Highlights

YankeeTrailsGroups by US Tours Flexible Pricing:

• Customizable Comps
• Net Rates
• Luxury or First Class Hotels & Meals
• Motorcoach Transportation & Professional Tour Managers are available

Whatever you want, YankeeTrailsGroups by US Tours will be happy to structure tour prices to match your needs. Just let us know!

Whatever you want, U S Tours will be happy to structure tour prices to match your needs.  Just let us know!

Itinerary

Day 1 – Green Bay, WI – Oneida Smoke Dancers & Dinner

Today, you arrive in Green Bay, WI for the night at a local hotel. This evening enjoy an Oneida Indigenous Buffet & performance by the Oneida Nation Smoke Dancers. Oneida Nation Dancers will demonstrate the different styles of pow-wow dances which include men and women’s traditional. There will be an emcee that will talk your group through the program and explain the different styles and significance of each dance. This is an interactive performance, so be prepared to join in the dancing to the beat of the drum. (D)

Day 2 Rogers Street Fishing Village – Ride the SS Badger Ferry to Ludington, MI

This morning you head to Two River, WI on the shore of Lake Michigan. Here you visit the Rogers Street Fishing Village and Great Lakes Coast Guard Museum. Tour exhibits on the Great Lakes maritime heritage and family cultural traditions. Step inside a 1936 wooden fishing tug and climb up Two Rivers’ original 1886 lighthouse. Discover the tale of ill-fated schooners (the Christmas Tree Ship and others) wrecked off these shores.

Lunch is included today at the Lighthouse Inn on Lake Michigan.

Then you stop in nearby Manitowoc to board the SS Badger Ferry. Enjoy a relaxing 4-hour trip between Manitowoc, Wisconsin and Ludington, Michigan. There is plenty to see and do aboard the huge ship – including games, free movies and satellite television, shopping in the gift shop, or just strolling or lounging on the spacious outside decks. Meals (on own) are available in the buffet restaurant and deli-style snack bar.  Arriving in Ludington, MI you check into your hotel for the night. (B,L)

Day 3 – Dune Buggy Ride – Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore – Charlevoix, MI

This morning enjoy a fun-filled 7 mile dune tour ride. Knowledgeable drivers will lead you on a thrilling ride through the ever changing sand mountains. Glide down the sweeps into the valleys, drive past sparkling Silver Lake, and see Lake Michigan’s lovely beach!

Next, you stop in Empire, MI for a guided tour of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Miles of sand beach, bluffs that tower 450’ above Lake Michigan, lush forests, clear inland lakes, unique flora and fauna make up the natural world of Sleeping Bear Dunes. High dunes afford spectacular views across the lake. An island lighthouse, US Life-Saving Service stations, coastal villages, and picturesque farmsteads reflect the park’s rich maritime, agricultural, and history.

Then stop in Traverse City, the Cherry Capital of the World, at Cherry Republic. Located right on Front Street, this location features a wine/soda pop tasting bar, homemade ice cream, cherry pie, and a cherry climbing tree. The store’s beautiful natural wood accents, comfy lounge area, and generous sample stations will make you feel right at home!

Travel continues to Charlevoix, MI for the night.  Dinner is included this evening at a local restaurant. (B,D)

 Day 4 – Mushroom Houses – Castle Farms – Thunder Bay Resort

After breakfast, meet your local guide and tour the Charlevoix’s area known as the “Mushroom Houses.” Designed and built by Charlevoix native and legend Earl Young, the Mushroom Houses are 28 of the most fascinating stone structures ever built. An avid nature lover, Young constructed each house from the stones and boulders that line the miles of shoreline in Northern Michigan.

Next, you tour Castle Farms. Step back in time with a visit to Castle Farms, one of Michigan’s premier historical attractions. Castle Farms offers the chance to explore acres of gardens, discover dragons, and experience Michigan’s largest outdoor model railroad. Tour the magnificent soaring stone towers, majestic stone walls, and romantic courtyards and hear the story of Albert Loeb and his prizewinning herd of Holstein-Friesian dairy cows who called the castle home nearly one hundred years ago.

