Day 70 The Ultimate USA road trip Bay City Mackinaw City
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 17-10-2023
Route Summary I have further supplemented the Road Trip with even more special points that you can visit in the USA. Today we drive from Bay City to Mackinaw City. It is a long drive along Lake Hudson of almost 450 kilometers with many stops, the route can be shortened by skipping the "River Road National Scenic Byway".
We drive on scenic back roads through Michigan with stops at a number of historic points.
I rate this route with 5 stars because of the nice stops, sights and beautiful ride along Lake Huron and through the green landscape of Michigan.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
12h 34m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
449.17 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review The route we drive is known as the “US 23 Heritage Route” and is also called the “Road to the Sunrise Coast”. This 200 mile (322km) Scenic Byway starts in Standish and takes us to the beautiful tourist town of Mackinaw City and the islet of Mackinac Island. This beautiful island has been named the best summer travel destination in 2023 by USA TODAY! But more on that later.
We drive to Standish, the first stop on the “US 23 Heritage Route” or the starting point of this beautiful “Scenic Byway”. Here we visit the “Standish Historical Depot & Welcome Center”. This is the former Michigan Central Railroad Depot. Many train artifacts, depot memorabilia, and local historic photos and documents are on display in the museum room. There is also a restored railway carriage and two English Vintage cars on display, which are open to the public from May to October. The depot is the perfect place to stretch your legs, shop in the gift shop and have a coffee or snack in the restaurant.
After this stop, enjoy the 200 mile long “US 23 Heritage Road” or “Huron Shores Heritage Route”, along this route you will be treated to spectacular scenic views of Lake Huron, beautiful parks, forests, quaint villages and many recreational Services. More information about this beautiful ride can be found at the links in this review, on the site you can download a complete travel guide to prepare your trip well.
Beginning in Standish and winding along the shoreline of Lake Huron, the route features some of the most extensive and important recreational, environmental, historical, and cultural attractions in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Lake Huron's northern shoreline offers beautiful beaches, forests, wetlands, lighthouses, parks, hiking trails, museums, pretty towns, culture, attractions, golf parks, restaurants and many other hidden treasures.
The first stop is a short visit to "Ye Olde Courthouse & Masonic Hall", the former Arenac County courthouse built in 1890. It has survived many natural disasters such as the "cyclone" of 1895, the fires of 1901 and 1914, the flood of 1916 and ice storm of 1922. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is full of historical artifacts and documents. The furniture from 1903 is in excellent condition. Walking through this building is like walking through a nineteenth century time capsule.
After about a 10 minute drive we come to the Arenac County Historical Society museum which preserves the history of Arenac County for the public and researchers. The museum houses exhibits, artifacts, documents, and memorabilia dating from the first settlements of Arenac to the present day. The museum is open in the summer and can be visited by appointment.
In the beautiful beach town of Tawas we stop briefly for a cup of coffee and to enjoy this beautiful bay on Lake Huron. After the break we drive to “Tawas Point State Park” to visit the Tawas Point Lighthouse: the lighthouse has been in operation since 1876. At night, the keeper's house and tower are illuminated with outdoor lights. Tours are available during the summer months.
In the town of Oscoda we leave the “US23 Heritage Route” to drive the beautiful “River Road National Scenic Byway”. This short but beautiful 22 mile (35km) Scenic Byway meanders along the mighty AuSable River through the Huron National Forest. As mentioned earlier, the route can be shortened by not driving this Scenic Byway, but then you miss a nice part of Michigan. There are several places along the route to enjoy the beautiful views and to take a picture. A number of points are marked with a route point, such as;
• The “Au Sable River Queen”, a double decker, authentic paddle steamer painted patriotically in red, white and blue! The "Au Sable River Queen" is a star attraction and the only paddle wheel riverboat in northern Michigan. Two-hour tours offer wildlife views and beautiful scenery, and you can relax as the captain shares the area's colorful history. It offers a heated lower deck, a snack bar and restrooms on board.
