Vacation Ideas Needed

[Grabber]

Hi TCG,

Looking to get some ideas for a vacation in August in the Mid-west.

Must be within 8 hours of driving distance.

Looking for outdoor fun stuff, great food and breweries, scenery, etc.

Open to all suggestions.

We were thinking of going to Sturgeon bay or Green Bay and seeing the sights, or, somewhere in Michigan.

Thanks in advance TCG
-Chris

Click to read more...

 

[1MEANGT]

Door County is a pretty nice area. Have gone camping up there a few times. Also have a lot of nice places to stay.

If you can handle a 9-10 hour drive I would go down to the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area in TN. Love the smokies! You can get killer cabins down there for pretty cheap up in the mountains. I booked through here before and had a great time!

https://www.hearthsidecabinrentals.com/

 

[Yaj Yak]

damn. 8 hrs you can get lotsa places.

houseboat trips, road trips, cabins up north, shit on lake michigan on the other side, ozarks, shelbyville, UP, lakes in MN, fuuck, so much potential.

 

[LikeABauce302]

My parents spend a lot of time in Traverse City, MI and love it. I haven't been there in probably 15 years, so I'm not sure how the area is now.

 

[Kensington]

The "pinky" in Michigan (northwest along Lake Michigan.) Great scenic drives. Tons of outdoorsy stuff (kayaking, hiking trails, dunes, trails). More wineries, cideries, breweries than you can shake a stick at. Some great beaches too.

Traverse City to Sleeping Bear Dunes to Northport. All great areas. In "good" traffic it's a 6-6.5 hour drive.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

Sybaris.

But anything in Sturgeon Bay (Door County) is good. There really isn't much to see in Green Bay (I lived there), unless you're a fan of that "team".

 

[Flyn]

Add Mackinac Island to the Traverse city trip.

If you want to head south, St. Louis and Nashville are both within the 8 hour range.

 

[Omicron]

Nashville is 8 hr drive - lots going on there
Turkey Run Park in IN and Mammoth cave in bowling green KY are all along the way
Bourbon distilleries and bbq aplenty as well

 

[VenomousDSG]

Mmmmmm bourbon

 

[rdsnake]

I hear the Dominica Republic is doing swell...

 

[ZXMustang]

Wis dells. Mount Olympus was awesome. Stay at the main building.

 

[GLADIATOR]

Cedar Point in OH

 

[Blood on Blood]

1. Lake of the Ozarks in MO. Stay at or near Osage Beach your first time. Rent boats, waverunners, fishing, entertainment parks, drive up boat bars / restaurants, caves, etc.

2. Traverse City, MI (or small surrounding towns such as Leland, Ann Arbor, etc)

3. Gatlingberg, TN (Smokey mountains) or Nashville, TN

 

[Nccstud]

1. Lake of the Ozarks in MO. Stay at or near Osage Beach your first time. Rent boats, waverunners, fishing, entertainment parks, drive up boat bars / restaurants, caves, etc.

2. Traverse City, MI (or small surrounding towns such as Leland, Ann Arbor, etc)

3. Gatlingberg, TN (Smokey mountains) or Nashville, TN

Slightly further than 8 hrs, but +1 for Gatlinburg area for sure. It's awesome down there

 

[JeffsLightning]

Door County is a pretty nice area. Have gone camping up there a few times. Also have a lot of nice places to stay.

If you can handle a 9-10 hour drive I would go down to the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area in TN. Love the smokies! You can get killer cabins down there for pretty cheap up in the mountains. I booked through here before and had a great time!

https://www.hearthsidecabinrentals.com/

Just booked there.. Thanks[emoji106]

 

[Jfrost]

Wife and I were just in Door County this weekend at a family lake house on Sister Bay. Lots of great activities there with state parks, kayaking, wineries and a brewery or two. We are already planning a return trip later this summer when the weather is warmer.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

We just got back from a run in MI, started at Copper Harbor then went south. Did Mackinac Island, Traverse City and a few others. We stayed in an RV and worked our way down. I wouldn't turn it down, our trip had some issues but we had people with us that had health problems. If you're looking at spending a few days I'd say Traverse City is nice and likely what you're looking for. There's plenty of vinyards where you can get wine etc too. I will say I've bought the most expensive bottle of wine I have ever bought there too. It was an ice wine similar to what they produce on the Rhine in Germany. Cool stuff IMO.

 

[Grabber]

Thanks for the feedback ya'll.

Some great ideas.

We are thinking of heading out two weeks before Labor Day in August and possibly checking out Traverse City and driving up and getting on a Ferry to visit the island. May be pretty fun, but, looks like the resorts are an easy $300 a night.

 

[PANDA]

Gatlinburg has way to many people and traffic. Its like Wisconsin Dells. Id recommend going on the off season or staying south of the park in Bryson City or Robinsville.

 

[Kensington]

If you can, make your way over to Sutton's Bay. They've got a couple of really good cideries and an awesome brewery Hop Lot, but last time we went, it was jam packed.

 

[Grabber]

Booked out trip at Boyne Mountain Resort. Seems like a nice place and it is not a super far drive. Probably going to make our way toward Macinac Island if we are able to and stay there for the day and ferry back to the mainland.

 

[Flyn]

Mackinac Island fudge!

 

[JeffsLightning]

Just got back from a cabin rental by Pigeon Forge. The parkway was congested but the cabin and views were awesome. Did a bunch of things around town. Definitely worth the trip.

 

[Nccstud]

Just got back from a cabin rental by Pigeon Forge. The parkway was congested but the cabin and views were awesome. Did a bunch of things around town. Definitely worth the trip.

Nice! It's awesome down there. I wanna go back that way soon, it's so cool out that way!

 

[Kaeghl]

Stay at a bed and breakfast, do the bourbon trail, there is a freaking bus to go from distillery to distillery.


New Glaris, there is a beautiful brewery there, the town is all swiss, and its kind of fun.