Need Trip Advice Going Thru MN

[brianlajoie]

We will be coming back from the nat'l rally through Michigan, then Minnesota. Have most of Michigan figured out. Last stop planned so far in MI is Porcupine Mountains State Park. Figure I will start heading west towards Duluth...

I need advice on which way and what to do in Minnesota as we head back to Denver. Any ideas?

 

[jbeletti]

Which way From Duluth
35 South to 80 West (at Des Moines) to 76 West.

What to do in MN
Duluth - Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center
Minneapolis - Mall of America (stay in Prior Lake at Dakotah Meadows RV Park)Austin - Spam Museum!
The Big List on TripAdvisor

What to do in IA off I-35
Have a Maid Rite sandwich!! (map link - fuel/park at the BP and walk a few feet to the Maid Rite place!)

 

[JohnD]

Are you going to be sightseeing while traveling through Michigan . . . or just driving through?

Michigan is our home state (ie.- where we are 'from'), so we know a lot of good places to check out there.

 

[brianlajoie]

Jim, Unless there is a lot to see going down I-35, I was going to try to avoid Minneapolis. Not into shopping... Maybe 210? I could come down I-39??? Depends of what others say is out there. Right now it is a blank slate.

John, I used 2 sources for MI. One was Mary's trip last year. I will post it once I fill in the MN blanks.

 

[Kinguni]

If you can make it up to Fort Wilkins by Copper Harbor MI they have a lovely campground, a fort to check out, plus the town and it's harbor along with old mines nearby offering tours. In Duluth we stayed at the Duluth Boat Basin and RV Parking just over the lift bridge. We biked to the nearby pubs and attractions. Easy walk too. Plus you can watch the ships coming and going. Ca't make any suggestions on the rest of your journey without sending you further north.

 

[klp605]

If you're interested in nature's beauty, these parks are amazing.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.onlyinyourstate.com/minnesota/waterfall-road-trip-mn/amp/

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[brianlajoie]

John,

This is what I have so far on the MI leg:

Day 1Goshen to Paris Park (Paris MI) 163 miles

Day 2 Paristo Mackinaw City (350 miles). Stay 3nights in Mackinaw City at the KOA.
Spend a day onMackinaw Island
one day going upto Ste Saint Marie (60 miles one way)
Day 5 MackinawCity to Paradise (72 miles) (Tahquamenon Falls State Park) visit both the Upper and LowerTahquamenon Falls; also the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish PointLight Station. (need one or two days forthis?)
Day 6Paradise to Manistique (102 miles) (Indian Lake State Park) visit Kitchitikipi– Big Spring
Day 7Manistique to Munising (46 miles) (Stay at Munising Tourist Park) Do PicturedRocks boat trip – sunset cruise?
Day 8 Munisingto Porcupine Mountains State Park / Lake of the Clouds (173 miles) Stay at OntonagonTownship Park and Campground

- - - Updated - - -

If you're interested in nature's beauty, these parks are amazing.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.onlyinyourstate.com/minnesota/waterfall-road-trip-mn/amp/

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

That looks like fun. Unfortunately, we need to start heading west and south. Thanks for the input though!

- - - Updated - - -

If you can make it up to Fort Wilkins by Copper Harbor MI they have a lovely campground, a fort to check out, plus the town and it's harbor along with old mines nearby offering tours. In Duluth we stayed at the Duluth Boat Basin and RV Parking just over the lift bridge. We biked to the nearby pubs and attractions. Easy walk too. Plus you can watch the ships coming and going. Ca't make any suggestions on the rest of your journey without sending you further north.

Yea, need to start heading home. Already the longest trip we have ever planned. Will check Copper Harbor. We won't all that far from it. Thanks!

 

[Kinguni]

John,

This is what I have so far on the MI leg:

Day 1Goshen to Paris Park (Paris MI) 163 miles

Day 2 Paristo Mackinaw City (350 miles). Stay 3nights in Mackinaw City at the KOA.
Spend a day onMackinaw Island
one day going upto Ste Saint Marie (60 miles one way)
Day 5 MackinawCity to Paradise (72 miles) (Tahquamenon Falls State Park) visit both the Upper and LowerTahquamenon Falls; also the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish PointLight Station. (need one or two days forthis?)
Day 6Paradise to Manistique (102 miles) (Indian Lake State Park) visit Kitchitikipi– Big Spring
Day 7Manistique to Munising (46 miles) (Stay at Munising Tourist Park) Do PicturedRocks boat trip – sunset cruise?
Day 8 Munisingto Porcupine Mountains State Park / Lake of the Clouds (173 miles) Stay at OntonagonTownship Park and Campground

The falls at Taquomenon Falls State Park are beautiful. We stayed in the Rivermouth campground. Not too impressed. Not sure about the lower falls campground. If you like craft been avoid the restaurant at the Upper Falls. Horrible beer. And don't try the whitefish either. Large portion horrible taste. The Berry Patch in Paradise serves up a great breakfast though! I think you could accomplish your area plans in a busy day.