• The Lumbering History Exhibit Area. This is a nice place to stretch your legs on the "Highbanks Hiking Trail" to the "Cooke Dam-Lake", there is a lookout point with a beautiful view over this lake. The “Lumberman's Monument” is a bronze statue dedicated to the workers of Michigan's early logging industry. Standing at 14 feet (4.27 m), the bronze statue consists of a tree trunk surrounded by three figures: a "Timber Cruiser" holding a compass, a "Sawyer" with his saw slung over his shoulder, and a "River Rat" resting his peavey on the ground.
On the way back to the “US23” we drive past two dams in the Au Sable river. The first dam is the “Five Channels Dam”, this hydroelectric dam was built between 1911 and 1912. The dam is the second of six built by the company on the Au Sable River and is named after the nearby site where five different were river channels. The current plant can produce 6,000 kilowatts.
The second dam is the “Foote Dam”, this hydroelectric dam was completed in 1918 and has a capacity of 9,000 kilowatts. It is named after William A. Foote, the founder of Consumers Power, which later became Consumers Energy. In 1896, Foote took a side trip from Kalamazoo to Allegan, where he conceived the idea of a hydroelectric power station along the Kalamazoo River. According to Foote, that plant and others would power industrial centers across the state. At this dam you can stop well to take a few pictures.
Back in Oscoda we stop for lunch and then continue on the “US23”. In the town of Ossineke, dinosaur lovers can visit the "Dinosaur Gardens", this park was built from 1935 to 1970. This park is located on 20 hectares of mature forest with a path that takes you back in time when dinosaurs ruled the earth! See life-sized replicas of dinosaurs, prehistoric humans, and Ice Age animals. More than 26 exhibits along the trail! This attraction has been featured in Life Magazine, multiple newspapers, travelogues and has also been featured on television.
We stop briefly at the “45 Parallel Marker” to take a picture, here you are halfway between the equator and the North Pole! There is no parking lot, so be wary of traffic if you stop here.
The next stop is on the peninsula “Presque Island” here we visit two lighthouses;
• The first is “Old Presque Isle Lighthouse”, which was operational for 31 years and is known for its ghosts. Many say that you can hear the screams of the ghost of a guard's wife who was imprisoned in the tower long ago. But others say it's the ghost of George Parris, he and his wife moved into the keeper's cottage in the 1990s to run the museum and give tours. Since George's passing, the light in the lighthouse turns on every night between sunset and sunrise, while it is permanently off!!!
• The second is the Presque Isle Light Station, a complex of three historic buildings, including a lighthouse and two watchman's houses. Presque Isle Light is the tallest lighthouse open to the public in the Grate Lakes area. Built in 1870, the tower replaced the 1840 harbor light. For a small fee, visitors can climb the 130 steps to the top of the tower for a spectacular view of Lake Huron.
The next stop is at the largest limestone quarry in the world that has been in continuous operation since 1912. The limestone quarry has shipped more than 700 million tons of high-quality limestone to customers throughout the Midwest. The limestone was deposited over 350 million years ago when the area was submerged in a shallow sea. The calcium in the water settled and formed a deposit hundreds of meters thick.
We will visit the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse Park, climb the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse completed in 1896. There is a gift shop. Visit the museum and gift shop, board the restored wheelhouse of the steamer Calcite, and see the shipwreck of the Joseph S. Fay on the beach.
Along the way to the lighthouse you will see the "Glawe School", a small one room school building. The original was built on Ocqueoc Road around 1885, burned down and was rebuilt on the same site. The current school was renovated several times and served as a school until 1960. Children from the first through the eighth grade attended the school. In 1999, the Glawe school was moved to this location at 40 Mile Point Lighthouse Park.
The 40 Mile Point Lighthouse Park is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Michigan Historical Marker.