The afternoon includes a stop at Lavender Hill Farm in Boyne City. With more than 26 varieties of lavender on 33 acres, the farm offers a remarkable “hands-on” experience for everyone. Stroll the structured lavender labyrinth, walk a mile long walking trail, visit the sunflower plots, hand cut your own bouquets and watch the bees at work. Be surrounded by the scents and scenery of acres of lavender.

Travel ends today at the Thunder Bay Resort where you will be spending the night. The Thunder Bay Resort is a beautiful, all season resort poised on 400 acres in the heart of Northeast Michigan.

Tonight, enjoy an Elk Viewing Carriage ride through the Thunder Bay Resort. Cross the Thunder Bay River to see newborn calves and world class bull elk in velvet. It’s magical to see such large antlers in velvet this close up!

The ride ends at the beautiful Elk Antler Log Cabin where a blazing fire in the massive fireplace awaits you. You then enjoy a Five-Course Gourmet Meal and Wine Tasting. (B,D)

Day 5 – Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center – Mackinaw City, MI – Lumberjack Show

This morning visit the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, s visitor center for the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Exploring the Shipwreck Century, is located in the center’s main hall and includes a full-size replica wooden Great Lakes schooner and shipwreck where you can walk the decks, feel a Great Lakes storm, and touch the massive timbers of the boat resting on the lake bottom … without getting wet!

Next you depart for Mackinaw City, MI. Start with a tour of Colonial Michilimackinac, originally built by the French in 1714-1715 to control the fur trade and European development of the upper Great Lakes. Michilimackinac was more of a fortified community than a military outpost. The colonial community was located both inside and outside the walls and the walls were expanded several times during the French and British occupation of the area.

Then check into your Mackinaw City hotel for a two night stay.  Dinner is included this evening at a local restaurant.

Following dinner, enjoy the Jack Pine Lumberjack Show. Nine-Time World Champion Logroller, Dan McDonough continues to bring you the finest in competitive lumberjack shows featuring world-class competitive lumberjacks. See World Champion Lumberjacks in head to head competition! Chopping, Sawing, Axe Throwing, Log Rolling and Speed Climbing – it’s a great combination of action packed fun and comedy! (B,D)

Day 6 – Ferry to Mackinac Island – Horse-Drawn Carriage Tour – Lunch at the Grand Hotel

This morning, board Shepler’s Ferry, in Mackinaw City, for a journey into the Victorian Age of America, a visit to a very special place, Mackinac Island.  Once you arrive on the island, take a scenic ride around the Island on Horse-Drawn Carriages. Prepare yourself for a tour like no other! What you will experience is by far the most enjoyable and authentic way to view the island.

Lunch is included at the Grand Hotel, one of the finest hotels in the world, it is a truly lovely setting, and a memorable meal. Take a moment and enjoy a rocking chair view from the world’s longest porch.

Continue exploring the island this afternoon and doing a little shopping. Visit some of Mackinac Island’s unique shops and be sure to taste some of the famous Mackinac Island fudge.  Board the ferry for your return to the Mainland and your Mackinaw City hotel. Dinner is on your own this evening. (B,L)

Day 7 – Cross the “Mighty Mac” Bridge – Oswald’s Bear Ranch – Depart for Home

After breakfast this morning, you cross the Mackinac Bridge, currently the fifth longest suspension bridge in the world with a total length of 26,372 feet (4.995 miles). It is one of the world’s most beautiful bridges. Much of the beauty comes from the setting at the Straits of Mackinac. The Straits link Lake Michigan and Lake Huron and Michigan’s Lower and Upper peninsulas.

Then visit Oswald’s Bear Ranch, the largest bear only bear ranch in the entire United States, before departing for home. (B)

Tour Map