Traveling to Michigan - need advice
 

Hi,

My husband and I are planning our big trip to Michigan for the month of June :) It's been one of our dream trips for the past few years. We will be rving. We are planning to go to the Henry Ford Museum and then head for the Upper Peninsula and down the west side. My question for you "in the know" are there any places you would suggest a tourist shouldn't miss and any that are advertised that aren't worth the time? Are there any quilting shops or craft areas that are must sees? This is our one shot to see the great things that Michigan has, we hope to see as much as possible :) Thank you for your help.

It's been several years since we visited Michigan but the Henry Ford Museum was our favorite. There is so much to see in the Museum, and then the Village outside. You can spend 2 days easy here. They did have a cafeteria there that served home-style cooking.

If you can time it right, the Soo Locks have Engineer's Day on the last weekend of June. They open the buildings to the public and have demos and activities. There is a campground on the water called Anne Osburn (I think) but to get a reservation for that weekend you have to mail a check in early January.

We LOVED this spot! From there, we drove up to the Shipwreck Museum for a day trip - very interesting!

Don't know about any quilt shops, but I am sure someone else will...

Welcome to our state. Just a few of our favorite places. Hartwick Pines is just off I-75' a great place to camp and shows Michigan's logging history. Tahaquamenon Falls in the UP is a beautiful site. Of course Mackinaw Island is a neat place to visit.
Palms Book State Park in the UP is not as well known, but worth the stop. I would suggest that you do some research on our State Parks. Sleeping Bear Dunes is a National Park on Lake Michigan.

There are some great quilt shops in the UP. Tahaquamenon Fall was mentioned and about 12 miles from the falls is a great quilt shop, Village Quilt Shop, just outside of Paradise, MI. If you visit the Soo Locks, there are two quilt shops in Sault St. Marie. There are a number of great shops in Upper and Lower Michigan. I don't RV, so I'm not sure how they are located in regard to parking an RV. I'm sure you will enjoy all the sites of Michigan.

Friends just returned from Isle Royale and really enjoyed it. Not sure you are planning to travel that far north and west.

We were in the UP in the beginning of June, and there was still ice on Lake Superior!

If you've never been there, Bronner's Christmas store in Frankenmuth is worth a short stop. I have friends who would go there every year, but once was enough for me. Glad I did it, but don't need to return.

I live in West Michigan, in Muskegon. The whole west side of the state is loaded with state parks. Muskegon has 3 state parks and a couple county parks that all are great for camping. Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City, Silver Lake Sand Dunes, are a few good ones. And I think we have some of the best sunsets!

Many of the places I would suggest have already been mentioned but here are some more. If you are going up I75 on the East side of the state then Frankenmuth is a a nice stop. Bronners that was mentioned earlier is there but there are also a lot of other places to visit in the quaint town. Zenders is the place to eat there with their signature chicken dinner family style.
SW Michigan has a world class car museum - Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners MI near Kalamazoo. You don't have to be a car nut to enjoy the many buildings set up like a village and the incredible one of a kind cars.
SW Michigan near the Indiana border is also Amish country. Shipshewanna which is just across the border into Indiana has Yoder's department store with a to die for fabric collection and other unusual things. E&S grocery there is a unique shopping experience but they only take check or cash. There are several good Amish restaurants there as well.
I lived many years in various parts of Michigan. It is a beautiful state but also a large state with both peninsulas. Fortunately the scenery is nice along the way. June can still be chilly in the UP so be prepared. I hope you have a wonderful time in the Great Lake State.

I agree that Frankenmuth is a fun place to visit. Bronner's Christmas World is an experience in itself, make sure you go at night so you can see the light display. We always eat at the Bavarian Inn there, Zender's is right across the road. We generally stay at the Springhill Suites and then you can just walk around the town. We took the canal ride last year which was really nice. There is a quilt shop in Frankenmuth also. Have a great time!

Welcome to Michigan. As a Michigander, I have been to most of the places listed. If you like wine, there are a number of wineries near Traverse City, on Leelanau Peninsula and Old Mission Peninsula. We took a wine tasting trip up Leelanau Peninsula. Traverse City is the "Cherry Capitol of the World". Had a great sparkling cherry wine. Mackinaw Island is a must see. Take a day trip to the island. Tour the fort and other buildings. Eat the best fudge ever.