Few places in the United States can eclipse the cool beauty of the Great Lakes in the heat of summer.
We’d planned this road trip for several years in a row, but family obligations stopped us each time. Finally, everything fell into place in the summer of 2018.
Each morning, we’d take a ride on a major bike trail. Each afternoon, we explored historic sites, natural areas, and the rugged beauty of the coastlines of the Great Lakes.
We focused on Northern Michigan: Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior in the Petoskey Area (just “Below” the Mackinac Straits) and the Upper Peninsula (“Above” the Mackinac Straits) of Michigan.

In 1952, his memoir of the experience was published as the book Above Below, recounting stories of characters he knew on Drummond Island and De Tour.
Since John had never seen the Great Lakes before, we couldn’t call this a homecoming so much as a look into the past coupled with the beauty of the present. We met our own cast of characters along the way.
PLANNING RESOURCES: PetoskeyArea.com | Michigan’s Upper Peninsula | Visit Drummond Island | Visit Manistique | Travel Marquette | Visit Houghton | Keweenaw Peninsula | Copper Harbor | Michigan’s Western Upper Peninsula | Munising Visitor’s Bureau | Mackinac Island Tourism
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Itinerary
Auburn, Indiana
Grand Rapids Area
Flat River Grill, Lowell
Crankers, Big Rapids
Biggby Coffee, Big Rapids
LODGING
Holiday Inn Big Rapids
Charlevoix
Uncle Bills Orchard
Petoskey & Harbor Springs
BIKING – North Western State Trail
HIKING – North Country Trail
PADDLING – Lake Michigan
Bay Harbor
Bay View Association
Oden State Fish Hatchery
Outboard Marathon Nationals
Petoskey stone hunting
Spring Lake Park
Top of Michigan Trails Council
Downtown Petoskey
Bahnhof Sport
High Gear
DINING
City Park Grill
JW Filmores
Mim’s Mediterranean Grill
Northwood Family Restaurant
Original Pancake House
Petoskey Brewing
LODGING
Bay Inn
Mackinaw City
Heritage Village
Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum
McGulpin Point
Tunnel of Trees Scenic Drive
Wilderness State Park
St. Ignace
Museum of Ojibwa Culture
Indian Village
Fort de Buade Museum
St Anthony’s Rock
Chief Wawatam Park
De Tour & Drummond Island
De Tour Roadside Park
De Tour Botanical Gardens
Drummond Island Ferry
Drummond Island Welcome Center
Drummond Island Historical Museum
Big Shoal Bay Beach
Naubinway & Engadine
Farmhouse Restaurant, Gould City
Manistique
Palms Book State Park (Kitch-iti-tipi)
Garden Peninsula
Fayette Historic State Park
The Dock
Marquette
BIKING – NTN North 550 Trails
HIKING – Au Train Beach
HIKING – North Country Trail
HIKING – Presque Isle Park
Lakenenland
Marquette Maritime Museum
Michigan Iron Industry Museum
Picnic Island Park
Travel Marquette
Lakeshore Bike
Quick Stop Bike Shop
Touch of Finland
DINING
Big Boy
Hudson’s Classic Grill & Bar
Vango’s Pizza
LODGING
Cedar Motor Inn
Ishpeming & Negaunee
HIKING – Jackson Mine
Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum
Canyon Falls, North Country Trail
Da Yoopers Tourist Trap
DINING
Midtown Bakery & Cafe, Negaunee
Ralph’s Italian Deli, Ishpeming
Houghton & Hancock
HIKING – Nara Nature Park
A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum
Houghton Waterfront Park
Finlandia University
Finnish American Heritage Center
North Wind Books
DINING
The Library Restaurant and Brew Pub
Roy’s Pasties & Bakery
LODGING
Super 8 Lake Shore Drive
Keweenaw Peninsula
BIKING – Keweenaw Rocket Range
HIKING – Estivant Pines
Snow Gauge Park
Bete Grise Preserve / Mendota Lighthouse
Bete Grise Beach
Fort Wilkins State Park
Keweenaw NPS Visitor Center
McClain State Park
Downtown Calumet
DINING
Carmelitas Southwestern Grill, Calumet
The Mariner North, Copper Harbor
Harbor Haus, Copper Harbor
LODGING
Laurium Manor Inn
Ironwood
HIKING – North Country Trail
Hiawatha
Lake Gogebic State Park
Miners Memorial Heritage Park
Ottawa National Forest
Black River Harbor
Black River Scenic Byway
Ironwood to Marquette
HIKING – North Country Trail
Bond Falls
Agate Falls
Alberta Village
Picnic Island Park
Alberta
DINING
Jerzis 41, Champion
Iron Bay Restaurant, Marquette
LODGING
EconoLodge, Marquette
Munising to Paradise
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore:
Munising Falls
Sand Point Marsh
U.S. Coast Guard Museum
Miners Falls
Miners Castle
Log Slide
H-58 Scenic Highway
Grand Marais
Paradise
Taquamenon Falls State Park
Whitefish Point
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
Sault Ste Marie
Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway
Point Iroquois Lighthouse
Soo Locks Visitor Center
Mackinac Island
BIKING – M-185 Loop
BIKING – Mackinac Island State Park
HIKING – Lake Shore Nature Trail
HIKING – Browns Brook Nature Trail
Arch Rock, Chimney Rock, Devil’s Kitchen
British Landing Nature Center
Crack-on-the-Island
Ryba’s Fudge
Joanne’s Fudge
DINING
Bistro on the Greens, Mission Point
Cannonball Drive Inn
Chianti’s, Mission Point
Grand Hotel Grand Luncheon Buffet
LODGING
Mission Point Resort