I love a loop trail. I will do an out-and-back if I have to but prefer to have something new to look at the whole time.
I feel the same way about a road trip. My family is on a mission to see all 50 states before 2030 and road trips are perfect for seeing multiple states in one trip. We love taking a different route home so we can have an adventure from start to finish.
Last summer we did a road trip from North Carolina to Boyne Mountain Resort in Michigan. We hadn't been to Indiana or Ohio yet, so we added those as mini-destinations on our way there and back.
This was one of our favorite trips ever and Michigan is my favorite state we have visited. The July weather there was perfect for this southern girl. We were able to stay outside all day long and there was a great mix between activities and leisure time at this beautiful resort.
This was our itinerary:
On the way: Indiana Dunes National Park
We spent the night in Portage, IN, got up the next morning and explored Indiana Dunes NP before driving to our final desitnation in Michigan.
We went to the visitors center and hiked the Dunes Succession Trail which ends on the shore of Lake Michigan. We also hiked the Cowles Bog Trail.
Boyne Falls, Michigan
Boyne Mountain Resort
Our "home base" for this trip was Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne City, MI. In winter it is a ski resort but there is no shortage of activities in the summer. Many were included with a resort stay and others could be booked through their adventure center.
One of our favorite places was the beach at Deer Lake. It was on the property and they had complementary kayaks and paddle boards. The lake is very shallow for a long way out and the girls were able to wade out and swim safely. I would highly recommend it at sunset.
The adventure center at Boyne Mountain Resort has bike and golf cart rentals as well as horseback riding and zip lining. I would recommend booking these in advance, we were not able to do the zip lining. We did enjoy the golf cart and horse back riding though. You can also bring your own bikes and pay an extra fee to take them on the ski lift and ride the trails.
The chair lift is also included for resort guests, but if you are not staying there you can purchase day passes. At the top of the chair lift there is a small restaurant and areas to just hang out and enjoy the view.
Mackinac Island
A place in the United States where no cars are allowed is a must-see in my book! It is only accessible through boat or plane. Ferries run from Mackinaw City which is about an hour from Boyne Mountain.
We took the Shepler's Ferry, if you can get on one of the "Mighty Mac" boats, you go under the bridge for the same price.
Once on Mackinac Island I believe the best thing to do it take a carriage tour. It's a great way to see the entire island. You can purchase this tour before you arrive to save time standing in line.
The carriage tour will take you around the whole island, stopping at points of interest. You can pay an extra fee to go the Wings of Mackinac (a butterfly house) and/or Fort Mackinac. We did both of these, but I could have skipped them. If you've ever done a butterfly house, I feel like they are all the same. Fort Mackinac was interesting, but my kids aren't really into history and we rushed through all the exhibits.
We made it back down to Main Street to find something to eat. It was VERY crowded by this point. If I could go back I would have packed a picnic lunch and eaten in the park in front of the fort or Windermere Point. This was a beautiful coast line where the kids could put their feet in the water.
If I had extra time spend, I would have hung out more in the state park area, there were bike rentals and the further away you were from Main Street, the less crowded that it was.
We hiked this area one morning. It was a short drive from the resort. This was a beautiful hike with an awesome view of Lake Charveloix.
Boyne City, Michigan
This was a cute little downtown area on the shore of Lake Chavaloix. There are cute shops and restraurants and a waterfront park. You can rent boats here too. We ate dinner at Cafe Sante and then got some ice cream at the Kilwins.
On The Way Back: Cuyahoga Valley National Park
On the way home we stopped in Ohio four a couple of days. We hiked to Brandywine Falls and the The Ledges Trail to the Ledges Overlook.
I didn't think that Brandywine Falls was worth the hike. It wasn't the most amazing waterfall and you can't get that close.
However, The Ledges were AMAZING. It was such a unique landscape and the kids loved climbing all over the rocks. The Ledges Overlook had a beautiful view of the valley and would be incredible at sunset.
Please let me know where you are planning on visiting and if you have any questions! Thank you for reading!
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