Beautiful drives: Michigan and Lake Superior

Beautiful drives across America: Michigan

The Unites States offers an astounding number of scenic highways. If you’re a fan of road trips, you may have a hard time deciding where to go. This summer, we decided to go on one of those beautiful drives and explore Michigan and Lake Superior. It was certainly a good decision. Below is our route and what we saw.

Michigan: Lower Peninsula - I-94 and I-196

The drive along Michigan’s Lower Peninsula is quite pleasant. We set off from a tiny town of Walnut, IL and eventually worked our way to Interstate 94 in Michigan. On the way, we drove through Indiana Dunes National Park with beautiful views of the lake. If you have time, it’s worth checking out the area.

Next, we headed up to Michigan along I-94 and I-196. Although we drove along the coast all the way to Holland State Park, we didn’t get a chance to glance at the lake much. Unfortunately, you’re either passing through towns or the trees obstruct your views. Eventually, we arrived at Holland State Park.

One thing to remember about state parks is that they are packed, especially in the summer time. We camped at site 190, which offered some privacy but most sites are right next to each other.

We decided to explore the area a little bit. While Black Lake is across the street from the campground, you can drive 10 minutes further and enjoy Lake Michigan. The lake is absolutely wonderful! The beach is wide, the sand soft, and the water feels great on a hot day. There is a lovely lighthouse right on the beach. I absolutely recommend visiting Lake Michigan at Holland State Park. It was fantastic!

Park

Michigan: Lower Peninsula - Grand Rapids and Scenic Highway M-37

The next day we drove to Grand Rapids to check out President Gerald Ford’s grave. The site is nicely situated on the banks of a river with a view of the city in the background. The grave site is attached to the presidential museum but a ticket is not necessary if you just want to see the resting place.

We love beautiful scenic drives, so we were rather excited about Highway M-37N and its scenic designation. However, we were a little disappointed as the drive did not make an impression on us. Because we live on the West Coast, we have seen some truly amazing scenery. The drive here was not as special. Nevertheless, you will see nice trees hugging the road for most of the drive. You will also pass an occasional bog with water lilies along the way. I suspect that the trees are particularly charming in the fall, so that might be the time to enjoy this highway to the fullest.

Michigan: Lower Peninsula -Coastal Highway M-22

The highlight of this section of the drive was Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It’s a beautiful area with wild beaches and amazing dunes.

We were able to camp at the Platte River Campground even though we didn’t have a reservation. However, the mosquitoes were terrible. It was simply an invasion! We were hoping to relax at the campground and barbecue but it wasn’t possible. Because the mosquitoes were everywhere, we decided to eat out. Empire, the closest town, has one busy but tasty restaurant- Joe’s Friendly Tavern. In fact, they serve really good burgers. The line was long but we were seated quickly and enjoyed burgers and beer.

On the way back to the campground a black bear crossed the street right in front of our car. We did not have time to grab the camera but it was a cool sight. We travel all around the West, always on the lookout for bears, and here is one in the Midwest. Quite unexpected!

Michigan: Lower Peninsula - Scenic Highway US-31

The drive between Traverse City and Elk Rapids is very pretty. In addition to pine forests, you will drive along lovely sunflower farms and orchards. Because there were a lot of stands selling fresh fruit, we stopped and got some delicious cherries and blueberries. It was a nice treat!

Our next stop was Charlevoix, which boasts a charming red lighthouse at the end of a peer. Without a doubt, you will love the place (with the exception of an ugly industrial plant at the southwest side of the shore).

The drive between Charlevoix and Petoskey was also rather enjoyable. It allowed for partial views of Lake Michigan, which was nice.

Mackinac Bridge

There is a lovely state park right at the southern entrance to the Mackinac Bridge which is absolutely worth a stop. From here you will have spectacular views of the bridge. In fact, this is the place where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet. The beach is very nice and the water has Caribbean-like colors. Because we still had a long way ahead of us, we didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy the beach or go for a swim but I think it would have been fun.

If you like lighthouses, you won’t be disappointed. There is a good looking lighthouse at the park right next to the beach.

The Mackinac Bridge itself is great. In my opinion, it is only second to the Golden Gate Bridge in terms of its beauty. The green cables contrast nicely with the white bridge and the deep blue water. It’s certainly very pretty.

Beautiful drives across America: Michigan and Lake Superior

The Mitten, or the Lower Peninsula of Michigan is connected to the Upper Peninsula by the Mackinac Bridge. Our goal was to spend about a week on the UP exploring Lake Superior. After crossing the Mackinac Bridge, we headed north to the shores of Lake Superior.

Here are the highlights of the drive:

Michigan: Upper Peninsula - W Lakeshore Drive

Our first stop on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was Point Iroquois Light Station. You can visit a lovely lighthouse here and enjoy the views of Lake Superior.

