Michigan - Better than their slogan

 After this trip ending adventure, we decided the next trip should be closer to home...

We talked about a friend gathering at Mackinac Island a few times, but couldn't pull it off, so how about there?  Maybe with a tour?  Maybe start in Chicago, visit Patti's cousins, then head up to the tour?

Yes.

Water Winter Wonderland is what it says on their license plates.  Good alliteration.  Dumb slogan.  But, good state. 

Here it is. 

Fisrt stop.  Pizza in Chicago.  Not deep dish.  More NY style.  I think they called it "New Haven" style.  Very good.  But, we're in Chicago!  Caught up with Patti's cousins from Chicago and Napierville.

Then we drove out to St. Joseph for a couple of nights.  Next morning, we headed up to South Haven...

The Great Lake are full of these unique light houses with elevated walkways out to the light.

..and then Holland

Holland didn't have the walkway feature.  Instead, light was on top of keeper's house.

Holland had an nice "C&O" style, Pere Marquett caboose on display a their Amtrak Station

Holland also had a windmill at a Dutch village attraction

Cherries everywhere.  Cherry Republic sold all things cherry - mostly very tasty.

...and back to St. Joe.

nice downtown

Lighthouse at St. Joe

Amtrak's daily Pere Marquette stops by on it's way to Grand Rapids

Swing bridge after the Pere Marquette has departed.

The lake and lighthouse after the sun has departed.

A cool 70 year old ice cream stand in St. Joe.

Leaving St. Joseph, we headed to our tour in Traverse City.  First stop Grand Haven.

Nice railroad display at Grand Haven

Then, on to Ludington.  We only had a few minutes there before we had to scoot to Traverse City.

The light at Ludington

We turned in our car rental at Traverse Bay, but the hotel botched our transfer from there - but rewarded us with some sparkling wine on arrival.  Cheers!

The tour started with a full day.

  First, a morning sail on the Manitou. 

Because of a bad weather forecast, the tour flipped the sail and Sleeping Bear Dunes visits.  Consequently, we had ice cream for breakfast.  But, we had to work for it...

Back at the dock

Then, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore

It would have been nice to have more time to slog around the dunes.

On the way out, we stopped at an old life saving station.

Dinner that day was at a winery

The view from the winery

Sunset back at the hotel

Done with Traverse Bay, it was off to Mackinac Island.  But, first, a stop at the Music House Museum.  It was really a history of music technology, particularly automation and inovation.  All worked and many were demonstrated.  Well worth a visit.

A Wurlitzer theater organ

A Nickelodeon

This one actually played a "recording" of Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue, played by Gershwin himself.  It was able to reproduce 64 levels of string impact.

Lunch was at an old inn in Petosky

To Mackinac City ferry to Mackinac Island

..and Grand Hotel

Our room at the hotel.  We had a water view room, not because we wanted one...we didn't spend much time there... but because it was what was left when we booked.

Our group

How Amazon does it on Mackinac Island

Hot house for the flowers that are all over the Hotel

The next morning, an Island tour, and a bike ride

Traveler and Lexington.  The Percherons that pulled our tour.  Weird.  French breed with confederate names...  

Carriage Museum

The Arch (duh.)

The fort.

View from the fort

The lilacs were a bit late this year - lucky for us - and still in bloom everywhere.

Don rode around the island and back.  16 miles in all.

Some trail views

Forget-me-nots

You are required to dress up for the evening in the hotel.  Here we are in the Coupula.

...and at dinner

So, the day before, I was wondering which tie I should wear.  I packed two.  Well, actually, I thought about packing two.  I packed none.  Fortunately, the hotel will lend you one from their stunning collection of what look like bridal party left-behinds over the decades.  I managed to score a black one. 

Lots of big color and florals in the decor.  The current decor is the result of wanting Dorothy Draper to do it.  There was only one problem.  She had long passed.  But, her agency took on the job - and requied control of all artistic content from wallpaper to stationary.

So long, Mackinac Island.  Southward!

The furlong long porch

A nice model of the hotel on display

On the ferry.  One last look.

We stopped by the Mackinac Bridge on our way out of town.

The lighthouse before the bridge.  No longer used since the bridge is now landmark at night.

In Midland, is the Dow corporation.  The son of the founder didn't like chemistry, so he became and architect.  He did some interesting things.  This was his house.

He was a train guy.  I snuck a picture of his layout. (we weren't allowed indoor pix)  I got too excited and forgot.

Midland extras.  A regular school.

A Santa School.

That night we stayed in Bay City.  Home of:

Madonna

The next day we travelled to Frankenmuth.  Huge Christmas shop.  

A German - themed town, we ate at a huge German restaurant. Town had a covered bridge, as well.

By late afternoon. we were in Dearborn for a tour of Ford's River Rouge Assembly plant.

Roof of the plant is covered in vegetation.

Looking east.  A steel mill and welding plant?

Looking at Detroit

Our last day, we did a quick bus tour of Detroit.  The city is inching it's way back towards being a livable city.

Where the Tigers play

The bus

.

A quick stop where Motown music started.  A new museum is building.

The neighborhood across the street.

Ford Museum and Greenfield Village

Some presidential limos.

An Edsel

On of two trains on the loop at Greenfield Village

Authentic Model T ride

Wrigth Brother's actual shop (above) and home (below).  Moved here from Dayton OH

Boilers for Edison std power plant

power plant engines

1860's baseball player putting on an exhibition of vintage baseball

Who doesn't remeber these?

An Allegheny  

An early 20th century refrigerator car

Before safety sold cars

Our final evening

So, Michigan as a destination?  Like so many places, it's completely underrated. From wonderful lake side resort towns along the west coast on Lake Michigan, to the giant Sleeping Bear Dunes, to the quaint Mackinac Island, to the marvel of Ford's Rouge plant and tech history at the Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, Michigan has a lot going on.  Just remember to bring your rain coat!  Every day was sunny, cloudy, rainy and windy.  

So, I wonder what's up on that Upper Peninsula?