Who on here has made the Great Lakes Loop ride, I plan on this for 17. I hear to do it counter clockwise and use ferry in Wis. to travel back to Mich to avoid Chicago traffic. Where do I find this ferry and what's a not to miss stop.. Thanks

 

Hey Shredher I did the loop this last summer with my wife. We took 3 days which was rushed not much time to stop and enjoy what we saw. We went counter clockwise we enjoyed big bear dunes, the UP, and Escanaba. (cool steakhouse brewery in Escanaba) There are two ferries one in Muskegon and one in Ludington MI. Just google it all you need to know is online. No ferry for us we wanted to ride. The traffic in Chicago isn't that bad if you are smart about when you go through. I see you are in IN, you could always go around counter clockwise and once you hit Green Bay start to head southwest there are lots of cool places to see. Appleton, Moraine State Park, Madison, then head south on 39 to whatever you need to catch that will take you back home to avoid Chicago.

Enjoy the trip

 

I have done the Lake Superior loop twice, once in each direction. Great ride. Bring a good rain suit and it will be cold and fog in the mornings. If your doing Lake Michigan make sure you do the U.P. To include Houghton/Hancock and Copper Harbor (where US 41 Terminates/starts) I made these 2 runs in 1978 and 1979 on a 750 Honda Custom loaded with camping gear. Lots of memories, most good. Make sure you buy/eat a Pasty when in upper Michigan. Their best with katsup over the top. Frankly, I don't think Lake Michigan loop compares even close to Lake Superior loop. My 2 cents

 

Take the Lake Express high speed ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon. Only 2 1/2 hour trip.

http://www.lake-express.com/

Take a day and visit a few places in Milwaukee while you're here. The Harley-Davidson Museum is a 'must see'. Thursdays are Bike Nights. The place gets packed with bikes. It's like a mini-rally every week. Take a Steel Toe tour of the Pilgrim Road plant in Menomonee Falls. (northwest of Milwaukee)

If you come anytime between June and Labor day, check out Mayer Festival Park. Every weekend and most weekdays has a party or festival going on. Lots of big name headliners. I've got tickets to see Tom Petty over Summerfest. There are also lots of of included-in-admission concerts at several stages on the grounds.

http://milwaukeeworldfestival.com/calendar-of-events

http://summerfest.com/

 

Lots of Katsup!

 

We have been on both ferries, but not with our bike. We also used to have our boat in a slip next to where the Lake Express docks in Muskegon. Several years ago we did the loop but came up from Illinois into Wisconsin around into the UP and then down through Michigan into Indiana and avoided Chicago. We have also done almost the exact same route once with our 5th wheel.


If it was me coming from Indiana to do the Lake Michigan loop I would come up the east side of Lake Michigan, tons of really nice little towns to visit, including Mackinac Island. At the top cross on I-75, tour the UP, come down the Wisconsin coast to Milwaukee. Catch the Lake Express across to Muskegon.


A few years ago while sitting on the dock watching the Express come into Muskegon there could be as many as 25 or more bikes roll off.

 

You didn't say which of the lakes you want to loop. We rode around Lake Michigan counter clockwise. We came in from the east and started our loop at Luddington. We rode up the coast on Rt. 31 to MI 22 back to Rt. 31 to MI 119 to Cross Village. Check out Leggs Inn there. Took W Levering Rd. east back to Rt. 31 then to I 75. Crossed the Mackinaw Bridge, that was a white knuckle stretch, into the UP and up to Lake Superior. Across the southern coast of Superior to Munising. Took the Picture Rocks cruise there. Worked our way down to Wisconsin and into Milwaukee. From there we entered Illinois. My advice, go around Chicago, GO AROUND Chicago, GO WAY AROUND CHICAGO. 85 MPH in a 55 zone, 4 and 5 lanes of traffic, semi's surrounding me and I'm in the wrong lane. Absolutely blew through EVERY toll stop, didn't even slow down. The wife left a trail of , well legs just say the folks behind me had to use their wipers, a lot. Prepare for cool to cold weather. It was the 4th of July weekend when we went thru, rain and 41 degrees. was nipple to say the least. Great trip and the museum is fantastic.