The ride's terminus is in Mackinaw City, located at the northernmost point of Lower Michigan. There are several hotels and resorts along the shores of Lake Huron. Be sure to plan a few days in this lovely tourist town, there are endless interesting things to see and do in Mackinaw City. You can enjoy both historical and modern sights here. Down Town offers nice bars and restaurants.
Also consider a ferry crossing to visit the beautiful nearby island of Mackinac, this island is car free and you can hire bicycles to explore this beautiful island. A round trip (round trip) costs between $34 and $46 (depending on which ferry service you book). At the links in this review you will find more information about this beautiful city and the island.
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Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Michigan
About this region
Michigan is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. Its name derives from a gallicized variant of the original Ojibwe word ᒥᓯᑲᒥ (mishigami), meaning 'large water' or 'large lake'. With a population of nearly 10.1 million and a total area of nearly 97,000 sq mi (250,000 km2), Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the largest east of the Mississippi River. Its capital is Lansing, and its largest city is Detroit. Metro Detroit is among the nation's most populous and largest metropolitan economies.
Michigan is the only state to consist of two peninsulas. The Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten. The Upper Peninsula (often called "the U.P.") is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac, a five-mile (8 km) channel that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. The Mackinac Bridge connects the peninsulas. Michigan has the longest freshwater coastline of any political subdivision in the world, being bordered by four of the five Great Lakes, plus Lake St. Clair. It also has 64,980 inland lakes and ponds.The area was first occupied by a succession of Native American tribes over thousands of years. Inhabited by natives, Métis, and French explorers in the 17th century, it was claimed as part of the New France colony. After France's defeat in the French and Indian War in 1762, the region came under British rule. Britain ceded the territory to the newly independent United States after Britain's defeat in the American Revolutionary War. The area was part of the larger Northwest Territory until 1800, when western Michigan became part of the Indiana Territory. Michigan Territory was formed in 1805, but some of the northern border with Canada was not agreed upon until after the War of 1812. Michigan was admitted into the Union in 1837 as the 26th state, a free one. It soon became an important center of industry and trade in the Great Lakes region and a popular émigré destination in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; immigration from many European countries to Michigan was also the busiest at that time, especially for those who emigrated from Finland, Macedonia and the Netherlands.Although Michigan developed a diverse economy, it is widely known as the center of the U.S. automotive industry, which developed as a major economic force in the early 20th century. It is home to the country's three major automobile companies (whose headquarters are all in Metro Detroit). While sparsely populated, the Upper Peninsula is important for tourism due to its abundance of natural resources, while the Lower Peninsula is a center of manufacturing, forestry, agriculture, services, and high-tech industry.
Read more on Wikipedia
Michigan is the only state to consist of two peninsulas. The Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten. The Upper Peninsula (often called "the U.P.") is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac, a five-mile (8 km) channel that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. The Mackinac Bridge connects the peninsulas. Michigan has the longest freshwater coastline of any political subdivision in the world, being bordered by four of the five Great Lakes, plus Lake St. Clair. It also has 64,980 inland lakes and ponds.The area was first occupied by a succession of Native American tribes over thousands of years. Inhabited by natives, Métis, and French explorers in the 17th century, it was claimed as part of the New France colony. After France's defeat in the French and Indian War in 1762, the region came under British rule. Britain ceded the territory to the newly independent United States after Britain's defeat in the American Revolutionary War. The area was part of the larger Northwest Territory until 1800, when western Michigan became part of the Indiana Territory. Michigan Territory was formed in 1805, but some of the northern border with Canada was not agreed upon until after the War of 1812. Michigan was admitted into the Union in 1837 as the 26th state, a free one. It soon became an important center of industry and trade in the Great Lakes region and a popular émigré destination in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; immigration from many European countries to Michigan was also the busiest at that time, especially for those who emigrated from Finland, Macedonia and the Netherlands.Although Michigan developed a diverse economy, it is widely known as the center of the U.S. automotive industry, which developed as a major economic force in the early 20th century. It is home to the country's three major automobile companies (whose headquarters are all in Metro Detroit). While sparsely populated, the Upper Peninsula is important for tourism due to its abundance of natural resources, while the Lower Peninsula is a center of manufacturing, forestry, agriculture, services, and high-tech industry.
