Riding Wisconsin and Michigan, Ideas?

[ChrisK]

I'm bored and thought I would post about this, I hope it's the right area.

In one month some friends and I will be setting out to ride all the way around Lake Michigan. We all live in north central Illinois. I've grown up fishing and snowmobiling in northern Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan, so I know the area a little bit up there. However, I'm interested to hear if anyone is from anywhere on our route or has made a similar trip and has suggestions on roads to take, places to see, things to do.

On my list already are Lake in the Clouds in the UP, Copper Harbor, and the Tunnel of Trees Road in the LP of Michigan.

Any others?

[Mhanis]

Be careful crossing the bridge!! It is scary as SHIT!

I made the same trip in about '88. I went North up the West side of Michigan, around the horn and down through Wisconsin and Illinois and back up through Michigan.

Make sure you get some smoked whitefish while you are in the UP or Northern Wisconsin.

I primarily took highway 2 through the UP and it was very scenic, but this was 25 years ago.

Mark

[ChrisK]

Cool, why is the bridge crossing scary?

[WarrenJ]

Patrickmccabe is/was a member on here - he did that run a couple years ago.  He lives in the Chicago area. 
The Door Peninsula is pretty, but the tourist traffic can be bad.  I have a lot of runs in the central part of the state
and the Southwest has tons tremendous twisties with no traffic but tractors and Amish buggies.  The issue is the time
and distance from your route.  If you guys need a place to bunk about 20 miles West of Oshkosh, let me know.

You could always stop at the Packer Hall of Fame!

[ChrisK]

We'll likely be riding up the Western/Central portion of Wisconsin. We live in Dixon, IL and we often make the run up to the Savanna/Galena, IL area so we're familiar with how awesome those roads can be. We'll be heading that direction, crossing the border, and heading north through that corner of Wisconsin.

[Mhanis]

Cool, why is the bridge crossing scary?

Because it is FREAKING high, long and see through! When I went over (again, this was in about '88) I rode on a grate where you could look down and see through to the water. Mix that with winds and the grate grabbing the tires and it was scary.

Mark

[ChrisK]

Haha cool, I'm excited. There's a bridge in Savanna, IL that crosses the Mississippi that is grated like that, but not nearly as long or high.

[WarrenJ]

If you are coming in the Southwest Corner, running up 35 to Prairie du Chein, then taking 60 East along the Wisconsin River would be a neat ride.  That stretch of 60 is neverending sweepers for about 60 miles.  You could also go North out of Prairie, continuing on 35, up along the Mississippi and past up to Superior.  The Woodruff, Minoqua area is pretty and Hwy 70 between Minoqua and Eagle River is real pretty along the river.  If you are in Minoqua, make sure you stop at the Island Cafe for a meal - especially if you like good Greek food.

Let me know your timetable.  If the planets align, I might be able to join you for part of your spin.

[ChrisK]

Great, that's the kind of advice I'm looking for! I'm really familiar with the Minoqua and Eagle River areas. Staying in Minoqua snowmobiling quite a few times and grew up fishing Eagle Lake. I had my eye on that Rt. 60, just on the map it looks like some great riding. There's a chance we'll be stopping at the Dells for a night, because one of the guys knows some people there.

As far as a date, the tentative plan is to leave the morning of June 7th, but that is subject to change because a couple of the guys have jobs that can change at the last minute.

[WarrenJ]

If you take 60 from Prairie to Spring Green, you can get on 23, which will run you right to the Dells.  If you jump off 60 to the North or 23 either way, you are in rural twistys for hundreds of miles.
If you are into architecture, on 23 just South of Spring Green is Taliesin - Frank Lloyd Wright's home and school. 

[ChrisK]

This is the tentative plan. Eagle River by the end of the first night, Eastern side of the UP by the second night, southwestern Michigan by night three, Chicago night four, and then home. We could have anywhere from 3 to 8 guys but as of now it's looking like it's going to be 5 of us. My Monster, a guy on a '01 Kawi ZR-7, one on a 79 Honda CB750 cafe, a guy on an early 80's Honda CM400 cafe, and the fifth guy hasn't decided between his early 80's KZ 550 Streettracker or his 70's Ironhead hardtail. Gonna be an interesting looking group to say the least.

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[WarrenJ]

Depending on timing - I might be able to meet up at Plainfield at the intersection of 39 and 73.  Thats about 40 miles West of me, right on a 130 mile loop I run a couple times a year.  Ed Gein's home town.  Just don't bring it up in the area, the locals don't take it well.

[BoDiddley]

That is the best ride in michigan from the bridge on down, keep on the look out for wineries with free food and drink. It seems like there is one about every 20 miles.  It goes to crap south of Benton harbor all the way through chicago so get ready for nothing to see and traffic.  One thing you have to do is watch for deer and turkeys as usual, but stay sharp as we are being over run with both lately.  If you see one turkey flying across the road expect a long slow line of them to follow.  Their normal altitude is helmet high. 

Have fun!

[roggie]

Tahquamenon falls and or Pictured Rocks parks are both pretty cool but probably a bit out of the way of your route sine they are on the northern side of the UP.

Sounds like a cool trip, take some photos for us!

[ChrisK]

Lol thanks for the advice on the turkeys. Deer are much more common over here, getting pretty good at avoiding them.

Not too much is 'out of our way' in the UP, seeing as how we're gonna make it all the way to Copper Harbor, I've heard real good things about Pictured Rocks.