St. Louis.

[rb336]

Well, as someone whose family came from Chicago, I'm partial to Berrien County. The rest of the world can suck it - I've been to 5 of the 7 alleged "best beaches in the world" [[I don't know why they always seem to have 7, a few of them change year to year) and none of them compare to Lake Michigan sand. [[Karikari Peninsula in New Zealand comes close) the last decade or so the water temps have been great and the water clear. Plus we have the benefit of some lovely forested land