Lake Michigan Backroads

Here are 19 backroads drives around Lake Michigan, showing you the grand lake as never before in this richly illustrated exploration of the Great Lake’s history, culture, ecology, and natural beauty. The big blue inland sea--the only Great Lake entirely within U.S. borders--appears here in all its natural diversity. These day trips take you to the ancient forests and vast sand dunes of Michigan and Wisconsin and on beautiful backroads in Illinois and Indiana. Lake Michigan Backroads conducts readers through the lake’s varied landscapes and seasons, pausing at popular and little-known destinations for a look into life on the lake then and now.  Here are the shining blue waters plied by the Chippewa and Menominee, by the Jesuits and the voyageurs, and by countless immigrants seeking a new life. And here, in brilliant photographs and historical images, in anecdotes and thoughtful text, are their stories, inextricable from the story of the Great Lake itself. Lake Michigan Backroads speaks eloquently of remarkable natural resources and great promise, of immigration and trade, of devastating storms and human calamity, and of the people and their love of the lake. And their story plays out against Robert Domm’s exquisite images, which evoke the lake’s greatness through its days of calm and of stormy fury, the play of sunlight on its surface and the sweep of its shore in both autumn finery and the restless ice of winter.

A richly illustrated exploration of the Great Lake's history, culture, ecology, and natural beauty.

Whether it’s the Chicago and Territorial Roads, home of a historic and scenic railroad, or the Lower Peninsula’s Chain of Lakes area, Backroads & Byways of Michigan is the shortest route a visitor can take to explore like a local. Whether it’s the Chicago and Territorial Roads, home of a historic and scenic railroad, or the Lower Peninsula’s Chain of Lakes area, Backroads & Byways of Michigan is the shortest route a visitor can take to explore like a local. Now with color maps and photographs, this second edition offers itineraries to scenic and intriguing places, like Michigan’s Wine Country—where you can sample local wines, chocolate truffles, and orchard fruits—and Western Michigan, once a mining area, now a winter-recreation wonderland and home of many spectacular waterfalls.

With natives at your guides, the Backroads and Byways series steers you down the most scenic and historic byways, with plenty of intriguing points of interest and places to eat, stay, and shop along the way. Backroads & Byways of Michigan offers travelers a chance to get beyond the usual tourist destinations and to discover what the state has to offer along the way. Twelve carefully researched routes introduce readers to regions across the state, from southwest Michigan’s wine country to the U.P.’s Copper Country, from towns stocked with art galleries and boutique shops to fishing towns with tackle shops and canoe liveries. Sidebars highlight colorful characters and interesting historical details.

Take in the beauty of the gorgeous Great Lakes State From the Chicago and Territorial roads, home of a historic and scenic railroad, to the Lower Peninsula's Chain of Lakes area, Backroads & Byways of Michigan is the shortest route a visitor can take to knowing the state like a local. Now in a beautiful new color design, this third edition offers updated itineraries to scenic and intriguing places, like Michigan's Wine Country—where you can sample local wines, chocolate truffles, and orchard fruits—and Western Michigan, once a mining area, now a winter-recreation wonderland and home of many spectacular waterfalls. The Backroads & Byways series provides you with all the crucial information you need to make every moment of your journey count. This guide features maps, photographs, and detailed listings for points of interest on every drive.

The best road guide to the Great Lakes State, completely revised and updated. From the Chicago and Territorial roads, home of a historic and scenic railroad, to the Lower Peninsula’s Chain of Lakes area, Backroads & Byways of Michigan is the shortest route a visitor can take to knowing the state like a local. This fourth edition offers updated itineraries to scenic and intriguing places, like Michigan’s Wine Country—where you can sample local wines, chocolate truffles, and orchard fruits—and Western Michigan, once a mining area, now a winter-recreation wonderland and home of many spectacular waterfalls. The Backroads & Byways series provides you with all the crucial information you need to make every moment of your journey count. This guide features maps, photographs, and detailed listings for points of interest on every drive. Drives include: History off the Beaten Path Where Great Lakes Meet Superior’s Scenic Shoreline The Grape Coast

Backroads of Michigan is a celebration of our state’s beauty, guiding you on scenic drives and adventures through nearly every corner of the Great Lake State—routes that take you to the most scenic natural areas and sites that capture the state’s colorful history. Whether your planning a day trip, weekend geta­way, or a relaxing vacation, Backroads of Michigan leads you deep into the soul of the state. And the glorious color photography and historic images are a prize for armchair tourists or dreamers as well!