A Question For The Experts Here

Esther and I are planning our trips for 2011 and one that we are thinking of is going to visit two of my nephews who live in Michigan.

The younger one lives outside of Detroit and the older one lives in Marquette. If we did this trip it would be a driving trip and I'm trying to decide which way gives me more bang for my buck, so to speak.

Here are my possible routes to and from- leaving from the Trenton, NJ area.

Leg 1 -

Driving up to Buffalo, NY and then the Ontario side of Lake Erie to the Detroit area stopping along the way to see the lighthouses in the buffalo area for sure and any others that are easy to get to. We just did most of the lighthouses on Lake Erie from Erie, PA to Sandusky, OH.

Leg 2-

Option 1-

Driving from the Detroit area up to Marquette along the Lake St. Clair and Lake Huron side of Michigan over the Macinac Bridge and up to Sault St. Marie and west to Marquette.

Option 2-

Driving across southern michigan and then up the coast of Lake Michigan to Macinac Bridge and up to Sault St. Marie and west to Marquette.

Leg 3 -
Option 1-

Leaving Marquette and driving to Escanaba and then back to Sault St. Marie and the driving down the coast of Lake Huron to Barrie and Toronto and then around Lake Ontario and cross over to Alexandria Bay and drive back to Trenton via I-81.

Option 2-

Leaving Marquette and driving to Escanaba and then back to Sault St. Marie and the driving down the coast of Lake Huron to Barrie go to the Bruce Pe ninsula and down to Port Huron / Sarnia and over to Toronto and back home.

Here's what I'd like to know - basically which option of Leg 2 and 3 have the most diverse types of lighthouses and are the easiest to get to without too much back and forth driving.

Thanks in advanc for any info you can give to me- especially if you've driven these basic routes and have ideas on places to stay or eat.

I'm planning on taking 11 to 14 days to do this trip.


Dennis

From Detroit, do the thumb and then up the east coast. Cross over the bidge, and do visit the Soo Locks. Go across the north side of the UP (along Lake Superior) to Marquette. Come back via the south side of the UP (along Lake Michigan), back over the bridge and down the west coast. You can pick up I-94 or I-80/90/turnpike at the southern end of the state, north end of Indiana. Of course, don't forget to stop and visit our light - Old Michigan City.

Dave,

I'll take your suggestion under advisement. The jury is still out on this.

Dennis

Dennis, I agree with Dave's route suggestion.. I would add while you are at Marquette you need to make a run over to Big Bay Lighthouse, you aren't that far away from Big Bay while in Marquette..

I'd start closer to Rochester and include several more Lightho.uses

Bob,

That's not an option for this trip.

Thanks for the input, though.

Dennis

Dennis, to give you input on most lighthouses and easy access, most in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan are drive-ups. Lake Michigan holds everything from pier lights with catwalks to schoolhouse lights to single towers in Sand Dunes. While I love the Michigan eastern lighthouses (Lake Huron), there aren't as many as along Lake Michigan. I am not familiar with the Canadian lights so I can't help you out there. Whichever route you decide, if you end up anywhere on the Lake Michigan side up to Traverse City, email me or send me a note through Facebook. I'd love to meet up with you guys and can give you several recommendations for places to stay/eat over here in my home territory.

Jen,

Thanks. I'm still mulling over what we will do- it might not even be a trip to MI at all.

I've got a new job and I have to take that into consideration- time off is a bit ahrder to plan for now.

Dennis