Day 1 Arrival into Chicago

Spend your first night at a resort in Chicagoland. Play a round of golf, enjoy a spa or try your luck at a casino.
Overnight: Chicagoland area

Day 2 Chicago

Spend the day touring Chicago’s many attractions such as the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Field Museum or a Chicago Architecture Foundation cruise on the Chicago River.
Overnight: Chicago, Illinois

Day 3 Chicago to Elkhart

96 miles / 160 km

Travel through Northern Indiana and visit the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Park. Then journey through the back roads to Amish Country.
Overnight: Elkhart, Indiana

Day 4 Elkhart to Grand Haven

128 miles / 201 km

Depart for Holland where proud Dutch heritage abounds. In May you’ll see millions of tulips in bloom in preparation for the annual Tulip Time Festival. Continue to Saugatuck, a quaint artists’ community and the nationally-recognized Oval Beach. A trip out on the Star of Saugatuck will offer you a view of the ghost town, Singapore, which is Michigan’s own Pompeii. Downtown Grand Haven boasts unique shops and restaurants, as well as nightly summer performances of the “World’s Largest Musical Fountain.”
Overnight: Grand Haven

Day 5 Grand Haven to Petoskey

223 miles / 359 km

Travel up the coast of Lake Michigan to Sleeping Bear Dunes, a picturesque National Park. Time permiting, take a side trip along the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive near Empire for a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan. The trip north on US-31 takes you through Elk Rapids, Charlevoix and Bay Harbor – a new community located on the southern shore of Little Traverse Bay. And, plan a quick jaunt to nearby Walloon Lake where Ernest Hemingway spent his childhood summers.
Overnight: Petoskey, Michigan

Day 6 Petoskey to Mackinac Island

36 miles / 58 km

As you head north, stop off for a visit in Harbor Springs. Taking the scenic M-119 “Tunnel of Trees” brings you to Cross Village and the famed Legs Inn Restaurant offering authentic Polish cuisine, unique architecture and spectacular views. Once you arrive in Mackinaw City, head for the Mackinaw Crossings and Center Stage Theatre for a live performance. Walk the streets in search of maritime souvenirs and the ultimate sweet treat: Michigan fudge. The Mackinac State Historic Parks operates three properties in Mackinaw City, including Mill Creek, Colonial Michilimackinac and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. Ferry to Mackinac Island, and enjoy a horse drawn carriage around this quaint island. Movie-goers may recognize the island as the site for the 1970s movie “Somewhere in Time” or the 1940s “This Time for Keeps.”
Overnight: Mackinac Island, Michigan

Day 7 Mackinac Island to Escanaba

147 miles / 235 km

Cross the famous Mackinac Bridge to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Rising nearly 200 feet above the ground is Castle Rock, offering magnificent views of the Straits of Mackinac. The Museum of Ojibwa Culture is a National Historic Landmark portraying life in this area over 300 years ago. Travel through Gulliver and the “haunted” Seul Choix Point Lighthouse & Museum along with the ghost town Fayette in Garden. In Escanaba, find out just what Michigan’s own Jeff Daniels was talking about in his acclaimed movie/plan “Escanaba in da Moonlight.”
Overnight: Escanaba, Michigan

Day 8 Escanaba to Door County

142 miles / 227 km

s almost a peninsula. At the heart of this community’s historical downtown district is the Great Lakes Memorial Park Marina. It is dedicated to all sailors of the Great Lakes who have lost their lives since the Griffon, the first sailing vessel on the lakes, was lost on a voyage starting in Green Bay waters in 1679. As you cross the state line into Door County, you’ll be greeted by quaint communities with unique shops and exceptional restaurants. Stop by Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant in Sister Bay to see the goats grazing on the grass roof. Door County is also home to several wineries and tasting rooms.
Overnight: Door County, Wisconsin

Day 9 Door County

Spend the day relaxing and exploring the quaint harbor towns of Door County, where you’ll find more miles of shoreline, more lighthouses and more state parks than any other county in the nation. No trip to Door County would be complete without the experience of a fish boil. This tradition dates back to the Scandinavian settlers and lumberjacks, and features whitefish steaks, onions and potatoes in salted water boiled in a huge pot over an open fire.
Overnight: Door County, Wisconsin

Day 10 Door County to Milwaukee

170 miles / 272 km

Follow the Lake Michigan shoreline south through Two Rivers – home of the Ice Cream Sundae – to Manitowoc. A visit to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum offers you a chance to tour an actual submarine, the SS Cobia. In Milwaukee, try one of the ethnic neighborhood restaurants in the “City of Festivals.” The two biggest names in Milwaukee are Harley Davidson and Miller Beer. Harley Davidson’s history dates back to 1903, when the first motorcycle built by William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson rolled out. Miller Brewing Company offers a free plant tour which provides an up-close look at the brewhouse, packaging center and historical caves.
Overnight: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Day 11 Milwaukee to Chicago

92 miles / 147 km

As you head south toward the Windy City, be sure to stop off in Racine and Kenosha before crossing the state line into Illinois. If shopping is your bag, plan a visit to Gurnee Mills Mall – a shopping destination located next to Six Flags Great America. Or, stop in Woodfield – “Chicago’s City in the Suburbs” for a world-class shopping experience before arriving at Chicago O’Hare to depart for home.