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Route Collections in this region The ultimate Great Lakes Tour
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Starting from EagleRider Motorcycle rental at Illinois Harley-Davidson in Chicago and ending at EagleRider Motorcycle rental in Staten Island.
The Ultimate Great Lakes tour is a route through the United States and Canada to scenic destinations along Lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario.
What are the Great Lakes? The Great Lakes are a series of five interconnected freshwater lakes located on the border of the United States and Canada. They are the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world by area and have sea-like characteristics such as rolling waves, strong currents, miles of sandy and rocky beaches, and distant horizons. This tour of 8 routes includes places to stop for coffee, lunch and overnight hotels. It also visits well known historic and scenic sites along the way mostly avoiding major highways. I have suggested 2 nights at Lake Superior and 2 nights at Niagara Falls, making this a 10 day tour, but of course, that is up to you. The scenery and landscapes are breathtaking and each day is different to the next. Please enjoy.
Starting from EagleRider Motorcycle rental at Illinois Harley-Davidson in Chicago and ending at EagleRider Motorcycle rental in Staten Island.
The Ultimate Great Lakes tour is a route through the United States and Canada to scenic destinations along Lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario.
What are the Great Lakes? The Great Lakes are a series of five interconnected freshwater lakes located on the border of the United States and Canada. They are the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world by area and have sea-like characteristics such as rolling waves, strong currents, miles of sandy and rocky beaches, and distant horizons. This tour of 8 routes includes places to stop for coffee, lunch and overnight hotels. It also visits well known historic and scenic sites along the way mostly avoiding major highways. I have suggested 2 nights at Lake Superior and 2 nights at Niagara Falls, making this a 10 day tour, but of course, that is up to you. The scenery and landscapes are breathtaking and each day is different to the next. Please enjoy.
View Route Collection
Trans Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) or Trans-Canadian Highway is a system of highways that cover all 10 provinces of Canada.
The Federal and Provincial Highways System that now forms the TCH were authorized by the Trans-Canada Highway Act of 1948 and opened in 1962. It was completed in 1971. The total length of the TCH is 7821 km.
Contrary to the American Interstate Highway System, the TCH does not consist of an unambiguous network of motorways, but forms a network of restricted access highways and other main routes that are more akin to the Dutch provincial roads. The route is indicated by a green shield with a white maple leaf.
The numbering of the roads that are part of the TCH is the domain of the provinces. Only the western provinces have aligned their numbering and the TCH has the designation Highway 1 there.
The main route of the TCH starts in Victoria in British Columbia and runs via Calgary and Regina to Winnipeg. From Winnipeg the route leads to Kenora in Ontario, after which several branches pass through Ontario to Ottawa.
Further east, the route passes through the province of Quebec via Montreal and Quebec, among others, to Moncton, New Brunswick. Then the TCH continues east through Nova Scotia, where a branch (via the Confederation Bridge) leads to Prince Edward Island. Another section runs down to the sea in the port city of Sydney, where a ferry service leaves for Channel-Port aux Basques on the island of Newfoundland. From there the route continues for more than 900 km to the provincial capital of St. John's, in the extreme southeast of the island.
We not only drive the TCH, but will take the rural roads as much as possible, because only Highway driving is too boring and Canada has many beautiful roads through its beautiful landscape. You drive through all provinces and through very varied and scenic landscapes, from the Rockies in the West, the Central Prairies to the Eastern Maritimes and the Northern Forest.
The riding season is generally April through October with longer seasons on the west coast and southern Ontario. Provide good all season clothing or bring rain gear, depending on the province and the season the weather can change and you may be surprised by a rain or even a snow or hail shower, so be prepared.
