gary10509

My wife and I are planning a leisurely mini-tour somewhere in Middle Michigan the first week of June. We're looking for a three or four day route, preferably a loop, with a total distance of about 100 miles, or a little more. We'd like to meander about, stopping off along the way each day to see sites, grab a sandwich, etc. We'd like find a place to sleep each night, like a motel, AirBnb, etc., and conclude the loop back at our car. Seems like there are lots of things around the Traverse City area, like a loop around Torch Lake, up to the lighthouse, etc. We're not married to any particular route and are looking for suggestions. We could also do a handful of mini-loops from a home base. Anyone have recommendations? We can do an out and back, but I don't enjoy those as much. The "back" part always gets a little boring in a "been there, done that" kind of way. Any help would be much appreciated.

bobwysiwyg

Some of us consider that "mid-Michigan" , but it sounds like a nice ride/tour.

gary10509

There, fixed.

BlazingPedals

Will you have a car? If so you could consider basing in the Traverse City area and driving to a starting point for each day's ride.
1. Riding around Torch Lake is easy but probably more than 25 miles.
2. Leelanau Peninsula from Leland to Leelenau State Park and back, could be a loop by using M-22 north and inland roads back. You'll see lots of vinyards and hills inland. Again, probably more than 25 miles.
3. Old Mission Peninsula
4. Start at Charlevoix and ride around Lake Charlevoix, including taking the ferry at Ironton.
5. Start at Glen Allen and ride around Glen Lake - see Sleeping Bear Dunes while you're at it.

chas58

This is what I would do: https://www.strava.com/routes/3043771

Here is what RAT looks like (Ride Around Torch lake): https://www.strava.com/routes/3043868

And of course the Pinky Traverse: https://www.strava.com/routes/2271560

Mission Penninsula is one of the nicest road rides in the state, as it is a loop along a shoreline most all of the way. I tend to plan to ride into the wind in the morning, as the wind is stronger in the afternoon. Can get pretty breezy on that one.

DougG

Get a copy of "Michigan Trails" magazine (https://mitrails.org/). They usually have them at various visitors centers. It's the definitive guide to all the multi-use trails around the state, some of which are in the area you're looking at and offer a nice alternative to riding on the roads. You can combine some of these trails with regular road routes to create some nice loops. I'm doing a 6-day tour this summer with Carolina Tailwinds in that area, and it's a combination of roads and paved trails (Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, Little Traverse Wheelway, etc.).

bobwysiwyg

No fix was needed. My comment was mostly in jest as my wife and I consider Northern Michigan as starting at the St. Ignace side of the bridge. Not everyone shares our view though.

BlazingPedals

True dat, but it depends on your perspective. I consider anything north of Clare (billed the 'Gateway to the North') to be "north."

bobwysiwyg

Hmm, Clare, yup, different perspective.

Jim from Boston

When I was growing up on the East Side of Detroit, going up North meant the Thumb, particularly Port Austin and Caseville.

My girlfriend (now wife) and I did a pleasant, low-key tour around 1974 from Detroit to Midland, then up the Thumb, and back to Detroit following along M-53.

oddjob2

Glad to know that the PURE MICHIGAN ads with Tim Allen voiceovers are still working.! No trick photography, the Mitten State shoreline and inland lakes are highly scenic. I have no idea how many visits you plan to Michigan, but along the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, I would include the following destinations:

Sleeping Bear Dunes, Empire to Glen Arbor
Harbor Springs and M-22, the tunnel of trees
The Leelanau Peninsula - lots of vineyards to sample and mild rolling terrain
Petoskey, Bay View, Lake Charlevoix - Victorian architecture, Grand Traverse Bay
Mackinac Island

Grand Rapids is worth a visit too on its own.
Grand Traverse Bay from Goodhart


GT Bay from Goodhart at dusk


Mackinac Island State Park Marina


Ludington Lighthouse


Northport View of Lake Michigan


North of Northport - private land


The two routes below that chas58 recommends fall within your distance limit, but don't incorporate all of the above.

mrv 

I'd recommend focusing on the Traverse City / Torch Lake area. I've ridden around the thumb (I made it a 4 day thing covering 350 miles or so) and it's incredibly flat. While the views of the lakes and from Port Austin are beautiful, the image I think of the most from that trip the Chainsaw Bugsy....



... wave to Ronald....

chas58

True, LOL, but he was looking for a 3-4 day loop, 100 miles total.

If you want to ride 400-500 miles instead, you can do it all (this specific route cut out the Leelanau Peninsula because of some seriously impressive storms that moved in across lake Michigan and destroyed things - making roads impassible. But you can add my Leelanau Peninsula route above if you want to do 500 miles...

Here is the your full tour (minus Lelanaw)
https://www.strava.com/routes/11948956

Jim from Boston

Beautiful pictures, @oddjob. The shoreline views remind my of the Maasachusetts coast north of Boston, though with sandier beaches and minus the tides and waves. Growing up, it always seemed that Lake Huron was in the Detroit sphere of influence, and Lake Michigan a Chicago destination, though not so much anymore.

We did our first tour around the tips of lthe little. ring, and middle fingers of the Mitten around 1986 starting from my parent’s cottage in Cheboygen: Harbor Springs reminded me of a typical town on Cape Cod.

oddjob2

Jim, thanks for the photo compliment. North of Boston is quaint with 200+ year old architecture and rugged coast. I worked at the EYC in Marblehead during a college summer and loved it. Never learned to sail though, because I was working every weekend. My GF's sibling has a stunning vintage NH oceanfront. But I like Nantucket best of all, great memories of a summer stint there too. Good biking territory in all places.



Ironically, Harbor Springs to me is so different from Cape Cod, particularly the slower pace and the clean scrubbed preppy look of HS. Also, an absence of weathered white oak shingle style homes. Also, so many more SUVs and not so much Volvo and Subaru wagons, lol. Grand Traverse bay sailing or viewing is hard to beat.



Pathway to Orleans Beach

Jim from Boston

[ Thanks for your reply. When we went by Harbor Springs, we just passed by, and did not explore the town. It did look ritzy, so that’s I thought of Cape Cod.

I recognize your one picture of a grassy marsh, which I think it called a tidal marsh, very common on the North Shore. Since you know that area, you may be interested to know that we have a second home in Rockport. Since "the Islands” of Nantucket and MV are off-shore of the Cape, I have been to Nantucket only once, and personally prefer the more laid back ambiance of the Vineyard; and good friends had a house there in Oak Bluffs.

oddjob2

During the non-winter, living car-free in Nantucket is easy peasy, due to the island’s compact nature.

fishboat

Planning to do this in September, 208 miles(one way), camping at state or county parks along the way. Starts in Traverse City with a loop west to pick up Sleeping Bear Dunes. It's a mix of rural roads & bike trails that includes the tunnel of trees route.

chas58

Looks nice!

I would stop off in Leland, as you are riding right past it.

Arts Tavern in Glen Arbor is my choice for lunch. ;-)

fishboat

Thanks for the suggestions. Leland sounds good..that would be the second day..fairly light..we'll have time to add it in.. Will also check out Arts..thx