 

always try and work in a stop at docs hd in shawano wi, its not like any other dealer I've seen.

 

If you are doing Lake Michigan these are not on your way. As in from the closest point on Lake Michigan in Rapid River it's 150 miles....one-way to reach Hancock and Copper Harbor is further than that by close to another 50 miles, and that's if you're cruising straight up 41. BUT if you have the time available to add it then absolutely do so, it is beautiful country up there.

As for the rest of the trip. Wife and I did it two years ago and loved it. So much so that it looks like it's going to be our long trip again this year. Lots of good suggestions, some I will repeat here. Don't know where in Indiana you're starting from so I don't know where you want to get close to the lake. Ludington is a good spot especially if you're wanting to make some time on your first day. You can also head toward St. Joseph and catch 196 to 31. It will take you a little longer but you'll pass through some cool towns. Before I forget, if you get near New Buffalo either on your way up or back hit Redamak's for a good burger. From Ludington it sounds like we took the same route as Jay72. Rode up the east shore of Grand Traverse Bay through the straights on 31 and into Petoskey where we spent night 2. In Petoskey the Mitchell Street Pub is where the locals go and so did we. Huge walleye dinner for $13 that was amazing...and I'm not much of a fish person. Again, this is where the locals go. They are very friendly and in short order will be treating you like one of their own. This comes with a warning, so don't say you weren't told! If you like to enjoy the occasional cocktail this hospitality will quickly make any plans of an early start the next morning painful to accomplish. Thank goodness we took a cab to the place.

From Petoskey catch M-119 which will run you through the Tunnel of Trees (this is a must) and you'll come out at the Legs Inn. If you do stay in Petosky and too late at Mitchell's...this will be your saving grace. Good hearty food that's worth the stop...hungover or not.

Up and over the Mackinaw Bridge and you have some choices. Catch 2 and head NW right away or venture up into the UP. We broke North away from Lake Michigan and up to Munising on M-77. Munising is also nice and as said, take the boat tour if you go. Several cool places to stop in town for food, drinks, or shopping. The Sunset Motel on the Bay is biker friendly, clean and reasonably priced. At least until the week before the 4th and then prices start to climb. I also highly recommend Foggy's Steakhouse in Christmas, Mi., if you get up that way. A quick shot up to Marquette and Bald Eagle Harley for a shirt or poker chip is easy to pull off from there before heading back south on 41. Escanaba is nice town for a stretch and where you will want to catch M-35 to stay along the lake. You'll still be riding some nice roads until you get as far south as Marinette. From there it gets a increasingly less rural as you get closer to Green Bay. Haven't been up into the peninsula and Door County but friends who have say it too is beautiful.

If you decide to avoid Chicago and take the Badger ferry out of Manitowoc back to Ludington a quick look at Google maps will give you a couple of options of getting there from Green Bay. If you do choose to ferry across, be sure to bring your own tie-downs! They didn't used to make that clear on their website and I don't know if they've changed it.

If you decide to ride the whole loop and hit Milwaukee then as Glider said, get west! At the very least as far west as 355 which is easy traveling south unless it's between 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm. Anything outside of that window and you should cruise right along. The further west you get the safer it is you won't have traffic issues.

Sorry for being so long but it's a great trip with lots of options.

 

There are several ( some quite old ) threads on doing the Lake Michigan circle. I've been around each of 5 Great Lakes. There's something to be said for each and every one of the rides. If you happen to do the Lake Michigan loop, it's definitely worth the time to see Grand Marais, Pictured Rocks and take a ride on H-58 ( Grand Marais Truck Trail ) You won't be sorry.