In Canada the metric system is used, so speeds are indicated in Km / h. A helmet requirement (DOT approved) applies throughout Canada.
You will see many wildlife throughout Canada. This varies from province to province, such as deer, buffalos, moose, caribou, wolves, pumas, bears, mountain goats, sheep, lynx, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, badgers, various rodents and all kinds of birds. Even if it is very tempting to stop for a photo, don't do it, it can be very dangerous.
The routes described in this review sometimes deviate from the Trans Canada Highway, bringing the total length to 9,300 kilometers. The routes are made so that you drive through the beautiful parts of Canada with truly beautiful panoramas and beautiful sights to visit, this differs from museums, parks to historical points. The routes are not too long so there is time to stop for photos and sights along the way. You can also choose to arrange and combine the stages differently or to add other routes to shorten or extend your journey. The routes are marked with a rating in stars, some routes are less challenging or interesting but are necessary to drive to the next point, which is why they often have a lower rating.
In the route description you will find more details about the routes and the points of interest along the way. These points and also hotels, restaurants, petrol stations etc. are indicated with a POI and sometimes also with a Route point. In the description you will also find links to interesting sites and to the routes that connect to that day.
The described routes are;
Day 01 TCH Victory to Nanaimo
Day 02 TCH Nanaimo to Hope
Day 03 TCH Hope to Kamloops
Day 04 TCH Kamloops to Revelstoke
Day 05 TCH Revelstoke to Lake Louise
Day 06 TCH Lake Louise to Calgary
Day 07 TCH Calgary to Medicine Hat
Day 08 TCH Medicine Hat to Moose Jaw
Day 09 TCH Moose Jaw to Regina
Day 10 TCH Regina to Brandon
Day 11 TCH Brandon to Winnipeg
Day 12 TCH Winnipeg to Kenora
Day 13 TCH Kenora to Ignace
Day 14 TCH Ignace to Thunder Bay
Day 15 TCH Thunder Bay to Marathon
Day 16 Thunder Bay to Wawa
Day 17 TCH Wawa to Sault Ste Marie
Day 18 TCH Sault Ste Marie to Espanola
Day 19 TCH Espanola to Mattawa
Day 20 TCH Mattawa to Ottawa
Day 21 TCH Ottawa to Montreal
Day 22 TCH Montreal to Quebec
Day 23 TCH Quebec to Riviere du Loup
Day 24 TCH Riviere du Loup to Grand Falls
Day 25 TCH Grand Falls to Fredericton
Day 26 TCH Fredericton to Moncton
Day 27 TCH Moncton to Charlottetown
Day 28 TCH Charlottetown to Truro
Day 29 TCH Truro to North Sydney
Day 30 TCH North Sydney to Corner Brook
Day 31 TCH Corner Brook to Grand Falls
Day 32 TCH Grand Falls to Clarenville
Day 33 TCH Clarenville to St John.
Have fun reading the reviews and planning your next road trip.
If you have driven this trip, I am very curious about your feedback!
The Federal and Provincial Highways System that now forms the TCH were authorized by the Trans-Canada Highway Act of 1948 and opened in 1962. It was completed in 1971. The total length of the TCH is 7821 km.
Contrary to the American Interstate Highway System, the TCH does not consist of an unambiguous network of motorways, but forms a network of restricted access highways and other main routes that are more akin to the Dutch provincial roads. The route is indicated by a green shield with a white maple leaf.
The numbering of the roads that are part of the TCH is the domain of the provinces. Only the western provinces have aligned their numbering and the TCH has the designation Highway 1 there.
The main route of the TCH starts in Victoria in British Columbia and runs via Calgary and Regina to Winnipeg. From Winnipeg the route leads to Kenora in Ontario, after which several branches pass through Ontario to Ottawa.
