Way OT: Summer vacation in Michigan

Kinda depends what your family is into, but in terms of density of natural beauty combined with some great food, TC and neighboring Leelanau county are the obvious choices.  My $.02 would be stay in TC, take a few day trips to Leelanau county.  Some ideas to pick from based on your interests:

• Sleeping Bear Dunes (climb) and/or Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
• Glen Haven beach
• Charter Fishing out of TC or Frankfort (you may catch the end of Salmon season)
• Wineries, Distilleries, and Breweries sprinkled throughout TC, Leelanau, and Old Mission Peninsulas.  Bry's and Blackstar Farms are favorites of ours, lots of great options to choose from
• Get on the water/Go to the Beach. Look into NautiCat or Tall ship, or rent a boat and go out to Power Island, whatever is up your alley.  
• Moomer's Ice Cream just west of TC is worth a stop

If you end up doing Pictured Rocks it's gorgeous, but FYI also very rustic.  Don't skip a boat tour to view the rocks if you go there.  Tons of easily accessible waterfalls to visit within the national lakeshore.  There's also Oswald's bear ranch and Tahquamenon Falls not too far away that would be worthwhile stops on a UP trip, those 2 together could make a single day stop.  

If your kids have never been to Michigan I would probably go with Traverse City.  Just so much to do within driving distance.

1.  Sleeping Bear Dunes is a must.  Could also do Leelanau Peninsula that day.  Drive M-22 to see Fishtown/Northport/Suttons Bay.

2. Old Mission Peninsula had a lot of wineries on it that are cool to visit.  Great views!

3.  Rent a boat on Torch Lake for a day.  Water is sky blue and the sandbar is entertaining.  May not be suitable for 6 and 9 year old's later in the day, fyi.  Stop at Dockside for lunch. 

4.  If your up for it a drive up M-31 to Charlevoix/Petoskey/Harbor Springs are really cool towns.  Could also rent a boat here as the houses along Lake Charlevoix/Round Lake are amazing!

The area is very busy that time of year but still manageable.  Would be very rememorable for your kids!

Pictured rocks would be a little rough with kids. You can do some of the shorter hikes and boat tour, but to really experience it you really should backpack at least a couple nights. I don't think it's worth the drive if you don't.

Like many have said, Petosky to Mackinac is a must do area and everything is close enough together to do it in a long weekend. The island is touristy and can get crowded, but is a amazing experience. Not having cars and only horses and bikes might seem a little gimmicky, but it's really neat and something you have to experience to appreciate. We stayed at the Mission Point Resort this summer and had 3 days to explore the island and felt like we could have stayed another week. 

With kids that age, I would avoid TC. That's good for adults and drinking wine. I would vote for Munising (Pictured Rocks, not Painted).

If you stay in Munising, you are near roughly 6-8 waterfalls within a 20 min drive. A few beaches are great and don't get terrible packed (Miner's Beach, Au Train Beach). The boat tour is a must - that's the only way to truly see the Pictured Rocks.

Mackinaw Island is ok, but outside of possibly riding your bike around the island, there isn't a ton of stuff to do. More stuff in Mackinaw City (putt putt golf, shopping). Also, you are roughly 2 hours from Munising in Mackinaw. You can also hit Tahquamenon Falls while you are in the UP.

Pictured Rocks is I assume what you mean, not “Painted Rocks” - it’s awesome, but way too far away from AA to try to get them in the same trip. The UP is very big and mostly empty, unless your kiddo loves long car rides they will be miserable. 

Better to make the UP a dedicated trip - you can hit Mackinac, Tahquamenon Falls, Pictured Rocks, Whitefish Point / Grand Marais, and the Soo over 3-5 days. 

I live in Traverse City. You're about 3.5 - 4 hours to AA from here, 3 hours to Mackinac Island, 4 hours to pictured rocks. 

***My $.02***

With a 6 and 9 year old I'd either go to Mackinac and stay there for a bit (hotels, horses, swimming) or Traverse City (more food choices. Great Wolf Lodge, Swimming. Beaches). Pictured Rocks is cool but I don't see a 6 and 9 year old digging it. 

Alot depends on what you guys like to do as a family. If the kids love to swim and eat, then find an air B&B or hotel close to the water in TC that is walkable to downtown. You can hit Clinch Park beach, grab snacks at the pavilion, walk on main street, and chill. You can rent kayaks by the water. If you are well healed you can rent a pontoon or power boat one day on one of the nearby inland lakes, or even the bay (though if you aren't normally a boater I would stick to a lake like Long Lake). 

