38 39Circle Michigan Travel Resource Guide I 2013 www.circlemichigan.comGReaT advenTuRe TouRswww.greatadventuretours.com

GRoup TouRs To Gowww.grouptourstogo.com

MiChiGan TRavelswww.michigantravels.net/english/

added TouCh ReCepTivewww.addedtouchreceptive.com

Thunder Bay Resort, hillmanPhoto: Dave Hoekman

dow Gardens, MidlandPhoto: Great Lakes Bay Regional CVB

alden B. dow home & studio, MidlandPhoto: Great Lakes Bay Regional CVB

hartwick pines logging Museum, GraylingPhoto: Craig Kasmer

Mackinac IslandMackinaw City

Map LegendUpper Peninsula

West

East

Southwest

Southeast

Saginaw

Bay City

FrankenmuthBirch Run

Battle Creek

New Buffalo

Holland

New Era

NegauneeChristmas Brimley

Harris

Indian River

Hillman

Au Gres

Chesaning

Auburn Hills

Rochester HillsGrosse Point Shores

Dearborn

Suttons Bay

AcmeEmpire

Houghton Lake

Hickory Corners

PortageBenton Harbor

Niles

Saugatuck

BenzoniaFrankfort

Elberta

South HavenColoma

SomersetThree Rivers

MountPleasant

Paradise

Wayland

Mackinac IslandMackinaw City

Map LegendUpper Peninsula

West

East

Southwest

Southeast

Saginaw

Bay City

FrankenmuthBirch Run

Battle Creek

New Buffalo

Holland

New Era

NegauneeChristmas Brimley

Harris

Indian River

Hillman

Au Gres

Chesaning

Auburn Hills

Rochester HillsGrosse Point Shores

Dearborn

Suttons Bay

AcmeEmpire

Houghton Lake

Hickory Corners

PortageBenton Harbor

Niles

Saugatuck

BenzoniaFrankfort

Elberta

South HavenColoma

SomersetThree Rivers

MountPleasant

Paradise

Wayland

soaring eagle Casino & Resort, Mount pleasantPhoto: Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort

Lumberjacklegacies

‘When pine was king’

Day OneBegin the day at the train depot where

Thomas Edison worked as a boy. Next, discover the huron lightship —

a floating lighthouse and the last operating lightship on the Great Lakes.

Enjoy lunch at a historic waterfront inn. Then, stroll through downtown to see the Blue Water International Sculpture Exhibit. The boardwalk offers views of the St. Clair River and passing freighter traffic.

Experience Knowlton’s ice Museum of north america. Michigan was once a major ice supplier to the rest of the world because of the abundance of frozen lakes and rivers.

Take a tour of the Olde Town Historic District. Learn about port huron’s ship-building and lumbering history.

This evening, take a boat cruise to a wa-terfront restaurant for dinner. Return to Port Huron on a sunset cruise. Overnight in Port Huron.

Day TwoTravel north to the sanilac petroglyphs

historic site. Etched by unknown prehis-toric artists, these rock carvings, known as petroglyphs, were discovered after massive forest fires swept through the Lower Penin-sula in 1881. A local guide will provide a tour of the petroglyphs offering a glimpse into the lives of those who once occupied Michigan’s thumb.

Travel east and you will arrive in Fran-kenmuth, Michigan’s Little Bavaria. Shop at Bronner’s ChRisTmas Wonderland. The sights, sounds and spirit of Christmas com-pletely surround you at this amazing store — the size of 1½ football fields!

Have lunch at a Bavarian restaurant

known for chicken dinners. Sail aboard a tall ship and enjoy the

sails, breeze and shimmering waters of Saginaw Bay.

Travel to West Branch for your overnight at the Quality inn Forward Conference Center. It displays numerous photos show-ing the rich history of the logging era. Dine at the hotel’s Lumberjack Restaurant.

Day ThreeStand among Michigan’s last majestic

old-growth pine forest. hartwick pines log-ging Museum reminds of when “pine was king.”

Next, visit the historic fish hatchery. Feeding trout is fun for the entire group. Stroll the grounds of this historic facility and enjoy the sights and sounds of the AuSable River.

Late this afternoon, arrive at Thunder Bay Resort for elk viewing and a horse-drawn carriage ride. A five-course gourmet dinner cooked before you on antique wood stoves awaits at the cabin. Overnight at Thunder Bay Resort.

Day FourTravel to alpena this morning for a

glass-bottom boat tour. See the shipwrecks of Thunder Bay national Marine sanctu-ary. Learn the history, legends and lore of Thunder Bay and shipwrecks.

Travel north to Mackinaw City. This afternoon Dan McDonough, a world cham-pion logroller, presents the Jack pine lum-berjack shows. Cheer on the lumberjacks in this fast-paced competition of chopping, sawing, pole climbing and logrolling. A box meal is included before the overnight in Mackinaw City.•

Day OneBegin in Mio in northern Michigan.

Among the deer and pine, man created a monument — our lady of the Woods shrine and Grotto. This mountainous stone structure honeycombed with grottos and niches was a labor of love.

At the base of Our Lady of the Woods Shrine is the Family Shrine; this cave-like structure contains a statue of the patron saint Saint Anne de Beaupré on one end and the Holy Family on the other.

Before heading on, see the relics of Saint Anne, Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony of Padua.

Continue to follow the path less trav-eled. Be sure to bring your binoculars and cameras. You may see one of the world’s rarest birds, the Kirkland Warbler, on the next stop — a bird-watching excursion.

A guide will take your group to where this songbird is known to make its home. Each May, the yellow-and-blue songbird leaves The Bahamas and arrives in Michigan.

Continue watching birds on the water. Step aboard a paddle-wheeler to take a ride down a northern Michigan river. Seen in season, bald eagles perched high along the banks are a big hit with passengers.

This evening, overnight in houghton lake, the town named after the largest inland lake in Michigan, or in the historic lumbering town of West Branch.

Day Two After a hearty breakfast, it’s time to

get out and explore nature. At today’s first stop, marvel at the display gardens, hun-dreds of beautiful potted perennials, daylil-ies, natural and organic products for your garden, garden art and garden tools.

Walk through the gardens and visit the 100-year-old barn. Mary is available to join the group and give her practical gar-dening tips on a guided tour.

Hayrides bring back the kid in all of us, and it’s a great way to explore eastern Michigan’s 1,000-acre deer preserve. See if you can spot the rare sighting of the pre-serve’s only albino deer.

Afterward, enjoy lunch at the lodge situ-ated along the banks of the Tittabawssee River.

Head to Midland, a city known for its distinctive architecture. Most delightful of all is a National Historic Landmark that is more a museum — the alden B. dow home, a national treasure.

Dow is known for blending the sur-rounding environment with his architecture under the principles “honesty, humility and enthusiasm.” Dow was a friend of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. On a tour of his spe-cially designed home, see how the styles of the two men influenced one another.

This afternoon, board a tall ship for a dinner cruise along Saginaw Bay. Enjoy the sailing, the sunset and a fully catered three-course dinner.

This evening, overnight at one of the most exquisite Indian casinos in Michigan, soaring eagle Casino & Resort.•

Step away from the

hustle and bustle

The road less

traveled

Bronner’s ChRisTmas Wonderland, FrankenmuthPhoto: Bronner ’s CHRISTmas Wonderland