Has anyone stayed in one of the cottages at Legs Inn? Thinking it would be a good end of the day stop for dinner and spend the night.

BTW, my profile picture is on US Rt 2 early one morning about 20 minutes west of St Ignace, MI UP in Aug 2011. I wanted to get a picture of the whitecaps and realized I could get our shadow too. We were on a ride with a very large group and rode I-69/Rt 27/I-75 from Indiana to cross the Mackinaw Bridge and didn't sightsee in Lower Michigan. So this trip we want to enjoy the western MI coastline.

 

Again, I appreciate all the responses and the pictures, especially the detail from you guys who have done a similar trip before. Good stuff.

 

You will also pass near Sleeping Bear Dunes if you hug the eastern coast of the lake. The on thing that I really didn't find appealing was that the state's parks services would allow me to leave my bike just outside the state park area, but if I wanted to take the bike onto the park grounds, I had to pay an $8.00 fee per day to do so. They called it some kind of a foreign vehicle tax. I was of the impression that Ohio was still part of the Union and that I had not gone as far north as Canada nor as far south as Mexico. I do realize that there is a very stiff rivalry between The OHIO State University and the University of Michigan, but this is rediculous.

 

Lake ferry to Muskegon is a very good call Hot Rod Harley there is a must also new 3 story dealership great people looking at the lake. About 30 minutes north Pentwater is a great village on the lake especially first full week in August (homecoming week) (I have lots of pictures America the Beautiful thread) 31 N is great ride Traverse City, Mackinaw and Sault Ste. Marie are very nice also. North into Canada is awesome scenery good for a hour or two then turn back, expect a wait and inspection coming back to the USA, never had a problem going into Canada but always back into the USA, real asses, and I've had a passport for 53 years. My wife is from Pentwater we usually spend August there. Be sure a take some warm stuff and rain suits it's cold even in August on the bike with the sun out.

 

There's a couple other threads in the "Road Trips" about tours around Lake Michigan & into the U.P.

Couple thoughts:
Since your original itinerary has you riding up through Wisconsin & down through Michigan:
The North shore of Lake Michigan isn't as nice as the South shore of Lake Superior.

Take a trip up to Copper Harbor in the Keeweenaw Peninsula, stop and get jelly from the monks, take a side trip up Brockway Mountain Drive, and stop at the Gay Bar--at least for pictures. Lots of other things to see up there too, such as touring the copper mines.

From Munising, take a cruise by Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Also from Munising, take the shore road through Pictured Rocks to Grand Marais then down 77 to Seney where you'll pick up 28 East to Newberry.

At Newberry, turn left on 123 & head up to Tahquamenon Falls (upper and lower)--be sure to stop at Camp 66 for some lunch/dinner & some microbrews. They've also got real rootbeer on tap if you're looking for the non-alcoholic drinks.

Once you leave the Falls, continue East on 123 to Paradise (by the way, Michigan is the only state where you can go from Paradise to Hell in one day). Once you're at the stop sign in Paradise, you can turn right to stay on 123, or left to go up to Whitefish Point and the Shipwreck Museum.

If you're going to go to Sault Sainte Marie, when heading back down 123 keep an eye out on the left for the I.L. "Curley" Lewis highway. Take that road & stay on it until you cross over I-75 just six miles South of Sault Ste. Marie--take the next left onto the Mackinac Trail and it'll take you right into the Soo.

When headed South again, I-75 is the quickest way to get from the Soo to the Mackinac Bridge. Once you're over the bridge, take the first exit and head West. If you've got a GPS, program it for Cross Village via Wilderness State Park (if you're camping, Wilderness is a great place to stop--if not, grab some picnic stuff in Mackinac City & stop there for a picnic). From Wilderness State park, you can take 81 to Cross Village; if you're feeling adventurous, take Gill Rd to Lakeview Rd to Lakeshore Drive & take that down to Cross Village--can't remember if it's paved though.

I can tell ya how to go to Hell too if you'd like.

Cheers

 

hell's a long way from paradise-careful crossing that macinac bridge----probably cool up there right now

 

Check out Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - was up there briefly two years ago. Wished I had more time. I'll definitely be going back that way...

 

I would head south to Eureka Springs Arkansas. Two (easy) days there, two (easy) days back, and 3-5 days of awesome riding the Ozarks.

Or, a trip to the Smokey Mountains (Dragon, Cherahola, BRP, among many others. Same deal - easy 2 day there and back with 3-5 amazing riding days.

A trip around Michigan is okay but not in the same league imo. It's also better in the fall, again imo.

 

I love reading your travel threads in here and highly respect your thoughts on it due to that. Do you mind going into more detail as to the pros and cons of the Michigan trip versus those so I can see if what I'm looking for matches up with the reasons you prefer those trips? In a perfect world I'd be able to knock two of those trips out next year.

 

Loop around Lake Michigan is a bucket list or "I've done it" thing. Some will enjoy it more than others, kinda like some love twisties and others prefer swoopers, so it you want to do it, go for it. Then next trip plan a southern route. There are so many great places to ride in the US and we want to try as many as we can.