If, however, you and the kids are more the outdoors type, find a place more in the woods, either on the east side, or a bit farther south. Sometimes you can rent a cabin on or near a lake, though obviously this isn't super cheap in the summer. Or hit Mackinac island and bike around the island 

Happy to answer any more specific questions. 

I lived in Charlevoix (called "Charlevoix the Beautiful" for a reason) as a kid so I have nostalgic fond memories of that region of MI.  If I were to pick that one spot to take the kids as a "must see" is Mackinac Island.  Rent bikes and explore the island while traversing around it, go into the fort and see all there is to see and enjoy that view of the Straits from the top of the fort.  Check out the Grand Hotel, amazing.  Along the way especially enjoy the smell of freshly made island fudge and the horse manure but NO vehicle smells as there is none allowed on the island.  IF you have the time on the way up take M-119 from Harbor Springs to Cross Village and enjoy the "Tunnel of Trees", rated the greatest drive in all of MI.

I am from the upper peninsula, born and raised (hence the username). If you haven’t been, you definitely should. Take your car, drive along the Lake Superior lakeshore. Munising, Grand Marais, Marquette, all the way up to the keweenaw. Obviously I am biased, but I find it hard to believe there is anywhere in the world better to be in July and august. 

Boyne City is a great spot to use as a base.   It’s almost centrally located.  Charlevoix and Petoskey are 20 minute drives and Bay Harbor and Walloon are 15 minutes   A day trip to TC or Glen Arbor is about an hour 20 as is a trip to Mackinac City where you’d get a ferry to the island.   Great golfing up there too but with the age of your kids that might be too much. 
 

Boyne City itself is a very nice little town.  Avalanche Preserve is a nice rigorous 2.2 mile hike up a good sized hill.  At the top you get an incredible view of Lake Charlevoix as well as Boyne City.  Nice little bars and restaurants as well as a small cadre of interesting stores if you want to do a little shopping.  

I concur with many of the above sentiments. We have a place near TC and in the summer we go everywhere else.  Mackinaw Island will be really busy too, but it's still fun once you get out of town and start hiking/biking around the island. I would make that a day trip and stay in St. Ignace. What the others have said, Leland, Frankfort, Northport, Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore are very nice.  As for the UP, the Soo Locks are a must-see, Taquamenon Falls, Pictured Rocks, Ishpeming, Munising, Marquette and Algier County for the waterfalls and super good food, and even Copper Harbor/Houghton-Hancock are fantastic.  The views of Lake Superior are stunning.

Have Fun!!

Are you a member of the Alumni Association?  If so, spend the last week of the summer at Camp Michigania!  You won't regret it!

Boblo

There is a TON to do in Michigan, and the best spots for you will depend a lot on your family. Do you like to do outdoorsy stuff like hike, kayak, camp, hunt, fish, bike, etc? Or are you more city/big town people who like to shop, see museums, and so on? Or do you like to do pre-planned excursions like cruise ships and guided tours? Or maybe a healthy mix? I'm going to take a guess that you don't want to drive as far as the western UP (even though it's amazing, I live here), and that you're looking for more typical tourist destinations, not outdoor adventure. With that in mind, here are my top picks:

- Ludington is a very cute town with a gorgeous state park and great beaches. Highly recommend hiking the loop formed by the island and ridge trails there, and riding bikes out to the lighthouse. Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is also pretty cool and just to the north.

- Silver Lake Sand Dunes is a really cool spot. In some places it can feel like you're in the Sahara Desert with only sand as far as you can see.

- Petoskey/Harbor Springs area is a bit higher end, but I have great memories of camping at Petoskey State Park as a kid.

- Fishtown in Leland is really cool, and you can take the ferry out to the Manitou Islands if you want. I'd skip Traverse City proper, though; it's gotten crazy busy in recent years.

- Mackinac Island is the quintessential Michigan experience. If you're doing a tour of Michigan, you have to go. Rent bikes and pedal around the island to see everything. You can definitely see the island in a day, so I wouldn't bother trying to get into any of the overpriced lodging on the island. Note: the bridge and the island are spelled Mackinac, but the city is Mackinaw (all are pronounced the same). Also, pasty is pronounced PASS-tee, not PASTE-y.

