Northern Michigan

The Ultimate Urban Escape

Part 2

By Laura Blattner

Ready for more Northern Michigan fun? Here are some other can't-miss places to see and things to do.

Why not pack a little history into your fun-filled, relaxing, family vacation? Visit Colonial Michilimackinac (located at the foot of the Mackinac Bridge), which is a national historic landmark and a complete working colonial village! Open from mid-May until mid-October, the village was built originally by the French in 1715, and now this piece of living history holds a goldmine of kid-friendly activities!

During the summer months, there are real archaeological digs in progress at the fort (to uncover artifacts from the original settlement), cannon firings, musket demonstrations, live fiddlers roaming the grounds and craftsmen at work. The enormous wooden fence surrounding Michilimackinac has several lookout towers – a big hit with the kids! When you're through outside, be sure to head into the visitor's center and gift shop for more bits of interesting history.

Before you go too far, be sure to take a drive across the world's longest total suspension bridge – the Mackinac Bridge! It's five miles long, and your kids will love the fact that they can look out one side of the car to see Lake Michigan and the other side to see Lake Huron. The view is breathtaking, and the $3 toll is well worth it! Although we didn't venture much into Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which is where you end up on the other side of the bridge, there is a wealth of recreation opportunities awaiting you! For more information, visit the official State of Michigan travel Web site at www.michigan.org.

Want to see more?

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• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!