Trip to Upper Peninsula

[hunts800]

We are planning a 7-8 week trip in Fall 2015 to the Upper Peninsula/Great Lakes region. We've done Alaska, Canada, and most of the U.S., except for the North East quadrant.
Does anyone have suggested reading materials on where to go/stay? Can we "free wheel" or would we need reservations? Also, we are planning on leaving Calif. about Sept. 1st 2015, returning the end of Oct. Will the weather normally be OK during that time of the year. Any other thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Do a review of campground closing dates. It can start to become a bit spicy around October 15th.

The weather is coolish, could be wet. Snow, maybe? The colors should be nice, but, with Mother Nature, ya just never know.

We don't do reservations for the most part, we do call ahead a day or so before, maybe sometimes, an hour or two ahead. After Labor day you should be good.

Must do list, well, Tahquamenon Falls, Soo Locks, Mackinaw and the island, Frankenmuth, west coast of the lower. I would try a search of the "top 10 things to see in Michigan in the fall". Fall also = cider mills.

Have fun, fall in Michigan is our favorite season here.

[hunts800]

Thanks for the suggestions.

[8.1al]

In addition to Carol's suggestions we have always liked the west end of the upper peninsula. It is rich with mining history with many iron mines and the Keweenaw peninsula supplied much of the nations copper for a number of years.

[twindman]

If you are looping around Lake Superior on the way, the campground in Grand Marais is okay. But there is an added incentive. They are a city CG, I think, and for each day you stay there, you get a round of golf at the city course (about 3-5 miles out of town). So if you golf, that is kind of fun.

[HOOK]

We've just come home from the UP. CGs were beginning to have closing signs. It was a beautiful trip however.

[JandC]

We did a "loop" vacation up around Lake Michigan, including the U.P. last year. Mackinaw area was nice as MrsCountyGuy said. Michigan was one state where we targeted some state CG's. Muskegon has a nice one very close to the beach. We only did 2 weeks but could have done a month easy.

[DQDick]

We did it last year before the Rally and had a wonderful time. We were lucky and the weather was great. One thing to see we would add is the Shipwreck museum. Interesting on it's own, but has the bell and other items from the Edwin Fitzgerald. Also, all of the UP has great fudge, but the gift shop at the museum had by far the best in the state. Go figure.

[mazboy]

include Menominee city CG and Marquette CG. you might as well head up to copper harbor, cool but neat. do the soo see the freighters go through the locks. and, of course mackinaw islands and eat fudge. and yea, then there are the pasties...good food.

[BB_TX]

Pasties!

Or is that pastries?

[HOOK]

Pasties... That's correct, delicious!!

[Carole]

Adding to all of the above, be sure to go to Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City and Cherry Republic. So much to see and do up there. Beautiful country. Have a wonderful trip.

[timandsusan]

We are heading that way after a family reunion in Frankenmuth in August. I also noticed CG were closing or having there last rally in late October. I am getting a lot of brochures from UP and it all looks great! We don't want to be back in San Antonio before mid October--so temp will be below 90!