trip around lake michigan - input : V-Twin Forum: Harley Davidson Forums

1969K10 · 05-30-2009, 10:50 PM

Hey, wife and I are going to take 4 days and ride around lake michigan. I'm lookng for recommendations on good places to eat, or other "must do" side trips.

Jeff53404 · 05-30-2009, 10:55 PM

You will be close to the new HD Museum (Thursday is Bike Night). You'll find additional help at Hog.com - "Ride Planner". It's a great resouce.

MadCity · 05-30-2009, 11:03 PM

It would be helpful to know where you're starting from and where you'll end up. Are you traveling through Wisconsin, up through the UP and over the Mackinac Bridge or going the other way around?

1969K10 · 05-30-2009, 11:53 PM

FWIW, leaving home Thurs evening, staying is southern MI. Riding up coast in MI, probably stay somewhere south of the bridge Fri night. Over the Mackinaw bridge, zig-zagging across western UP Sat. Sun down thru WI. Then avoiding Chicago like a plague... and heading back home Mon.

MadCity · 05-31-2009, 12:15 AM

My familiarity with Michigan starts and ends with my wife, who grew up in Petoskey. It's about 30 miles south of the bridge. I've been north and south of there but you would be better guided by nomads than by me. Or you could check out Emmet County's Web site. Good luck.

nightrob · 05-31-2009, 12:19 AM

watch out for nor-easters!!! sorry I just always wanted to use that word

Locodave · 05-31-2009, 12:21 AM

Hi, We did the same trip as newly weds. Wife & I. Stay at a hotel off the island. Take the ferry to the island & rent a bike to petal. If you want, like we did. Went up around Minocqua, Wis. A tourst trap kinda, but a good place. Go north of it a bit & more places to see. Paul Bunion for breakfast, ect. On going back home. Chgo. I live S/W from there. Avoid going thru at 6-9am & 3-6 to 7pm no probs. Dave

WEINERDOGBONE · 05-31-2009, 10:52 PM

Redamak's
616 East Buffalo St
New Buffalo, MI 49117
(269) 469-4522

This is a good place to eat right on the lake. It's a big lodge type of place. They have great burgers,shakes and stuff like that. We eat there everytime we are in Michigan.

wildey · 06-01-2009, 02:15 PM

As your coming north to Traverse City, stop at Boones Long Lake Inn, They have some of the best and biggest prime rib around. here is their webpage

http://www.booneslli.com/

And heres the address too Reservations are NOT needed, only large groups need that. I live up here in Traverse and eat there often. If your a seafood lover and you hit that place on Wed night its all you can eat shrimp, BIG Shrimp and they fill your plate back up when its half empty instead of most places making you wait and wait and wait LOL Have a safe trip, you will love it in the North county and the UP..

Boones Long Lake Inn
7208 Secor Rd
Traverse City, Michigan 49684
231.946.3991

1969K10 · 06-01-2009, 09:50 PM

Thanks weinerdog & wiley, that's what i'm looking for.

I've gone to the eastern end of the UP with my family 1 week of the summer for most of my life, and been to that island so many times I can't stand to go there anymore...

Anyway, never just fiddle farted around the UP west of 75... I've heard how awesome the scenary is, so I'm really stoked to be able to just screw around on the west end for a day or more, depending on what kind of time we're making... Not really looking to make time. will be staying on the coast as much as possible, and off of anything with more than 2 lanes as much as we can. We will tent camp most nights. MIght end up in a hotel 1 night... I'd rather not, but the wife feels the need sometimes, and it's in my best interest to agree - LOL!

I'm open for more input, if anyone can think of more good places to eat, or got any side putts that are worth taking.

wildey · 06-02-2009, 10:15 AM

One last thing!! Not only do we have lots of deer in Northern Lower but up in the UP watch out for the black bear and MOOSE!! I almost hit a moose in my car a few years back. They don't run like the deer they just walk out in front of you LOL

Just don't drive to late into the evening, your going to love the ride. Enjoy

wanna ride · 06-02-2009, 10:23 AM

Seeing as your going around the Mich pond, might as well go another 1/2 hr up the I-75 from Big Mac bridge and cross over into Canada, snows all gone here now and looks like the winds are actually going to shift from the N to the S.

Haywired · 06-06-2009, 01:08 AM

In the U.P areas to consider seeing are the locks at Sault Ste Marie, the Pictured Rocks at Munising and Copper Harbor on the tip of the Keewenaw Peninsula. The Boat cruise at Munising are a nice break if the weather is good. There's also a glass bottom boat tour there that covers some of the wrecks in the bay that are pretty neat. Link there is shipwrecktours.com. Owner Pete Lindquist is a good guy, went scuba diving with them a few times a few years back. Copper Harbor may be a bit out of your way but is very scenic on the south shore of Lake Superior. If you do Copper Harbor make sure you go up on Broackway Mountain for the panoramic view of the big lake. After that a stop at the Jam Pot is a special treat. the Jam pot is operated by a group of Monks who have the place just north of Eagle Harbor on the lake.

The Door County Peninsula in Wisconsin is a nice area to see. The Packers Hall of Fame in Green Bay is worth the stop if you like football.

If you want to avoid Chicago on your way back around consider taking the Badger car ferry from Manitowoc, WI over to Ludington. The cruise is about 4 hours to cross Lake Michigan. The Badger is the last coal fired passenger in existence in the US. there's another faster ferry further south but I can't help you with info on that one.

Good Luck and have a great ride!

elamey · 06-06-2009, 02:06 AM

Indiana dunes national lakeshore is great! Water temps are a little cool this time of year, but the beach is a lot of fun. There may be some similar dunes in mi

1969K10 · 06-19-2009, 10:17 PM

Thought I'd just tell you all, we had a great trip. Didn't get as far as we wanted Thurs. night. Then, for some reason, I slept in Friday morning... So we got a late start... So by the end of Fridayh we weren't as far as we felt we needed to be to make it home in time...
Saturday, we by-passed a couple of things we wanted to do, but still made it up to Lake Superior. Had to change our route 3 times to avoid rain... Hit some wet roads, and heavy sprinkles, but no rain!!! Stayed that night about 30 miles north of the Michigan/Wisconsin border. Probably one of my favorite campsites I've ever stayed in. So Sunday was down thru WI Sunday, and got into Illinois way too early... We ended up ahead of schedule. Rode down the Illinois River. really neat ride! Stayed in E. Peoria that night, only hotel of the trip!
Made for an easy ride home Monday. Drove thru the wind farms in Benton county. Those suckers are huge when you stop 30 feet from one and just watch it for a few!

I would post a pic of the campsite, but we don't have any photo editing software on the laptime the OL just got, and the pics are too big...