Michigan - Summer Vacation

I lived on Spring Lake, and I'd say anywhere from there north will be great fun. Look at Lie-A-Lot charters in Luddington for super big water fishing with a real down to earth guide. Also there is a cool inland waterway perfect for touring in family sized boats that includes small locks and good inland fishing. I'm sure Google will find lots of cabins and boats avail on that waterway.

http://www.irchamber.com/inlandwaterway.htm

http://www.liealot.com/

 

Torch Lake in Antrim County. Deep, clean, tidey-bowl blue with cool sand bars to party on (take a lawn chair or three), run up the Clam River (Dockside Bar I think is the name of the bar there you can tie up to) or down into Skegemog and Elk Lakes. Great boating. Plenty of rentals in all cost categories, esp. in this economy. Have fun!

 

+1. Torch Lake is quite nice. Close to Traverse but isolated enough to not worry about others. Lots of stuff available in that entire area

 

Perhaps somewhere near Leland or Omina? I dont do any fishing but they are on the water and I love it up there.

 

Torch Lake is awesome, but anywhere in the Traverse City/Cheboygan area is good because you are close to many lakes, including Great Lakes, as well as Mackinac Island.

There are also nice places in the Irish Hills that are closer to KY. Also nice places along Lake Michigan like Saugatuck, Holland, Grand Haven, South Haven, etc.

My family and I will be spending time on the Huron River Chain of Lakes northwest of Ann Arbor where we used to live. Good friends, good boating, good times.

 

It's always funny to me what other people call "up north" ... it's almost always unique to where somebody grew up going up north at. Some people that live in areas like Livonia, or Down River etc. call Brighton "up north" ... others call Torch Lake "up north" and others yet don't think your far enough north until you are at Whitefish Point, or the Keywana Peninsula!

Personally, mine is Lake Charlevoix, but thats more like a home away from home. To me, I enjoy roughing it in the Hiawatha National Forrest, Paradice, MI, or nearby to Laughing Whitefish Falls. What a great state I live in!

 

Aside from that little detail where it starts snowing in October and never stops until May.

 

Be nice Bill. You may be back up here again some day.
-Skip

 

Since I took up downhill skiing this year, it's not quite so bad December through February anymore

 

Actually trying real hard! Not too many jobs to bid up there these days. I have promised some folks I'll come visiting. Need to take my boat back up to Hardy Dam where the hot boats hang out and race at the sand bar.

 

I agree with your "Up North" comments, although I don't see how they apply to my post. His question was about Michigan. It didn't mention 'up north' and neither did my answer. My mom is from Ironwood, about 600 miles from Detroit. Now that is truly 'up north'!

 

I was lucky enough to marry into a family with a home in Grand Haven. SMS has already discussed Spring Lake which is right in Grand Haven as well. A very cool place to visit and stay with lots to do for the whole family.

 

Holland was really nice.

 

Go for the gold guy! The UP is where it's at, we offer peace and quiet and just about any outdoor activity. If you want first class privacy take a look at acabinupnorth.com . We retired here from the Chicago area and the lack of cars on the road make driving a pleasure rather than a chore. NO F-car parts around so make sure your service is up to date!
lostbowl

 

Where the rivers merge in your neck of the woods is one of my greatest summer memories...

 

Isaac,
I have to ask which rivers do you refer to? Tom

 

I have been going to the UP since I was a kid. We go to Wilderness Bay Resort on Thousand Island Lake, Watersmeet Michigan. This is on the famous and enormous Cisco Chain of Lakes. I strongly recommend this area!

 

The Ontonogan River, of course

But, making stops at places like Laughing Whitefish Falls, Copper Harbor, and a few other water falls besides the obvious.

 

Isaac,
We live on the Ontonagon river so if you are ever in the area give me a PM and ,if you care to, we can do lunch. I haven't seen another F-car up here yet. On the other hand if you have any problems I may be able to assist with help. Tom

 

The UP has a lot going for it--pasties, Jilbert's Ice Cream, and memories of places where
I spent my summers many years as a kid.

We are visiting the UP right now and the amount of property for sale is frightening.
We did drive through Ontonagon County on the way across the UP and looked at
the old family farm I am holding onto if it is ever time to build a cabin and escape
the rat race.

-sc

 

The closest place I know that will service F-cars is DTS Enterprises in Ellsworth near Charlevoix

http://www.dtsenterprisesinc.com/

The owner was involved with either ASC or Cars and Concepts in Detroit for many years and usually has some interesting cars in for service and restoration.

 

Did you do Castle Rock and the Pictured Rocks? Scuba Diving is crazy fun up near there too. Isle Royal would make a great trip.

While driving up, take D119 out of Harbor Springs to Cross Village; it is one of the greatest roads in the state... (sporting)

Really, IMO the waterfalls in the UP are some of the most beautiful things to see... there are a ton of them