- The Les Cheneaux Islands (pronounced LAY shi-NO) are a super underrated destination. They're known for antique wooden boats and quaint boathouses dotting the channels. Rent a boat or take a guided kayak tour to really see the area, you can't do it justice from the mainland. The antique wooden boat show is usually in mid-August and features boats from all over the country, but many of the featured boats are based in the islands anyway and can be seen any time.

- Pictured Rocks are very cool. A boat tour is probably the best way to see them with kids, although there are great hikes as well. This is a super popular destination, so you'll see a lot of other tourists here as well. Stop by Tahquamenon Falls and Whitefish Point as well, while you're in the (relative) area.

WARNING: Some of these areas are very small towns with limited lodging options for the number of visitors they get, especially Les Cheneaux and Pictured Rocks. I'd try to book lodging 6 months in advance (especially if you want to camp at a state park, those fill up very fast) to make sure you get something decent. I live in a town in the western UP, and hotels are full up to year ahead of time on certain weekends. If you're looking for inexpensive, clean, comfortable options that aren't camping, I can recommend the Alger Falls Motel in Munising and Birchwood Inn in Harbor Springs. For camping, state parks are usually the best you're going to find in terms of location and amenities.

I'll give a quick shoutout to Marquette area, Copper Harbor, and Porcupine Mountains in the western UP, but I'm guessing you're not going to make this far.

TC is great, but it's Grand Haven for me. 

Leelanau Peninsula is terrible. Stay out of our beach side community filled with beautiful lakes, sand dunes, wineries, breweries, bike trails, historic villages, and more. It's bad. Don't go there. 

I have a 6,8 and 11 year old,  We have a cabin 45 mins south of TC. Depending on how much time you have , I would highly recommend it.. Take a day and go to Beaver island about a 30 mile boat ride on lake Michigan from Charlevoix . TC has something for every one. Plenty to do for the kids, Nice shops for you and the wife. Torch Lake is beautiful, Ranch Rudolph Is a great place if you want to take the kids horse back riding. Plus You have tons of options for food. 

That time of year you’ll find me in Manistee. The big salmon are coming in from Lake Michigan and running up the Manistee River. Charter a boat on the big lake or fish on the river under Tippy Dam. Or just go around sunset to see 30-40 lb fish jumping. 

Did some version of this in 2022. Went in July and stayed around Grand Rapids. There are so many lakes, such little time. I am a fan of Lake Michigan activities in and around Grand Haven. You have the beach, the pier, and Grand Rapids is a short drive away. Both GR and Traverse have children’s museums; they may be more geared to ages six and under but both are fun. The thing about Up North is that, this late in the summer, it could be cooler. Not a deal breaker if you are not looking for a beach. 

Obviously given the responses not OT.  Way OT would be vacation in Ohio.

My couple of additions.   The long hike, Chapel Loop, in Pictured Rocks is extraordinary, but it is a long hike, it’s a long way there, and one leg of the trip to the shore can be pretty muddy.   We loved it and i recommend if you are up for it but my kids were college age.

I didn’t see mentioned for TC.   If your family likes biking there is a 16 mile rail to trail paved ride from TC to Suttons Bay.   An easy ride with a winery or two to stop in along the way.   We rented bikes in town (including one electric….even easier).

And Sleeping Bear Dunes is a must if you go that direction.   They are way bigger than you will imagine.   We parked near the Coast Guard Station and hiked a picnic up around the dunes and enjoyed a great afternoon playing up and down the dunes and swimming.

Stay in Empire (air bnb or room) and visit all the surrounding areas.

I can't believe no one has suggested this already. Kids that age? If you're heading North, you've got to visit the Oden State Fish Hatchery at Alanson,  near Petoskey and Harbor Springs. Believe me now, thank me later.

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/places/v-centers/oden

Camp Michigania

Petoskey is the best if you want a town to hang out in, tons of parks, Petoskey state beach. Otherwise renting a cottage on one of the Glenn Lakes or the north side Crystal Lake is great with kids, clear shallow water they can play in for days 

Saugatuck, hands down. Great beach town, get to ride a cool chain ferry across the Kalamazoo, Hemingway used to vacation here and frequent Phil's, the kids will love u-pick blueberry picking and the art barn, and Oval Beach is the 2nd best freshwater beach in the world and consistently in the top 25(link). 

Not nearly as busy as TC, which to be honest is getting too commercial.