![]() ![]() ![]() Next up on the route is Battle Creek, boasting southwestern Michigan's only natural history museum, located within a massive 72-acre arboretum. Enjoy the fruits of formerly abandoned buildings turned distilleries, breweries, cafes, galleries and boutiques before heading west on I-94 to Ann Arbor, a college town home to the University of Michigan. Lengthy shorelines commandeer the lion's share of travel adventures in this state, but Michigan's middle ain't too shabby, either, offering a cultural rewind of sorts, from new and improved Detroit to a bygone era in St Joseph.īegin in the storied metropolis of Detroit, where iconic American brands Ford, Chrysler and Motown built a city that has rebranded itself in the last decade, emerging from years of economic decline like a hipster phoenix. Michigan in the middleīest road trip for seeing Michigan old and new Detroit–St Joseph 206 miles ![]() Planning tip: Looking for Michigan's best beaches? Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Fifth Avenue Beach in Manistee and Good Harbor Bay Beach south of Leland are great spots for a quick dip in summer.Įxplore Detroit's hipster hangouts on this road trip around Michigan's middle © Mike Kline (notkalvin) / Getty Images 3. Together, the M-22 Scenic Drive and US-31 run the length of it, hugging the Lake Michigan coast from the beautiful resort town of Saugatuck to the end of the line 293 miles north in Mackinaw City, which is actually a village that's home to an 18th-century French fort.Īlong the way, the meandering stretch of road passes storybook orchards and vineyards, snug harbors, Victorian mansions, Hemingway haunts and slow-paced, accommodation-rich beach towns. The Gold Coastīest road trip for beaches and shoreline Saugatuck–Mackinaw City 366 milesĪppropriately named the Gold Coast, Michigan's 300-mile western shoreline is a sun-kissed stretch of golden beaches and wind-whipped sand dunes. Tower Hill, the park's tallest dune, stands at a whopping 240ft. Once well rested, finish off the journey by climbing the cloud-kissing sand dunes at Warren Dunes State Park, 15 miles northeast of the Indiana border. The route brims with lakeside villages and towns, including St Joseph, Tawas City, Harbor Springs, Petrosky, Traverse City, Elberta, Ludington, and Douglas, all with attractions and charm to warrant a pause of a night or two. Road trippers who prefer a cozy B&B to a night in the wild needn’t stress, though. Heading out of Detroit and following the coast clockwise, you'll skirt the extensive shorelines of Lake St Clair, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, the latter of which is home to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, one of only three protected lakeshore areas in the country and the perfect spot to spend a night under canvas. ![]() Speaking of gloves, Michigan's Lower Peninsula is nicknamed “the Mitten" because of its distinctive shape (look it up – it makes more sense when you see it on a map), and threading along its outer edges on this epic drive takes in some of the state's best natural scenery. Pull on your best driving gloves this road trip is the big one. Driving around Michigan's "Mitten"īest road trip for exploring the Upper Peninsula Detroit–Detroit 987 miles Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore makes a great pit stop on a road trip around Michigan's Upper Peninsula © Craig Sterken / Shutterstock 1. ![]()
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