This summer we are going from North Carolina through Detroit up to the Blue Water Bridge into Canada. We will go up the eastern shore of Lake Huron to Tobemory and cross at the ferry to South Baymouth. We will continue on to the Sault and across the UP to Copper Harbor, back down to the Bridge and onto Traverse City. We will go across 72 to 127 and down the middle of the state on our way home. I am not very familiar with Western Ontario and wonder if anyone has suggestions about places to stay and things to see in that part of the trip. Any issues with the ferry at Tobemory? Anything interesting to see in the area? I do this every year before our big trip and have gotten the best advice from this forum. Thanks in advance.

Adlad
07 Black Cherry Ultra

 

we did the circle trip around lake supier two years ago good time had a blast in copper harbor I'm not tryng to change your plan but when you leave copper harbor to go home and back south , highways 55& 32 are some nice riding through Wiss. WE stayed in landglade along the wolf river one night there is some nice riding going down that side of lake michigan I hope you can get some better info from someone else going down through michigan as I havent been down that side. good luck!

 

East side of Huron mostly farms, resorts and wind farms. Check out Bruce Co. tourisum website for local maps/sites(explorethebruce.com). Stayed around Port Elgin,if I remember right, good place to eat/drink at Joe's. We went around Georgian Bay instead of doing the ferry out to Manitoulin Is. Pouring rain strong winds and cold as we did it after Labor Day last year. Stayed up in Bruce Mines. Nice place, new owner(drank way too much with him that night!) good food and nice big rooms, worth while stop. If you have the time you might want to consider going around Lake Superior, very nice on the north side and easy to do just stay on 17 until Thunder Bay, Ont then keep heading down to Minnesota. Very nice through that area. You can still hit all the sights through the UP if you do. Stay on US2 coming from Wisconsin to m-28 to m-26 towards Copper Harbor. After you get over the bridge @ Houghton/Hancock start watching for a sign to a town called "Gay", this will put you on the east side of the Keweenaw, stop in at the Gay Bar very interesting. Take this road up along the shoreline until you get back onto 41 to Copper Harbor. Brockway Mt. is a nice trip up there and can see for miles once you're in Copper Harbor. We took 26 down from there towards Eagle River, very worth while like the road out of Gay, back down 41.

You can either stay on the north side of the Up(41) or go south(US2), the north side is the better IMO. Stay on US41 out of Copper Harbor then on towards m-28 out of Marquette. Take m123 towards Paridise(Tahquamenon Falls very worth while stop, shipwreck museum is just north of there @ Whitefish Pt where the Edmound Fitzgerald went down. You can either head back towards Saulte Ste. Marie via Bay Mills or back down towards the "Bridge" via m-123. If you do go towards the Soo there is a nice road back down to the Bridge called "The Mackinaw Trail", it just runs mainly alongside I-75, nice ride.

If you're heading over to Traverse City you might as well hit the "Road of Trees". As you'[re coming down I-75 take US31 exit and head south until you see c66 to Cross Villiage. There is a place there called "Leggs Inn" very unique place. Head down m119 (road of trees) this will take you down to Harbor Springs and back on US31 back towards Traverse City. M37 will take you up Old Mission Pennisula to a lighthouse. If you get a chance take M22 down the Lake Michigan shoreline, wineries, sand dunes very nice ride. You can pick back up US31 down by Onekama and head south until you hit US10. You can take this back across to US127...............

Enough???

LOL!!

 

Be sure to let me know when you are near Traverse so we can meet up for some fresh beers and ride the M22 loop!

 

If you don't go around Lake Superior, At a minimum I woulod ride up the Queen's highway 17 to Wawa and back down with stops along the way at the Lake Superior provincial Park. The Pictographs are a somewhat dangerous but worthwhile stop along the way. Geology in that region is impressive. The riding along the way is very nice. Watch for large critters including Moose. Have a great ride!

 

Lots of great places along there im from just north of Toronto i can tell you the fairy gives priority to bikes First on first off i wont go into lots of details as a couple post ago it was covered very well enjuoy your trip Canada is beautifull to ride Our OPP (cops) are cracking down on bikes up here for speed and theys say they are going to meter exhausts on the side of the road now but they keep saying that every year Watch out for Moose they are big and dont give way lol

 

Ok, I've started working on this and have a few questions. We are looking at going across the ferry to S. Baymouth and up 6 to Espanola. Across 17 to 129 and up 129 to Wawa. That stretch of 129 to Wawa looks pretty desolate. Any gas stations along the way? It looks like a good place to hit a moose. As I look at it on Google Earth doesn't seem to be a lot of anything except trees. Not that it's a bad thing, I like open spaces and light traffic. We would then come down 17 back to the Sault and cross back over to Michigan. If we go to Whitefish Pte. is there a way to get across to Pictured Rocks without going down to 28? Or do we want to go to Munising and then to Pictured Rocks? How are the black flies in mid-July? Thanks, you'd think a guy born in Michigan would know his way around better but the trolls (those of us that live below the bridge) don't take UP geography in school.

 

Looking at the map it looks like you could take a cut up to Deer Park on Deer Park road which is Co Road 407 from Newberry and that will take you over to Grand Marias. I have never been on that road but have been to Grand Marias numerous times and I really like it there.
I have not been up through Munising for a couple summers. Last time I was they were working on a county road (58 and 60) between Hwy 77 by Grand Marais and Munising. Hopefully someone else can comment on if that was paved. Other wise to get to Grand Marais you would need to turn north on 77 at Seney to get to Grand Marais. Grand Marais is one of my favorite Lake Superior towns with it's scenery and local micro brewery the Lake Superior brewing company. The Agate Ale is worth the trip so stop and pick up a growler for the camp later. There's a nice town campground right there.

The ride down from Wawa is also sparse through the Lake Superior Provincial Park for the first 30 miles or so and then you start seeing signs of civilization. We saw a nice bull moose when we were up there two summers ago so you need to keep your eyes scanning riding through the woods.

Have fun!