Well, last time I appealed to the Barth-mobilers for advice about Michigan travels, y’all were just awesome with the advice and ideas. We planned a tremendous vacation with your advice.

Now, I’m appealing to your knowledge about the Michigan UP. We’ll be making a trip there at the end of July/ beginning of August. I’d like your ideas about places to visit and campgrounds at which to either stay or stay away. This will be a trip with two campers (one Barth and one fifth wheeler). Also, if you know of any particular golf courses, we’d love to hear about these too.

The current plan includes heading up the west coast of MI and staying in Ludington (or vicinity) and then maybe Sleeping Bear Dunes. We’ll cross into the U.P. by going over the Mackinaw Bridge. We’ll visit the locks at Saulte Saint Marie. Then spending a week in a place or two, at some place(s) yet to be defined, in the U.P.. Traveling back to Mackinaw for a couple of days stay. Then we’ll travel straight back to OH straight down 75.

I’d like to here your thoughts, comments, experiences.

After your locks tour, dine at the Antlers Restaurant...Good food, with a Taxidermists-Gone-Wild ambiance.....kids love it....

Across the bridge in Soo-Canada, you can pick-up the Algoma Central RR for a tour of the Agawa Canyon area...At today's fuel prices, train tour may a bargain for seeing the backwoods......(The UP is lots-n-lots of miles of pretty much the same thing.....)

If you're into aviation at all, Soo-Canada has a great bushpilot museum on the waterfront...

In Soo-MI, the Kewadin Casino has RV parking if you're looking for a short term break close to town....

Just east of locks is the SS Valley Camp, a Great Lakes freighter converted to a maritime museum...lots of Great Lakes shipping lore and Edmund Fitzgerald exhibits.....

Enjoy the trip.....

It's been quite a while since we've been to the UP but things don't change as fast up there as they do in Florida so maybe I won't be completely out of date here. We stayed at the campground just across the bridge and to the right. You can see the bridge lit up at night and take the ferry over to Mack Island for a day trip. We thrn stayed for about 4 days at Taquanamin [spell check disabled] but here's the link.http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=428
Very nice, lots of hiking, and the town of Paradise on Lake Superior isn't far. If you find the little bakery there get some chocolate chip cookies.
I know some of the Barth folks have been in the area in the past couple years so I will defer to thier more recent knowledge.

Mike:
Have you noticed,when folks retire they don't move North....Have a great trip......

Mike said he'd be in the UP the end of July/first part of August....so at least he's spending the whole summer there...By that time, most Yoopers have already removed their snow blowers from the roof.......

Copper Harbor is a great area to spend a few days exploring. Get some fresh lake trout and whitefish at the fish store on the docks. The sunset cruise down the shore of lake Superior was just awesome. We stayed at a campground with an odd name .. Fanny Ho? ..or something?
Don

Thank you for the ideas. How are the roads in the UP? Are most roads regular pavement or will we run into a lot of gravel roads?

How is the trip from Sault S. Maurie to Copper Harbor? C.H. was on my early list of places, assuming that it's a reasonable drive.

One more question. Has anyone visited Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore? How about the camping in that area and accessability?

Right now, one plan is to go up the west coast (Ludington or Holland and then Big Bear Dunes); travel to the SOO for a short visit; continue on west doing a Lake Superior approach; Staying at a camp site near Pictured Rock. Maybe go all the way to Copper Harbor. Return via a campground on Lake Michigan side. Then to Mackinaw. Finally back down to Ohio on the east side. Thoughts from the experienced MI crowd?