Further east, the route passes through the province of Quebec via Montreal and Quebec, among others, to Moncton, New Brunswick. Then the TCH continues east through Nova Scotia, where a branch (via the Confederation Bridge) leads to Prince Edward Island. Another section runs down to the sea in the port city of Sydney, where a ferry service leaves for Channel-Port aux Basques on the island of Newfoundland. From there the route continues for more than 900 km to the provincial capital of St. John's, in the extreme southeast of the island.
We not only drive the TCH, but will take the rural roads as much as possible, because only Highway driving is too boring and Canada has many beautiful roads through its beautiful landscape. You drive through all provinces and through very varied and scenic landscapes, from the Rockies in the West, the Central Prairies to the Eastern Maritimes and the Northern Forest.
The riding season is generally April through October with longer seasons on the west coast and southern Ontario. Provide good all season clothing or bring rain gear, depending on the province and the season the weather can change and you may be surprised by a rain or even a snow or hail shower, so be prepared.
In Canada the metric system is used, so speeds are indicated in Km / h. A helmet requirement (DOT approved) applies throughout Canada.
You will see many wildlife throughout Canada. This varies from province to province, such as deer, buffalos, moose, caribou, wolves, pumas, bears, mountain goats, sheep, lynx, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, badgers, various rodents and all kinds of birds. Even if it is very tempting to stop for a photo, don't do it, it can be very dangerous.
The routes described in this review sometimes deviate from the Trans Canada Highway, bringing the total length to 9,300 kilometers. The routes are made so that you drive through the beautiful parts of Canada with truly beautiful panoramas and beautiful sights to visit, this differs from museums, parks to historical points. The routes are not too long so there is time to stop for photos and sights along the way. You can also choose to arrange and combine the stages differently or to add other routes to shorten or extend your journey. The routes are marked with a rating in stars, some routes are less challenging or interesting but are necessary to drive to the next point, which is why they often have a lower rating.
In the route description you will find more details about the routes and the points of interest along the way. These points and also hotels, restaurants, petrol stations etc. are indicated with a POI and sometimes also with a Route point. In the description you will also find links to interesting sites and to the routes that connect to that day.
The described routes are;
Day 01 TCH Victory to Nanaimo
Day 02 TCH Nanaimo to Hope
Day 03 TCH Hope to Kamloops
Day 04 TCH Kamloops to Revelstoke
Day 05 TCH Revelstoke to Lake Louise
Day 06 TCH Lake Louise to Calgary
Day 07 TCH Calgary to Medicine Hat
Day 08 TCH Medicine Hat to Moose Jaw
Day 09 TCH Moose Jaw to Regina
Day 10 TCH Regina to Brandon
Day 11 TCH Brandon to Winnipeg
Day 12 TCH Winnipeg to Kenora
Day 13 TCH Kenora to Ignace
Day 14 TCH Ignace to Thunder Bay
Day 15 TCH Thunder Bay to Marathon
Day 16 Thunder Bay to Wawa
Day 17 TCH Wawa to Sault Ste Marie
Day 18 TCH Sault Ste Marie to Espanola
Day 19 TCH Espanola to Mattawa
Day 20 TCH Mattawa to Ottawa
Day 21 TCH Ottawa to Montreal
Day 22 TCH Montreal to Quebec
Day 23 TCH Quebec to Riviere du Loup
Day 24 TCH Riviere du Loup to Grand Falls
Day 25 TCH Grand Falls to Fredericton
Day 26 TCH Fredericton to Moncton
Day 27 TCH Moncton to Charlottetown
Day 28 TCH Charlottetown to Truro
Day 29 TCH Truro to North Sydney
Day 30 TCH North Sydney to Corner Brook
Day 31 TCH Corner Brook to Grand Falls
Day 32 TCH Grand Falls to Clarenville
Day 33 TCH Clarenville to St John.
Have fun reading the reviews and planning your next road trip.
If you have driven this trip, I am very curious about your feedback!
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