Michigan Bicycle Tour

After a brief orientation meeting and light lunch, we will start our week of pedaling!  Our first day of bicycling takes us along the quiet agrarian back roads of the Old Mission Peninsula with numerous cherry orchards, vineyards and hops farms dotting the landscape.  A longtime locals’ favorite ride, we bike north along the shoreline of this skinny spit of land that partially bisects Grand Traverse Bay.  We stop briefly at the peninsula’s northernmost point for a visit to the Mission Point Lighthouse dating back to 1870.  Our ridge top ride returning to Traverse City provides awesome views of both Grand Traverse Bay and Little Traverse Bay.  Stop along the way for a taste of local wine or craft beer, or simply wait until the end of the ride to sample Michigan’s booming craft beer industry at one of the 16 micro-brewery locations within walking distance of our hotel.

Dinner is together as a group tonight within walking distance of our hotel.

Today is a special day filled with mammoth lakeshore sand dunes and stunning Lake Michigan views!  Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park won the title of "Good Morning America's" Most Beautiful Place in America and is one of the nation's best-kept secrets.  We start our day with an early morning shuttle to maximize our time in this treasure of a National Park.  Clamber up the 300 foot “Dunes Climb” in your bare feet.  Back on the bike, take on the challenging but rewarding Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.  (shuttle option available.)  This route winds through a wooded area of the giant sand dunes and accesses the park's most spectacular overlook, where you will revel in views of the aquamarine waters of Lake Michigan.  Cycle miles of paved off road bike paths that wind through the National Park grounds.  Explore historic buildings describing 20^th century life in the early lakeshore settlements.  We’ll stop for lunch in charming Glen Arbor and have a chance to revel in all things cherry at Cherry Republic, “the largest exclusive retailer of cherry products in the United States.”  The afternoon offers the option of another short shuttle before completing our late afternoon journey back to Traverse City on the Leelanau Trail.  Running through the last of Leelanau County's former railroad corridors, the Leelanau Trail features picturesque forests, farms, vineyards, lakes and ponds and is an amazing cycling resource in the area. 

The evening is yours to explore the many options awaiting you in Traverse City, MI.

We bid goodbye this morning to fun Traverse City and begin with a short shuttle.  Miles of quiet tree-lined roads lead us to Charlevoix, one of the hidden gems of northwest Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.  Situated on a spit of land between Lake Michigan and Round Lake, the downtown is known as “Charlevoix the Beautiful.”  With abundant flowers lining the main street and boarding the park overlooking the marina where yachters dock for day trips, Charlevoix really is a beautiful sight worth savoring.  Grab a picnic lunch to refuel in the expansive grassy park overlooking the water before tackling the afternoon’s optional miles.

The Little Traverse Wheelway is a 24 mile paved bike trail connecting Charlevoix, Petoskey and Harbor Springs and offering picture postcard views of Lake Michigan.  We take advantage of this amazing shoreline resource to roll to our home base for the next 3 nights, Petoskey.  Be sure to stop along the way for the many photo ops available! 

The afternoon is yours to spend as you choose.  Continue on your bike to explore Harbor Springs, pedal along the paved paths to the interesting historic Oden Fish Hatchery Visitor’s Center, or take time off the bike for strolling the streets of Petoskey thick with boutique stores, pubs and restaurants.  Our hotel, the Staffords Perry, is only steps away from the heart of the historic shopping district.

Dinner will be as a group this evening at one of Petoskey’s many excellent options. 

Our big day and a day full of choices!  After breakfast, we depart for a shuttle to Mackinaw City, the jumping off point for an optional,included excursion to Mackinac Island.  Mackinac Island is a step back in time to a car free era with only bikes and horse drawn carriages for transportation.  The eight mile perimeter road offers spectacular views, and the town is full of restaurants, museums and sites, so the island will give you plenty to do all day.  A late afternoon return shuttle will get you back to Petoskey.

While Mackinac Island is on the bucket list of many visitors to this region, we know several of you have already “been there, done that.” For those folks, we have the alternate itinerary of a supported bike ride that revisits the Little Traverse Wheelway in the spectacular morning light along the shores of Lake Michigan.  The scenic views from the Charlevoix Yacht Club provide additional postcard worthy photo ops.  We continue to the shores of the wishbone shaped Lake Charlevoix and the historic Ironton Ferry.  The tiny vessel named the Charlevoix holds 4 cars (in addition to cyclists!) and made the “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” newspaper feature noting that its captain traveled more than 15,000 miles without being more than 1,000 feet from home.  The south shores of Lake Charlevoix sparkle in the sunlight and provide an amazing backdrop to today’s low traffic journey.  The route is mainly flat leading to the relaxing Boyne City hub at the eastern edge of the lake.  Boyne City thrived as a regional logging center in the 19^th century and still has preserved some its “Wild West” charisma.  In the early part of the 20^th century, Ernest Hemingway summered here in his family’s home on nearby Walloon Lake.  Stop in the preserved Boyne City General Store to peruse a wall full of memorabilia dedicated to the celebrated writer 

Dinner tonight is “on your own” to explore the many options available in bustling Petoskey and make the most of the flexibility offered to you today.  

Today offers one of our favorite rides in the area! Along the shores of Lake Michigan and through the fabled “Tunnel of Trees” northwest of the summer resort town of Harbor Springs.   This paved, low traffic road winds its way along the bluffs high above Lake Michigan before connecting back to the paved dedicated Little Traverse Wheelway leading you to Petoskey.  

Our final day will include a short van shuttle back toward the shores of Little Traverse Bay.  We bike another local favorite route down the scenic east shore of Torch Lake before rejoining the ridge top roads leading back into Traverse City.   Showers and lunch will be provided before heading out.