Colonial Michilimackinac

Treasures from the past come to life at this 18th-century fort and fur trading village. As you walk through the site, you are stepping back in time to 1776, as the American Revolution spread. Reconstructed based on historic maps and more than 60 years of archaeological excavations that continue today, Colonial Michilimackinac offers a one-of-a-kind experience from cannon and musket firings to hearth cooking and crafts.

Located on the shore of the Straits of Mackinac, visitors can enjoy stunning views of the Mackinac Bridge, the straits, and the Upper Peninsula.

https://www.mackinacparks.com/parks-and-attractions/colonial-michilimackinac/

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Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park

Witness the power of the creek harnessed to cut timber into lumber at one of the oldest industrial sites on the Upper Great Lakes. On the Adventure Tour, explore the treetops on the Forest Canopy Bridge, soar like an eagle on the 425′ Eagle’s Flight Zip Line, and experience the layers of the forest on the five-story Treetop Discovery Tower. 

Afterward, take time to explore the natural beauty of Mill Creek State Park, which has more than three miles of groomed hiking trails. 

https://www.mackinacparks.com/parks-and-attractions/historic-mill-creek-discovery-park/

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City of Cheboygan

Cheboygan on Lake Huron spans the Cheboygan River and has been an industrial, shipping, and boating port since the 1870’s. The river winds through a quaint historic downtown, numerous neighborhoods, and is the centerpiece of several wonderful dining and shopping experiences. The downtown offers a summer concert series, a music festival, and bridge walk, as well as museums, galleries, boutiques, and dining. The park along Lake Michigan is a lovely venue for an afternoon picnic.

Cheboygan hosts the annual Michigan Waterways Festival where you can take a stroll back to the days when the whole family would head up north for a summer getaway.  Dip your feet in the cool, clear waters of the Straits of Mackinaw.  Feed your adventurous spirit with a kayak tour of shipwrecks in Duncan Bay, or pack a picnic and sit on the banks of the Cheboygan River and watch the Open Water Challenge Great Lakes Downwind Championship kayak, SUP and paddle board racers cross the finish line in beautiful downtown Cheboygan, the Gateway to the Inland Waterway. The Michigan Waterways Festival celebrates our pristine lakes, rivers and streams, from Lake Huron to Burt Lake and all the connecting waterways between!  Enjoy family friendly activities ranging from campfire ghost stories told along the Cheboygan River, to live entertainment in the heart of downtown Cheboygan at Festival Square.  Take a tour of the pride of Cheboygan, the USCG Cutter Mackinaw or try your hand at Sidewalk Chalk Art in Washington Park.  Come to Cheboygan for the Michigan Waterways Festival, and let us remind you how a laid back up north summer vacation feels!

The Farmer’s Market is every Wednesday in the summer.

Cheboygan is an ideal launch point for a fishing, boating or sailing adventure through the Inland Waterways or to Lake Huron to Duncan bay, Drummond Island, or Mackinaw Island.

Cheboygan Brewery is a restored historic brewery that makes some of the best ale’s anywhere.

In winter, Cheboygan offers miles of snowmobile trails, ice fishing and an ice rink.

https://www.cheboygan.org

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Dark Sky Park Telescope

Headlands Dark Sky Park and Beach

Journey to the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula to find the amazing International Dark Sky Park. Featuring spectacular views of the amazing Milky Way and countless stars above, the Headlands east of Mackinaw City offers frequent education and entertainment on site.

Harbor Springs

Harbor Springs Michigan is a jewel of North America, a small quaint town nestled in a protected harbor filled with magnificent sailboats and yachts from around the world, Harbor Springs offers a wide array of dining, shopping and adventure experiences. Harbor Springs beauty is second to none. Whether on the piers or along the shore, up the bluff, in the woods, or skydiving from above, the views are magnificent.

Harbor Springs has beaches in town (Zorn Park Beach), a dog beach (Zoll Street Beach), and by boat or paddle board you can beach at Harbor Point.

At night, Harbor Springs comes alive with bands and street life. Shop the di$tinctive downtown stores for the finest livery anywhere, as well as more casual shops and galleries for those of more modest means. Restaurants offer fine dining and cocktail atmospheres. Sandwich and pizza shops line the streets and the local movie theater hosts first run films.

The harbor offers complete marine services, repair, storage, and maintenance. Weekly sailboat races, sailing classes, resort sportsmen and grand yachts worthy of Monaco Harbor make the vista from shore a splendor unequaled. Harbor Springs host racers and crews for the Mackinac races as well as the local Ugotta Regatta. The namesake beach is a lovely summer spot to catch some rays and dip in Lake Michigan where you can feel the ice cold springs cool your feet as you swim.

Harbor Springs presents an Art Fair and one of the most spectacular Fourth of July Celebration events in the country. Weekly Shopper’s Nights include lining the streets with buskers and bands so music mixes with the wafting smells of fresh sweets and magnificent treats of the ice cream and specialty stores.

For bikes, classic vehicles, and family rides, Harbor Springs in the jump off point for the fabulous Tunnel of Trees Tour, or spend the day in the inland villages for the Antique Treasure Hunt Tour. Harbor Springs is a stones throw from golf, frisbee golf, nature trails, zip lines and mountain parks. With boat rentals, skate park, a small airport and skydiving, Harbor Springs offers something for everyone.

Start (or end) in Harbor Springs to take a beautiful ride along the Sacred Coast north, home of the famous Spirit Cove and Tunnel of Trees.

https://www.cityofharborsprings.com

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