We camped at a great place on Lake Superior at Bayview National Forest Campground. The sites were very spacious and the beach was basically right there. We loved how secluded and wild it was. I definitely recommend it.

The next morning we drove to Whitefish Point where the Shipwreck Museum is located. Because it presents the history of the the major shipwrecks on the Great Lakes, my husband really wanted to see it. Unfortunately, the museum didn’t open till 10 am, and since we had arrived early, we decided not to wait. However, the museum complex and the lighthouse are accessible to visitors from the outside. There are also beautiful overlooks of the dunes and the beach there.

The Whitefish Point Lighthouse is the oldest active lighthouse on Lake Superior. It was built during the Civil War at the order of President Lincoln. There is a little monument to the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and if you walk out onto the beach, you’ll find a poignant memorial to the 3 crewmen who went down with the ship.

Michigan: Upper Peninsula - Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Pictured Rock National Lakeshore is an absolutely scenic area with colorful cliffs, gushing waterfalls, and beautiful views of the lake. You can read more about the park here. We enjoyed several hikes and a swim in Lake Superior. It is truly beautiful.

Michigan: Upper Peninsula - Highway US-41 N

Once in Marquette, we stocked up on food. Marquette is a nice town with coffee shops and multiple grocery stores. Afterwards, we headed west on Highway 41 to Houghton and eventually all the way to Copper Harbor.

While we enjoyed Houghton, a nice little town with Michigan Tech University, we didn’t hang around that afternoon. Instead, we headed north and returned into town the next morning. Because we like going to a coffee shop in the morning when we travel, Houghton was the perfect place. While there, we also checked out boat tours to Isle Royal National Park. Unfortunately, we didn’t have reservations, so we weren’t able to get on a tour.

The drive along the Keweenaw Peninsula was rather pleasant. There were lots of maple, birch, and aspen trees along the way. I can only imagine how pretty the colors must be in the fall.

Highway US-41 took us past several Keweenaw National Historic Sites detailing the mining industry of the area. It was quite interesting.

The coastline of Lake Superior got pretty rugged between Copper Harbor and Eagle River with big rocks protruding from the water. In fact, it was the only place along our beautiful drive around Lake Superior where the shoreline was rough.

We camped at F.J Mclain State Park where we had a great spot. Similarly to other campgrounds, we were right on the lake. Even though the water was rather cold, we went for a quick swim. Afterwards, we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset while having a tasty dinner.

Beautiful drives across America: Lake Superior in Wisconsin

While Wisconsin’s coastline along Lake Superior is not very long, it is beautiful. The drive between Hurley and Superior was certainly enjoyable.

Wisconsin: Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Although we didn’t plan on going to the Apostle Islands prior to getting to Bayfield, once there, we were able to get on a tour. The operators offer a variety of tours around the forested islands. We chose the next available which was actually quite interesting. It was called Wrecks, Rocks and Lighthouses. You can read more about our tour of the Apostle Islands here.

Since it was Friday and we didn’t have camping reservations, we decided to head west in search of a campground after the tour. Bayfield did, however, appear like a fun town to spend the evening in. Eventually, we found a campsite in Herbster and, again, we had a lovely view of the lake.

Beautiful drives across America: Lake Superior in Minnesota

Overall, our goal for this road trip was to travel the American side of Lake Superior all the way to Grand Portage, MN. Once we learned in Houghton, MI that we wouldn’t be able to go to Isle Royal NP without a prior reservation, we were hoping to do it from Grand Portage, MN. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen here either without a reservation. So, looking at the map, we decided not to travel all the way north along highway 61 but instead go to Silver Bay and inland afterwards. We will do the final stretch of the coast at some other point in time.

Minnesota: Lake Superior - MN 61

We started the day with a latte and a homemade breakfast burrito at the Dovetail coffee shop in Duluth. They also had wonderful pastries, so it was a good find. We took our time there and once we got on the road, traffic was pretty bad. We were hoping to camp somewhere on Lake Superior for one more night.

The drive along Highway 61 was pretty but really busy. Because it was Saturday, lots of Minnesotans were hitting the road and Lake Superior was everyone’s destination. However, that meant there were no parking spots at any state park and, not surprisingly, there were not campsites available for the night either. We were pretty bummed because we really wanted to stay one more night on the lake.

Eventually, we were able to find a parking spot at the Tettegouche Rest Area and State Park. We hiked down to a lovely rocky beach with pretty views of the nearby rock outcroppings. Unfortunately, the water was incredibly cold and we weren’t able to swim. I went in for a moment but had to get out right away. The water was as cold as in the Pacific Northwest. Too cold to swim in. Nonetheless, the scenery was splendid and we enjoyed sitting on the secluded beach for a while taking in our last views of Lake Superior.

We continued our road trip through Voyageurs, Theodore Roosevelt and North Cascades National Parks all the way back home. Michigan and Lake Superior definitely count as one of the many beautiful drives we’ve done. What a great trip!