anyone do any regular summer visits to lake michigan cost or the UP...
eyeing some time in maybe grand haven and looking for some suggestions on places/things to do as well as best options for room&board or campgrounds/camper rental etc.
Grand Haven and the UP are quite different experiences but both are great vacation options. I love road-tripping the UP if you end up settling on that as a vacation destination.
UP is pretty great because it's rather inexpensive. We did a 10 day road trip with our Husky and I think maybe spent around a grand on hotels/Bnbs for 10 nights? And that was inclusive of pet fees for the rooms, which probably added to up $100+, easily. No shortage of camping, either.
If you do end up doing the UP, Houghton and Copper Harbor are two must-see areas. Breathtaking views and Houghton is a really cool town.
Some of the hot spots you should hit on your way up to those two places:
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (not just the typical main-tourist spot in Munising, but there are some really great hiking trails and scenic views/sand dunes east of Munising in the park).
- Marquette: just an awesome city. Fantastic restaurants and breweries, particularly Blackrocks, which features some of my absolute favorite beers. their IPAs are incredible, if you're into them.
- Also, hit Sugarloaf Mountain for a quick, pretty easy hike with incredible site seeing.
- Porcupine Mountains -- fantastic hiking, from beginner trails to advanced.
- Kitch-iti-kipi Spring
If/when you ever find yourself in Copper Harbor, start with Hunter's Point Park for an easy yet enjoyable hike, then shoot up the Brockway Mountain Drive. It'll take your breath away. If you're doing a couple days stay in Copper Harbor, you could hit Estivant Pines for some additional hiking.