Michigan Vacation Getaway

Michigan is the perfect place for a vacation getaway during any season. Our abundant opportunities for recreation offer enough variety to keep you coming back year after year.

Succumb to the urge to do something different on this vacation. You can make a trip to Michigan as laid back or adventurous as you want.

Our simple sunsets, crystal clear lakes, and resort towns are calling.

Come visit Michigan for the first time. You will be back.

At least once a year I am beckoned as if by some primal call to go "Up North." "Up North" has many different meanings for those native to Michigan. It can be very confusing to a non-native Michiganian to hear someone say they are going "Up North" for their vacation. The non-native might think they are going to Canada or possibly even the North Pole itself.

The native Michiganian merely intends to point their vehicle north and stop only when their instincts tell them that they have finally reached "Up North." For some this might mean going as far as Sleeping Bear Dunes. Others might find that they need to go up to Sault Ste. Marie or even to Copper Harbor.

"Up North" is not just some physical location a little bit further up the road. It tends to be a state of mind as well. You head "Up North" and life slows down. You notice your worries slip away with each mile and your troubles seem smaller in the rear view mirror of your life.

They say that life is too short. Well, if life is too short why waste so much of it driving to some other state? Head "Up North" and find your own little slice of Michigan to brag about to your friends. Especially the ones who just spent all that money to take a cruise in "paradise" or some other exotic locale.

Michigan boasts 81 rest areas along our freeways and highways that have come a long way from the outhouses you see in this great old photo. Of the 81 rest areas, 13 of them are Welcome Centers.

The Welcome Centers include hundreds of brochures, magazines, and newspapers about places to visit in Michigan - all at no cost to you.

Michigan's rest areas are open 24 hours a day and in addition to restroom facilities they include picnic tables, telephones, vending machines, drinking fountains, and pet walk areas.

Shh, don't tell anyone, but Michigan's Upper Peninsula is home to some of the last great "wilderness" in the midwest. What began as a bargaining chip in the Toldedo War quickly turned into a gem for the mining industry and has now become a gem of a vacation spot for those seeking a road less traveled.

Now, don't expect to see two-track dirt roads instead of highways and no other person in sight for miles upon miles. In addition to the great recreation areas (Tahquamenon Falls, Pictured Rocks, Porcupine Mountains) there are great old cities like Marquette, Escanaba, and Sault Ste. Marie.

If you are looking for off the beaten path areas full of solitude and seclusion you will find those as well. While traveling down some highways you just might spot a black bear munching on some berries along the side of the road or a moose watching the traffic go by.

There are way too many resorts and lodges to list here. Instead I suggest you check out the following sites that have comprehensive lists of most (if not all) of the resorts in Michigan.

• Michigan.org/travel


• ResortsandLodges.com/Michigan


• Resort and Cottage Registry

The beaches along the great lakes in Michigan allow you to just enjoy lounging on a pristene sandy beach, hike gigantic dunes, or slip into the refreshingly pleasant waters of almost every great lake (Lake Superior is icy cold and only the heartiest of swimmers take a dip).

One of my favorite stretches of beaches on any of the Great Lakes is along U.S. 2 in the U.P. There are literally miles upon miles of sandy beaches where the waters of Lake Michigan wash upon the shore. Choose any number of safe pull-off spots or stop at one of the rest areas along U.S. 2 and relax along one of the best beaches in Michigan.

You don't need a week or two to enjoy a fun Michigan vacation. A quick Michigan getaway vacation can be had just by taking an extended weekend trip.

Here is a short list of some quick Michigan Getaways:

• Reserve a campsite at Van Buren State Park - just 14 miles away from the artsy village of Saugatuck.


• Rent a cabin in Caseville and take in their Cheeseburger in Caseville festival.


• Book a stay at beautiful Tawas Point State Park and enjoy nearby Huron National Forest.


• Stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City and when you and the kiddies are not swimming hike the nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes.


• Stay in Marquette and be within a short drive of the breathtaking views at Pictured Rocks National Shoreline.

There are nearly 100 historic lighthouses along the coasts of the Great Lakes in Michigan. If you are a lighthouse buff, this is the state for you!

Some of the lighthouses are now on private property, others have museums where the public is welcome, and a few are only accessible by boat. I have personally stayed a few nights at one that has been converted to a bed and breakfast - Big Bay Point Lighthouse.

View a list of the Historic Lighthouses in Michigan.

Michigan has over 90 state parks. With that many state parks you are never more than a half hour from one of them.

Michigan's state parks take you to ghost towns (Fayette Historic State Park), a chance to take a raft on Michigan's largest spring (KITCH-ITI-KIPI - Big Springs), and even a park that you can't drive to (Mackinac Island State Park).

Find the Michigan State Park for your next destination at the Michigan State Parks lens.

Sure $3 a gallon gas can sting when you are filling up for a long trip. However, there are a ton of great deals at resorts, hotels, and campgrounds across Michigan that save you enough money to make up for the higher cost of gas.

Hotels in Mackinaw City have packages that start around $69 per night and $20 per night for a campsite at one of Michigan's state parks leaves money for not only gas, but other fun things that are found throughout Michigan.

I found these great vintage postcards at The Penny Postcard Archive which is a USGenWeb Archives site. There are a bunch more great postcards that I just didn't have the room to include here so be sure to check out this site.

www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/mi/ppcs-mi.html