MICHIGAN IS EXPLOSIVE!: SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2026

DAY 1:  Monday, September 7, 2026

Travel to Toledo Ohio for our overnight stay at the Courtyard by Marriott. Dinner on own.

DAY 2: Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Breakfast is included at the hotel. Check out and depart for Detroit to meet our step-on guide for a city tour, “The Come-Back City” tour, offers a captivating journey through its vibrant culture and history. Marvel at architectural gems like the Guardian Building, the Fisher Building and Campus Martius Park. Stroll along the Detroit Riverfront and discover the historic charm of its neighborhoods. Collectively, it showcases a city rich in spirit!

Lunch on own before we depart for Thunder Bay Resort. This family run resort offers the beauty of Northern Michigan combined with a friendly staff to give you a matchless Northern Michigan experience.

This evening step back in time as you board a horse drawn carriage that takes you over the Thunder Bay River and into the woods to see the magnificent elk. Enjoy the scenery, as the horses make their way to the beautiful Antler Log Cabin. This elegant cabin maintains its rustic appearance while providing every amenity. Warm yourself by the fire and savor the delicious aromas put forth by the twin antique wood cook stoves as staff prepares your gourmet meal. Throughout your dinner, sample wines from nearby wineries. Your Gourmet Dinner Includes: Pear & Apple Crepe, Shrimp Cocktail, Jan’s Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Thunder Bay Sweet Napa Salad and Croissant, Crown Roast of Pork with Roasted Red Skin Potatoes, and White Chocolate Mousse Filled Pizzelles with Fresh Raspberries

DAY 3:  Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Breakfast is included at the Clubhouse Grille. Check out and depart for Mackinaw City, MI. Here we will take a ferry to Mackinac Island where a horse drawn taxi will be waiting to take you to the Grand Hotel for a scrumptious buffet lunch. Time is allowed after lunch to enjoy the Grand Hotel. Visit the gardens, shop in their stores or relax in one of the rocking chairs on the porch that overlooks the Lake Huron Straits, the Mackinac Bridge, and the hotel’s Tea Garden. With its 660-foot length, it is the world’s longest front porch and offers a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape.

Later, you will board a horse drawn carriage for a tour of the island. For anyone who has seen the movie “Somewhere in Time” there will be moments of déjà vu during the tour of this picturesque island.

Tour concludes at the Lake View Hotel, for an overnight stay, a historic Victorian-style landmark on Mackinac Island. First built in 1858, it is the oldest continuously operated hotel on the island. Located on Main Street in the heart of downtown, the hotel’s prominent position is just steps away from the ferry docks and shops. The Lake View Hotel has undergone extensive renovations to incorporate modern amenities like an indoor heated pool while preserving its historic charm and character. Dinner on your own tonight.

DAY 4:  Thursday, September 10, 2026

Breakfast is on your own this morning at one of Mackinac Island’s many restaurants before we board our ferry back to Mackinaw City.

Depart for Petoskey Michigan to meet our step-on guide for a tour of Petoskey. The guide will provide a fun and informative tour of the Petoskey downtown area, the historic Bay View Association, the Bay Harbor community and the Little Traverse Bay waterfront. Learn about the native American residents, the earliest white settlers, the impact of the railroad and how Petoskey as we know it came to be. Get a glimpse of a Methodist Chautauqua and see examples of Victorian architecture which include over 450 cottages, many of which were built before 1900. Visit the area’s newest resort community of Bay Harbor which emerged in 1993 on the site of a former cement plant. Learn about Ernest Hemingway’s connection to the Petoskey Area and how Petoskey got its moniker as the “Land of the Million Dollar Sunsets” which is still used today.

The tour concludes at Kilwins Chocolate Kitchen where you can watch skilled artisans’ hand-paddle Mackinac Island Fudge on marble slabs, listen to the gentle gong of a wooden paddle stirring caramel in a copper kettle, and see a variety of confections being created.