 

[brianlajoie]

The falls at Taquomenon Falls State Park are beautiful. We stayed in the Rivermouth campground. Not too impressed. Not sure about the lower falls campground. If you like craft been avoid the restaurant at the Upper Falls. Horrible beer. And don't try the whitefish either. Large portion horrible taste. The Berry Patch in Paradise serves up a great breakfast though! I think you could accomplish your area plans in a busy day.

Thank you - that helps...

 

[JohnD]

You'll love Mackinaw Island.

And the Mackinaw Bridge makes the Golden Gate look small in comparison . . .

The upper falls is the best one, especially if you like big waterfalls.

You'll also love the Pictured Rock boat cruize . . . take your camera with you . . . awesome!

We used to tent camp at the campground in Copper Harbor (northernest most piece of land in the lower 48 states) . . . really nice there!

The fort is a good piece of history to check out in Copper Harbor.

The Soo Locks and the Edmund Fitzgerald Museum in Sault St. Marie is an excellent day trip if you can squeeze that in!

We are thinking of going back there with our Prowler in the next year or two.


I took this in 1991 (our honeymoon) on the boat coming back to Mackinaw City from the Island (film, not digital).

 

[uncledon]

We will be coming back from the nat'l rally through Michigan, then Minnesota. Have most of Michigan figured out. Last stop planned so far in MI is Porcupine Mountains State Park. Figure I will start heading west towards Duluth...

I need advice on which way and what to do in Minnesota as we head back to Denver. Any ideas?

You've covered many of the great places to see in MI. You'll enjoy your visit I'm sure. If you find time in your agenda while heading from Pictured Rocks to the Porkies, Bond Falls near Paulding is a beautiful cascading falls that would make a great "stretch your legs" stopover. There is a parking lot that is not usually too full.

We've made a trip twice across the UP and through MN to Fargo headed to the Black Hills. We took the same route both times. We are more the "nature loving" types and not too much into big cities and shopping, so we loved the northern route without interstates since we are never in a hurry. We ran US-2 out of Duluth up to hwy 200. In Hill City we stayed at the city park and campground right on the lake. It was quiet and comfortable for an overnight stay. They don't have FHU though and no dump station. There is another campground just south of town also. If you like to boondock, a bit further down the road is Mable Lake which is a USFS campground with no facilities, but a pristine little lake to enjoy. It's 8 miles west of Remer, MN.

hwy 200 connects with 371 up to Walker where hwy 34 takes you back south. There is a cutover route that you can take also just south of Walker (Ah-gwah-ching rd). There is another great city campground in the town of Ackley. They have 30A/water at sites and a dump station. Also right on the lake. hwy 34 takes you west to Detroit Lakes where you pick up US-10 that runs you to Fargo.

We have run across south MN also, but we like the northern route better. Can't say much about places to stop for sightseeing, but the whole route is pretty picturesque to us. You can't beat all the great mom and pop places to eat when you get off the big road either. Heck then you can jump on I-29 south and jump off for a stop at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD if you want!

Hope this gives ya something to chew on and safe travels!

 

[cookie]

You've covered many of the great places to see in MI. You'll enjoy your visit I'm sure. If you find time in your agenda while heading from Pictured Rocks to the Porkies, Bond Falls near Paulding is a beautiful cascading falls that would make a great "stretch your legs" stopover. T

And don't forget about the Paulding light. A nighttime event.

Peace
Dave

 

[JMP]

Brings back memories from growing up in Rogers, MN. Population 15 during 1965. And we had 10 in our family. Caught my first Northern at a lake in Remer, MN.

 

[brianlajoie]

We ran US-2 out of Duluth up to hwy 200. In Hill City we stayed at the city park and campground right on the lake. It was quiet and comfortable for an overnight stay. They don't have FHU though and no dump station. There is another campground just south of town also.

hwy 200 connects with 371 up to Walker where hwy 34 takes you back south. There is a cutover route that you can take also just south of Walker (Ah-gwah-ching rd). There is another great city campground in the town of Ackley. They have 30A/water at sites and a dump station. Also right on the lake. hwy 34 takes you west to Detroit Lakes where you pick up US-10 that runs you to Fargo.

We have run across south MN also, but we like the northern route better. Can't say much about places to stop for sightseeing, but the whole route is pretty picturesque to us. You can't beat all the great mom and pop places to eat when you get off the big road either. Heck then you can jump on I-29 south and jump off for a stop at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD if you want!

Thank you for the route. I guess there is not that much to see heading south and west thru MN. Looking at the map, I think I'll try 2->210->371/10 to St. Cloud. Then 23 to I-29, then I-80 and home. Lot's of farming country...

 

[uncledon]

Thank you for the route. I guess there is not that much to see heading south and west thru MN. Looking at the map, I think I'll try 2->210->371/10 to St. Cloud. Then 23 to I-29, then I-80 and home. Lot's of farming country...

If you've never been on a road, then it's all an adventure. That route looks like some nice country too. Happy trails and be safe!