Sleeping Bear is definitely on the list already. Upgrade now. (NOTE: The Lake Michigan Circle TourLoop route through Scottville was removed/decommissioned some time in late 2004 or early 2005 and no longer exists.). The route leaves US-12 and continues northerly on I-94 from Exit 4 toward St Joseph. Look to ride my motorcycle around Lake Michigan this week, leaving Chicago Tuesday, staying away three nights. ichuge it is not a good idea to post your e-mail address. The current Apache Trail links Apache Junction at the edge of the Greater Phoenix . In any case, put the Circle Tour of Lake Michigan on your list of must do rides and plan to do it on Harley-Davidson. The Diners many patrons took a few long, laughing looks at Adventure Dad. From breakfast at the Grand Traverse Pie Company to Asian-inspired food at Alliance Restaurant, theres no shortage of great places to grab a bite. When you get to Mackinaw City, youll need to take the ferry over to Mackinac Island (pronounced like Mack-i-naw). In St Ignace, the Lake Michigan Circle Tourcontinues westerly along US-2 for more than 140 miles through Manistique and Gladstone to Escanaba. There are 373 campsites over four campgrounds. This route listing lists the official route as well as any locally-designated and marked Lake Michigan Circle Tour Loops, which are generally posted with brown signs. Its proximity to Canada, heavily forested hills, and lack of decent cell service make it feel like youre at the ends of the earth. Dont forget Johans Backereys in Petosky and Harbor Springs! Its a great trip you wont want to miss. Marie back to my home near St. Paul. The park encompasses hundreds of acres of sand dunes, lakeshore, and forest. The route then traverses Lake Michigan itself via the S.S. Badger carferry. The first is to complete it all at once. more, You seem to have JavaScript disabled. But I couldnt help but gripe that it would be nice to see the lake, as you know, its a big deal in the region. Its a trip you will appreciate for a long time, especially if you are lucky enough to ride during the Fall and catch the change of seasons and the Fall colors. If you have some time, make a quick detour to Grand Rapids there, you can check out the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, appreciate art at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, and have a drink at one of the many breweries. Evolution Of A Two-Stroke Beast, Pucker Up: Unexpected Changes In Road Surface, Track Day At COTA, Circuit Of The Americas. Teri. Built by, The *Better* Lake Michigan Circle Tour (Motorcycle Map). It's a nice way to bring attention back to the matter at hand, like a sip of coffee in the midst of a boring meeting. The other? Have fun on the road! To save some money, take the ferry back over to the mainland and stay in Mackinaw City or St. Ignace for the night. A favorite Michigan road trip for motorcyclists is the Michigan State Highway M-25. In northern metropolitan Milwaukee, the LMCT joins I-43/STH-32/STH-57 heading northerly into Ozaukee Co. At Grafton, the tour departs I-43 to remain on STH-32 and continues through Port Washington. Jamie Elvidge, Photography by Jamie Elvidge, Top Long-Distance Touring Motorcycles of 2022, Harley-Davidson Teases All-New 2023 CVO Street Glide, Harley-Davidson Screamin Eagle 135 Crate Engine Preview, 2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide 121 Revealed, King of the Baggers Indian Challenger Ride Review, Buell Motorcycles Modern FXR-Inspired Super Cruiser, 2023 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special Anniversary Review, 2023 Indian Motorcycle Sport Chief First Look Preview, First Ride: Ducatis Diavel V4 Defies Categorization, Harley-Davidson Freewheeler First Look Preview. Our final morning brought about temps in the low thirties, and after that didnt thwart us, endless lane splitting nearly did. Again, while we're definitely fans of spirited riding, we'd rather enjoy worthy stopping points as opposed to rushing through. All efforts to plan were met with obnoxious retorts akin to, just grab a backpack, get a bike, and stop worrying. So I did. Many are open during the summer offering a climb to the top to enjoy the magnificent views of Lake Michigan. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Looking for some incredible yet underrated parks to visit this summer? State of Wisconsin Historical Markers: Enter to win a giveaway for a free night's stay at Hotel Walloon! With 142 miles to go before the designated lunch spot, we posed for a few last second photos and Adventure Dad and Cool Guy set off. Drive a bit farther to get to the town of Ludington, where you can stop for coffee and some pastries at Red Rooster Coffee & Community or relax at Ludington State Park. Therefore, the new de facto route for the circle tour continues northerly past Holland via the US-31 bypass. You can print off your own map by downloading it or send a request and they will mail one to you. In fact, no matter where you are in Wisconsin, this happens every single Friday. Not a crash, really. Alternatively, you may use, Baymont by Wyndham Bridgeport/Frankenmuth. There are a few stairs to reach the top, so make sure to wear some comfortable shoes! There are plenty of places to park your RV for a night or extended stay. Today, youll leave the