Looking for a unique and exciting vacation destination this year? Come on Up North! Here are some recommended activities to inspire your imagination for your vacation to northern Michigan.
Looking to get out and see some sights and take in some history?
Head on up to Mackinaw City and and visit Colonial Michilimackinac, a reconstructed fort at the “tip of the mitt” (the northernmost point of Michigan’s mitten-shaped lower peninsula).
Mackinac Island
Catch a ferry ride to Mackinac Island to travel back in time to a place where only foot and horse-powered transportation is available. While there, visit Fort Mackinac, take a carriage tour, or rent some bikes to tour the island.
Head over the mighty Mackinac Bridge for a day trip into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (“the UP”) to visit the Seney Wildlife Refuge and Tahquamenon Falls, or take a boat tour of the locks between Lake Superior and Lake Huron in Sault Ste Marie (“the Soo”).
Take a color tour along scenic M-119 and soak in the stunning fall foliage as you wind through the “Tunnel of Trees” along the Lake Michigan shoreline between Harbor Springs and Cross Village.
Want to get out in nature more?
Head on into the UP to Seney or Tahquamenon. Hike the North Country Trail. Visit the Thorne Swift Nature Preserve and beach near Harbor Springs. Rent canoes and drift down a river, or rent jet skis or a pontoon and boat down the Inland Waterway. Or go on a geocaching hunt!
Looking to hit the beach?
Head to Zorn Park in downtown Harbor Springs, Petoskey State Park just north of Petoskey, or Peninsula Beach or Young State Park near Boyne City. Or head north of Cross Village to Sturgeon Bay Beach, where you can also explore the sand dunes or trek along the shore in Wilderness State Park. If you’re on a day trip to the UP, head to the beach along Highway US 2 west of Saint Ignace.
Up for some sport or adventure?
Try parasailing in Mackinaw City. In Harbor Springs, go skydiving or take stand-up paddleboard lessons and tours.
Play 18 holes at any of the area’s numerous golf courses.
Go skiing at Nubs Nob, Boyne Highlands, or Boyne Mountain, or enjoy the solitude of cross-country skiing on any number of area trails.
Want to hit the town?
Don’t pass up shopping in Petoskey’s Gaslight District. Enjoy a summer concert at the Bayview Auditorium or Petoskey’s Pennsylvania Park, where you can also find the annual Art in the Park festival. Savor the cuisine at any of the area’s fine restaurants, or try your luck at Odawa Casino.
Just looking to kick back?
A vacation rental on the shoreline of Lake Michigan will provide comfortable accommodations to relax and watch ships and freighters pass by. Grill a family meal on the deck and enjoy the traditional nightly bonfire on the beach to reminisce over the day’s activities.
Come on Up North!
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If you’re ready to get started planning your Up North vacation and want to find the perfect accommodations for your family or group, contact us today to see what we can do for you!
Phone: 231-242-0730
