We all know the views: The Grand Canyon, Route 66, Monument Valley... Whether it's in the movie "Cars" or in magazine advertisements, this is how we sell Americana road trips.
But do you want to know a secret? One that the "too nice" Upper Midwesterners won't tell ya?
Your real "cool" summer road trip is much farther north, and much further from conventionality.
And because I'm currently on a three-year, world-record road trip to all 413 U.S. National Parks, I've put together a highlights package just for you:
As anyone who's spent a summer in Michigan, Wisconsin, or Minnesota will tell you, it's heaven.
Highs in the 70s (F), lows in the 50s, and lake breezes from every direction, THIS is the Shangri-La of legend. A place that makes the great outdoors feel like spending August in front of Mother Nature's air conditioning.
Start your journey in the northwestern tip of Michigan's "mitten" by rolling down a dune straight out of an African desert, then wash off the sand in Lake Michigan before heading to Pyramid Point to watch the sun set over the mythical Manitou Islands. On your drive east from the park, pick your own cherries for only $1.99 a pound in the world's "Cherry Capital."
"Dog friendly, and also "Wow!" friendly." — Photo Credit: TBCMikah.com
Then cross the Mackinac Bridge to the Upper Peninsula, and let a local "Yooper" captain your sunset cruise along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore; watching these blue, green, orange, yellow, and red rocks change colors before your eyes as the sun sets on Lake Superior. Stargaze with your sweetie before settling into your tent for a perfectly temperate night's sleep.
"10 PM sunsets leave long days to play!" — Photo Credit: TBCMikah.com
"Sunset glows through the rocks" — Photo Credit: TBCMikah.com
3
Houghton County Memorial Airport (Cmx)
Before you skip west into Central Time, take to the skies via an Isle Royale seaplane on a short 35 minute flight to the U.S. National Park that boasts the longest average stays per visitor: Four days. After hiking across the island from Windigo to Rock Harbor, spend your fifth day on the Ranger III vessel-- the National Park Service's largest piece of equipment-- with a leisurely five-hour boat ride across the lake to Houghton, Michigan, where your car awaits your return.
"Fly into the real wilderness" — Photo Credit: TBCMikah.com
By this point, you'll likely have worked up an appetite, so finish off those cherries you've been munching on since Sleeping Bear Dunes and get ready for something cheesy. Wine and cheese yourself on a sailboat as you hop around the dots of land in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. This "Sconnie" secret with magnificent sea caves is the summer getaway of choice for southern Wisconsin residents, and it will spare you the heavy crowds at The Dells.
"Northwest side of Devils Island - where you'll find many caved-out rocks" — Photo Credit: TBCMikah.com
"Sunset toward Voyageurs National Park" — Photo Credit: TBCMikah.com
Round out your Great American Road Trip by edging close to the border of Canada as you criss cross the waterways of Voyageurs National Park in your canoe. Less crowded than the Boundary Waters, this park puts you as far north as you can get in the lower continental U.S.--meaning sunny days until 10 p.m.-- and you'll have tons of "oh for cute" conversations with the local "Gophers" (Minnesotans) who escape hot Minneapolis-St. Paul for their northern lake houses.
So next time you want a "cool" American road trip, save the clichés for the tourists, and spend your summer in the temperate waters Midwestern travelers want to keep as their secret escape.
Mikah Meyer
Currently on a world record road trip to all 400+ U.S. National Parks. Follow along at TBCMikah.com
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