Lower Peninsula and cross over the Mackinac Bridge to Michigans Upper Peninsula. Try this on a Harley.. so much more fun. Don't want to see this ad anymore? Your email address will not be published. Youre not likely walking away from a spill at 50, so who cares what happens at double that? Experience the highlights of a 4 state tour exploring the shoreline beach towns & backroads most which lead to an amazing view of Lake Michigan. Tomahawk Wisconsin A tour through Northern Wisconsin. The south loop kicks off in Manitowoc. Continue the tour by heading north out of LUDINGTON along US-31 and into the Victorian Port of Manistee. "Well take these memories to our grave, whether we wind up there tomorrow or fifty years from now.". When you hit Kenosha, not far from the border, we suggest visiting the harbor towns two scenic lighthouses Southport Light Station Museum featuring an 1800s lighthouse andNorth Pier Lighthouse, which houses an art studio. Our Lake Michigan Circle Tour ride took five days instead of four. They say the UP is no place for weenies. Required fields are marked *. Still a great introductory route for the aspiring long distance rider, more experienced enthusiasts demand more in the way of technical maneuvering. I want to stay as close to the shore as possible most of the time. Motorcycle Rides & Roads Northern Lake Michigan Circle Tour Ride Rating: 0 Vote it Up Vote it Down Ride Stats: Distance: 477.84 miles / 769.0 km Ride Time: 1 week (5-7 days) Approximate Fuel Costs: $36.32 States Visited: Wisconsin, Michigan Submitted by: GrayFox pro Turn by Turn Directions Download for GPS (GPX file) Download KML file Take theLittle Traverse Wheelway, which connects Petoskey to Charlevoix andHarbor Springs. There are many ways to travel the Lake Superior Circle Tour but one of the most popular is by motorcycle! Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Fall is an excellent time to visit this National Parkyoull still be able to take in its magnificence, but without all the crowds. Continue throughPetoskey, one of the most beautiful regions in the state. It sucked. Youre one click away from getting the latest travel tips, great new vacation ideas & fun destinations directly in your inbox! Because I'm stubborn, and because camping is fun, and because I thought itd make for some nice photos. A historic town with plenty to see and do including several historic LIGHTHOUSES, excellent fishing nooks and the Midwests top rated State Park. The two of us have been dodging the clink together for over a decade now, and in that time you'd think I'd have learned to just sit back and enjoy the ride when with him, but I haven't. The route leaves I-196/US-31 at Exit 18 and loops through South Haven using BL I-196. Exploring Lake Michigan's scenic shoreline by motorcycle. You may get e-mails from people and places you did not want or expect. Thanks for any help. The S.S. Badger docks on the Michigan side in the town of Ludington. At any point along the tour, if youd like to stay the night and spend more time at a city or harbor town, there are plenty of lake resorts,campsites,cabinsandhotelsfor your choosing. Tour the area waterfalls before crossing into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Plus, you'll get the Trendy Girl's Guide to Chicago PDF, completely free! The Lake Michigan Circle Tour covers approximately 950 miles and puts you in the saddle with about 15 hours of (continuous) riding. (Side note: It was right about here when I realized by bike in fact came equipped with heated gripsa feature that would have been REALLY nice to know of just 20 hours earlier.). At Escanaba, the circle tour continues southwesterly via M-35 along the Green Bay shoreline to Menominee. Route 137 joins Lakeshore Drive (US-41), taking you past the Lincoln Park Zoo, Navy Pier and the Shedd Aquarium. Plan now at www.WindyCityMotorcycleTours.com or call Tim Farrell at (630)834-6571 for full details. Let me just say, Lake Michigan is absolutely beautiful and the beaches and clear water made for some great swimming! Though very pretty in the spring and summer seasons, the fall season is when you really must take this ride along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Scenic Routes; Motorcycle Rides; Events & Festivals; Circle Michigan Foundation. 5. While the Lake Michigan Circle Tourremains on I-196/US-31 at Saugatuck/Douglas, a locally-designated Lake Michigan Circle TourHarbor Tour loop route is signed concurrently with A-2/Blue Star Hwy between Exits 36 and 41. If you would like to join our guided tour of Lake Michigan we are reserving spots now. For many, the Circle Tour is an opportunity to seek out an unrivaled collection of historical LIGHTHOUSES. It may sound macabre, but well take these memories to our grave, whether we wind up there tomorrow or fifty years from now. In St Joseph, the Lake Michigan Circle Tourcontinues northerly on M-63 into northern Berrien Co. At the nothern terminus of M-63, the circle tour proceeds northerly on I-196/US-31 toward South Haven. You could easily spend three nights in lower or upper michigan. This will be the first in a series concerning an excellent ride (mostly) around Lake Michigan. 