Michigan: Leelanau Peninsula: The Summer Sublime
Traverse City is the gateway to summer escape in the northwest tip of Michigan's mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula. Stroll the grounds of the city's new Village at Grand Traverse Commons, an ongoing commercial redevelopment of a historic state hospital complex. Check out local taverns and farmers markets. Visit local wineries. Shop and browse galleries in the lakeside towns of Leland and Suttons Bay. Attend a concert at the historic City Opera House or a movie at the restored Bay or State Theatres. Drive the 7.4-mile Pierce Stocking scenic loop in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, or park the car and climb the dunes. "A summer weekend in Northern Michigan is sublime," says Traveler contributing editor and local resident Barton Lewis.
•Logistics: The Leelanau Peninsula is in northwestern Michigan. Lodging: Glen Arbor B&B. Rooms, suites, or cottages in a small village surrounded by national lakeshore, from $89; www.glenarborbnb.com. Dining: Boone's Long Lake Inn. Steaks, seafood, and prime rib in a rustic setting on an inland lake, www.booneslli.com. Best link: www.visittraversecity.com.
Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa: Drive the Mississippi River Valley
The upper-middle stretch of the Great River Road connects a bounty of family-friendly roadside attractions. Learn river lore at the Riverside Museum in La Crosse. Envy the splendor of Victorian America at Villa Louis, the former estate of one of Wisconsin's richest families. Discover an ancient Indian culture at Effigy Mounds National Monument, where you can "walk among 4,000-year-old effigies of birds and bears," says writer Frank Bures. Hike the native-prairie trail in Nelson Dewey State Park. Ride in a 1931 mine car at the Mining Museum in Platteville. Tour the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in Galena. Most of the town is within a National Historic District.
•Logistics: This 135-mile stretch of the Great River Road runs from La Crosse, Wis., to Galena, Ill. Lodging: The Hancock House B&B Inn, Dubuque. Hilltop Victorian mansion overlooking the city, from $80. Dining: Vinny Vanucchi's Little Italy, Galena. Homemade Italian cuisine in the old downtown. Best link: www.experiencemississippiriver.com.
Missouri: Pedal the Katy Trail
The nation's longest developed rails-to-trails project, intended for hikers and cyclists, follows the Missouri River through some of the state's most picturesque countryside. Pedal west from St. Charles along the mostly flat former railbed, tunneling through forest canopy or along farm fields or scenic bluffs. Stop in the German community of Hermann, which has ten wineries, as well as B&Bs and restaurants. Use the mileage chart at the state park website to plan a trip lasting a day or two or a whole week. "The towns are at convenient intervals," says writer Mel White, who has biked much of the trail. "That makes a weekend ride possible without having to rough it."
•Logistics: The Katy Trail runs 225 miles west from St. Charles, Missouri (outside St. Louis) to Clinton. The entire route is within a state park. Lodging: B&Bs and motels are located in 24 communities along the route, for example, Meyer's Hilltop Farm B&B, Hermann. Comfortable rooms on 75 acres, from $80; www.meyerhilltopfarm.com. Dining: Restaurants can be found in 30 communities along the route, for example, Augusta Brewing Company, Augusta. Bratwurst and sauerkraut for lunch; chicken dishes for dinner, www.augustabrewing.com. Best link: www.mostateparks.com/katytrail.
Indiana: An Old Spa Town Rejuvenates Itself
French Lick, blessed with natural sulphur springs, was a hedonistic mid-20th-century resort town, frequented by Chicago gangsters and regular folk alike. After decades of decline, the resort properties reopened—consolidated, renovated, and more extravagant than ever. Today the resort encompasses the French Lick Springs Hotel and, a mile away, the West Baden Springs Hotel. "This is a resort that has done everything right," says a recent visitor from Indianapolis. Gamble at the casino. Soak in the Pluto mineral spring bath. Get a facial at the spa. Play golf on PGA championship courses. Feel pampered in an opulent setting.
•Logistics: French Lick is a 21/2-hour drive southeast of Indianapolis. Lodging: French Lick Springs Hotel. 443 restored guest rooms and suites and 24-hour casino, from $129. West Baden Springs Hotel. Six floors with a total of 243 luxury rooms rise around a domed atrium, from $199; www.frenchlick.com. Dining: At French Lick Springs Hotel: The Grand Colonnade Restaurant, buffet with rotisserie and seafood specialties. At West Baden Springs Hotel: Sinclair's Restaurant. Pricey but satisfying meat and seafood dishes. Best link: www.frenchlick.com.
Published in the May/June 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