Lunch on own in Petoskey’s Gaslight District before we depart for Music House Museum.

Our afternoon will end on a beautiful note at the Music House Museum! Founded in 1983, the museum offers visitors a journey through the history, artistry, and engineering of automated music, with a collection spanning from the late 18th century to1950. Experiencing the beauty of craftsmanship and the complexity of engineering as rare instruments like Belgian dance organs, nickelodeons, music boxes, and a Wurlitzer Theater Organ are brought to life with actual play.

Depart for Sleder’s Family Tavern for dinner, Michigan’s oldest continuously operating restaurant and a cherished Traverse City landmark. Located in the historic Slabtown neighborhood, the tavern has a nostalgic charm with its original 21-foot mahogany bar, stamped tin ceiling, antique lamps, and an impressive collection of taxidermized animals, most famously “Randolph the Moose,” whose snout patrons often kiss for good luck.

After dinner we will depart for an evening of entertainment at the City Opera House in Traverse City, often affectionately called the “Grand Old Lady,” isa beautifully restored Victorian architectural gem since its opening in 1892. A perfect way to end our day on your first night in Traverse City.

Check in to the Great Wolf Lodge Traverse City, the Cherry Capital of the World, for a 2-night stay.

DAY 5:  Friday, September 11, 2026

Breakfast voucher is included at the Lodge before we depart for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore! Our scenic drive offers sweeping views of Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands, that is simply spectacular!

This afternoon Cruise on a narrated journey along the stunning waters of West Bay in Grand Traverse Bay. Capture the beauty of historic lighthouses, and the cityscape, while the crew provides an engaging commentary, highlighting the history and maritime lore.

After our cruise, depart for the Botanic Garden at Historic Barn Park, once the former Traverse City State Hospital, honoring the founding philosophy of “Beauty is Therapy.”

Return to your hotel to prepare for tonight’s pyrotechnical stars and the Traverse City International Fireworks Championship! It’s Spectacular, there is no show like this in the United States! Get ready for an event that tingles all the senses, an emotional thrill!

Return to the Great Wolf Lodge.

DAY 6:  Saturday, September 12, 2026

Breakfast voucher is included at the Lodge then check out and depart for Grand Rapids, Michigan for the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, most visited art museum featuring a Dale Chihuly exhibit!

In 2026, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is set to host a spectacular exhibition of world-renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly’s work. The exhibition will transform both the outdoor gardens and indoor galleries, featuring monumental glass sculptures, vibrant “Reeds,” and other breathtaking, site-specific installations that will harmoniously blend art with nature. Indoors, guests will explore over 40 years of Chihuly’s creative journey, including his celebrated series such as Baskets, Macchia, Seaforms, and Persians, alongside original drawings that offer insight into his artistic process and inspiration.

Begin with a tram tour of the outside gardens. The sculpture program at Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is composed of both a world-renowned permanent collection and dynamic exhibition programs. Works are sited in both interior settings such as the conservatories as well as featured outdoors across the gardens and grounds. The greatest concentration of work is featured in a 30-acre sculpture park, which hosts both colossal and more traditional scale works in a natural environment. Of special interest is the colossal sculpture, The American Horse by Nina Akamu, as well as masterworks by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Alexander Liberman and Richard Hunt.

A box lunch is included, and time is allowed to visit the Conservatory. The Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory is a five-story,15,000 square-foot facility featuring rock landscapes, a waterfall and a variety of exotic plant selections. The conservatory houses tropical plants from around the world, including fig trees from India, exotic orchids from Central and South America, Asiatic bamboo and banana trees.

After our visit we depart for Toledo Ohio for our overnight stay at Courtyard by Marriot.

DAY 7:  Sunday, September 13, 2026

After breakfast at the hotel, we check out and depart for home!

PRICE PER PERSON: Single $2,460 | Double $2,026 | Triple $1,926 | Quad $1,826