4) The Omelette Shoppe in Traverse City Explore Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, the five local lighthouses (I have a thing for lighthouses! Chase Car Ready, Milwaukee Packout Tool Storage, Choose Your Motorcycle Transport Service Wisely, Velocity Philosophy (A Mannerly Guide To Speed), Green Meanie! I loved the info. 6. Home Lighthouse Map + Circle Tour Lighthouse Driving Itinerary. If youre lucky enough to drive through on a Friday, hit up one of the citys many fish frys. These loops may follow state highways or utilize city streets and county roads running closer to the shoreline. Although not quite as scenic as Michigans side of the lake, youll be sure to soak in some beautiful views along the way regardless. Note: Hotels on Mackinac Island are notoriously expensive. This went on for some time. Bikers like the drive as it offers many places to turn off for a rest, find a biker friendly place to eat, or take a bit of shelter during a storm. Ive ridden in rain before. Well known locally as the home of the historic Ramsdall Theater and beautiful 2-mile river walk stretch. I loved this info and grew up 50 miles north of Chicago in Zion. Answer 1 of 12: Hello, I am planning a Lake Superior circle tour to be taken in mid-July for myself, my husband, and my in-laws (66 y/o). Known as the Cherry Capital of the World, Traverse City is one of Americas Top 10 beach towns and a definite town to put your kickstand down and explore. I agree with StrangTripper - three nights doesn't leave much time to check things out. If you search via Google there are many sites that list great motorcycle roads in every state. Why not drive around Lake Michigan? Jackpine is a primitive hike-in tent-only campground. Taken mid-trip, these two are out of sync but make a perfect starting point. Because Nick is a fellow to follow if its adventure you want, and one to avoid at all costs if its not. For getting to Tortilla Flat from Yuma, follow W 19 th St and S 4 th Ave to the US- 95N/W 16 th St. Try a classic IPA or a seasonal offering atThird Space Brewingwest of downtown, or head to the Deer District forGood City Brewing Co. Before jumping on Interstate Highway 43 to continue the tour, grab lunch and shop for goods at the up-and-coming Deer District across from the Fiserv Forum where the Milwaukee Bucks play. I currently live in Chicago, where Ive been for several years. In Wisconsin, the mainline of the Lake Michigan Circle Tourfollows signed state highway routes in its entirety, although in some places the nearest state highway to the Lake Michigan may be several miles away. There are several opinions as to the best time of the year to take the Circle Tour, as well as which direction to travel; thru Michigan first and back around through Wisconsin or clockwise heading along the lakes west coast first. At Exit 23, the route exits I-94 and continues northerly into downtown St Joseph via BL I-94. But we found lunch at some funny named town next to another funny named town, between two more towns with funny names. They also serve as tourist attractions. We'll be riding our Harley touring bikes on this trip. This itinerary assumes that youre starting in Chicago, but you can start from any part of the circle! Long before marine radios, lighthouses were the only means to safely navigate the harbors, many of which were rocky. Next stop? The route continues northerly via I-43 from Sheboygan to Manitowoc. It also shows most of the Lake Michigan Lighthouses on the route. When you purchase through links on my site, I may make a small commission (at no extra cost to you!). After a couple tries we were directed to a motel with vacancy. Marie/Tahquemanon Falls/Whitefish. All rights reserved. The origin of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour dates back to 1988 and a combined marketing effort led by governors from both Michigan and Indiana. And Nick, well, he felt the same. The Lake Michigan Circle Tour enters Michigan from Indiana on US-12 south of New Buffalo and proceeds northerly through New Buffalo to I-94. Mesa-Globe-Punkin Center Loop. Here's a nine-day, eight-night Circle Tour of Lake Michigan that takes in the highlights. Most will budget a 4-day long weekend to allow plenty of time to explore and stop at the almost endless stream of small towns and scenic over looks. Lake Michigan circle road trip itinerary Day 1: Indiana Dunes, Holland, & Grand Haven From Chicago, drive 45 minutes over the state line to the Indiana Dunes. Ludington, located in Central Michigan, is known as one of the best campgrounds on Lake Michigan. We weret likely to hit the storm for an hour or so, so we tossed the newly acquired gear in our dry bag packs and put rubber to road. Great Divide National Scenic Byway Motorcycle Tour in Fall. From here, you must must must take the ferry to famous Mackinac Island. The Wisconsin leg of the tour starts at the Illinois border and moves north on Wisconsin Highway 32 alongside picturesque Lake Michigan. 