Grand Haven Pier, Michigan
GETTY IMAGES
Lake Michigan Circle Tour
by Jason Frye
Packed with natural beauty, lighthouses, cities that surprise, and small towns that might just charm you enough to consider relocating, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour will lead you on a 1,092-mile trip around the third largest Great Lake on the only Great Lakes road tour entirely within the United States.
Choose your option
You could drive the Lake Michigan Circle Tour in one epic 17-hour session, but why would you? You’d miss all this region has to offer. Many travelers turn this into a week-long trip, stopping at B&Bs, inns, quaint cottages and posh hotels along the way. Others split the drive into two portions—the northern and southern circle tours—with the S.S. Badger, a car ferry between Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, as the dividing line. Note: The ferry typically operates from mid-May to mid-October.
S.S. Badger arrives in Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Yet, others choose to extend their time here by exploring the Great Lakes with Viking Expeditions, which offers several different itineraries. Whether you sail first and explore by land later, or vice versa, you’ll gain a new appreciation for Lake Michigan and the states that surround it as you explore.
Milwaukee skyline from Lake Michigan
Starting point
A great destination to begin your tour is Milwaukee, Wisconsin Spend a day discovering some of its cuisine and culture. Dine at ethnic restaurants, such as Three Brothers (Serbian), Damascus Gate (Syrian) or Amilinda (Spanish and Portuguese), or sample craft beer from one of the best brewery scenes in the United States. Explore art at the lakeside Milwaukee Art Museum and the city’s many galleries, or, if you’re a motorhead, check out the Harley-Davidson Museum before hitting the road on your Circle Tour.
Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
Follow state Highway 32 south along the Wisconsin coast to Chicago, where you’ll meet up with the city’s iconic Lakeshore Drive (U.S. Route 41) and motor right on into Indiana. Following U.S. Route 12, you won’t find yourself too far from Indiana Dunes National Park, one of the nation’s newest parks, so whether you’d like a big-city stay in Chicago or a night in a national park, all you need is a reservation.
Authentic wooden windmill, Holland, Michigan
Halfway
Leaving Indiana, you’ll head north into Michigan, and follow Interstate 94, then I-196. Soon, you’ll reach Holland, where a 250-year-old windmill, tulips and a charming collection of shops greet you. Note: If you time your trip for May, attend the Tulip Time festival and experience the city at its most festive. Not far from Holland, along U.S. Route 31, you’ll be in Grand Haven, a city so proud of its Coast Guard heritage citizens organize an annual festival, which starts at the end of July. Along this beautiful stretch of coast, beaches, dunes and wild woods offer you the chance to get out and explore. Continuing north, shop for art in the creative enclave of Pentwater; or, spend time in Ludington, where you’ll find golf courses and the S.S. Badger dock.
Aerial view of Mackinac Island
The Final Stretch
Before heading into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (or U.P.), be sure stop in Traverse City to sample local wine, play golf on its championship courses or stroll along miles of sandy shoreline. Bike around the ever-charming Mackinac Island (since no cars are allowed), then do some shopping and sample its world-famous fudge. As you make your way back into Wisconsin, be sure to make a stop in Green Bay, which, in addition to being home of the Green Bay Packers, offers plenty of outdoor activities, including some terrific fishing. Before completing the circle to end your tour, experience the bucolic lure of Door County, where you can enjoy a fish boil, a rustic meal reminiscent of an oyster roast.
Fish dinner from Door County, Michigan
Ready to go on an exciting open road adventure? Let AAA experts help plan your next trip.