1) Horizons bookstore in Traverse City- one of Americas great bookstores Taste some fudge, bike around the island, and shop in the quaint downtown area. Before leaving Door County, stop in Sturgeon Bay, a ship-building hub, and visit must-see attractions, like theDoor County Maritime Museum,Door Peninsula Wineryand Cave Point County Park. Both are pretty neat little towns, and a world apart from those we passed in the UP. As the name implies, the route is a circle and weaves through four states Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and, of course, Wisconsin. It was named the Apache Trail after the Native American Indians who originally used this trail to migrate through the Superstition Mountains for over 1,000 years. Had I known the conditions that lay ahead, perhaps I'd have heeded the not-so-subtle warnings. Thanks. Holland (you can probably guess by the name) is a former Dutch settlement in Michigan. The Great Lakes tour is a circle road trip route through the United States and Canada to scenic destinations along Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario, and Erie. There are not many motorcycle tours that take riders through a 4-state journey and are accompanied by almost endless views of one of the bigger lakes in America. While your bike isn't a boat, you can still capture some great photos. My personal favorites are the twin piers and lights found in South Haven. This 29-mile route from Hayward to Glidden on State Hwy. Driving through the Tunnel of Trees along Lake MIchigan north of Harbor Springs (and lunch or dinner at Legs Inn in Cross Village on a shelf overlooking the lake.) Back on US-31, the circle tour continues northerly toward Ludington, leaving US-31 twice: once to follow the route of BUS US-31 through the downtowns of Whitehall and Montague in northern Muskegon Co; and again to follow the route of BUS US-31 through downtown Pentwater in Oceana Co. At the end of the US-31 freeway near Ludington, the Lake Michigan Circle Tourturns east following US-10/US-31 toward Scottville. Please enable JavaScript or upgrade your browser. Been looking at lots of sites and see nothing. Marie. Indiana is but a blip on the Circle Tour, passing through industrial Gary (birthplace of Michael Jackson), then onto Dunes Highway near the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. And well, I guess I just like a good time too much to learn. Tunnel Of Trees, Mackinac Bridge & The U.P. The black Gore pants were a welcomed new addition picked up just a month before. Motorcycle Type : Cruiser. 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The Lake Michigan Circle Tour (LMCT) enters Illinois at Winthrop Harbor in northeastern Lake County and continues south through Zion, Waukegan, Lake Forest, Highland Park, Winnetka and Evanston. Spend the morning here either relaxing by the beach or doing something a bit more active. It is just before the Shell station up on a hill. I hope you found it helpful for planning your own road trip. For more descriptions of our favorite motorcycle rides and destinations, visit the Rides and Destinations section of MotorcycleCruiser.com. Most Lake Michigan lighthouses were built in the 1800s when ship traffic was at its heaviestespecially during the lumbering era. The route through the U.P. Most will budget a 4day long weekend to allow plenty of time to explore and stop at the almost endless stream of small towns and scenic over looks. South of downtown is the excellent Hearthstone restaurant, from which you can easily get back to US-31. State of Illinois Historical Markes: Between Mackinaw City and St Ignace, the Lake Michigan Circle Touris jointed by the Lake Huron Circle Tour. It follows M-26 to Houghton and then follows US 41 north to Copper Harbor. Most do it over a week, and almost exclusively in the summer. A couple hundred yards in and the gravel turned to sand, my glasses fogged and so did my helmet's face shield. They recognized each states scenic appeal and the impact of the shoreline and its connection with the many State Parks, breath-taking overlooks and historic Lighthouses along the way. It is one of the best Motorcycle Rides in North America. When planning a trip to the Mackinaw Bridge/ Soo Locks area of the eastern UP, this is a must. The eastern coast of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin boasts about the same number, including a wonderful cluster in Door County. The general feeling around Chicago was we were too latewe had missed the Midwestern riding season. The city is well known for itscraft breweries. The route continues south on US-41 through Menominee and enters Wisconsin at Marinette. A Motorcycling Human Idiot Might Write Your Next Riding War Story, Wreck to Reckoning: Coping With Rider Fear. This area is known for its series of scenic and accessible waterfalls, located primarily in Marinette Countys Parks System. Once there, head to US-93 N in Yavapai County from AZ-71 N, which merges onto US-93 N. End your journey at AZ-97 N. Hmm maybe both. We squeezed out of our soaked gear, cranked the room temp to 90 and tried to shake the soggy chill from our tired bones. Box 541; Trenton, MI 48183; 800-513-6424; Upper Peninsula & Itineraries . Yeah it feels just as silly now as it did then. For more information check out www.WindyCityMotorcycleTours.com. This pair welcomes charter fishing and leisure boats, guiding them into the busy harbor. Although its only a 15-minute drive across the Straits of Mackinac, the Upper Peninsula feels like a different world from the colonial vibe of Mackinac Island. When you hit Sheboygan, make a pit stop at the scenicKohler-Andrae State Parkto see incredible lake views and explore the area's beaches and sand dunes.
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