THERE is a reason they call them the Great Lakes, and it’s not just because they’re big. From New York’s Thousand Islands to the furthest shores of Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota, it just doesn’t get much better than this part of the world during the summer months. Tired of the crowds at the beach? Here are eight great off-the-beaten-path itineraries for a perfect getaway.
#1 STAY IN A YURT Minnesota
Way, way up north in Minnesota, at the end of the famous Highway 61 written about by native son Bob Dylan, winters go on for a really long time. So long, that the tiny harbor town of Grand Marais, offering the closest you’ll get to city life around here, goes into hyperdrive these next couple of months, attracting visitors to a series of festivals and arts events. But the best reason to come up here is to get out into nature — hop on to the Gunflint Trail, a 57-mile-long road that leads from Lake Superior up into the Boundary Waters region. Along the trail, a series of cozy and friendly lodges cater to outdoor types —Boundary Country Trekking offers the opportunity to sleep in a comfortable yurt ($75 per night, double), located directly on some excellent bike trails.
Don’t miss There’s nothing like freshly-caught trout. Even if you need to book a guide to teach you how, definitely plan to catch your own dinner at least one night.
Info gunflint-trail.com
#2 TAKE A HIKE Ontario
Most people forget there’s a Lake Huron (it’s shared by Michigan and Ontario), let alone a Georgian Bay (at 5,800 miles square, it’s bigger than Lake Titicaca). But they’re both up here, just a couple hours north of Buffalo. The narrow Bruce Peninsula runs straight between the two and boasts some of the best-looking territory in the entire Great Lakes region; up here you’re at the end of the rugged Niagara Escarpment, the famous outcropping that gave us those famous falls.
Don’t miss Drive out the peninsula to the small town of Tobermory; from here plan a day hike out along the impressive coastline and into pristine Bruce Peninsula National Park. In summer time, everything’s either blue or green (or blue-green). Don’t be afraid to get jump in!
Info ontariotravel.net
#3 SUDS AND SAND Indiana
Northwest Indiana is to Chicago as New Jersey is to New York, except take away anything that’s nice and keep, say, the oil refineries and the city of Elizabeth. (Actually, Gary should be so lucky to be as nice as Elizabeth.) Yes, this patch of the Hoosier State sometimes feels like a dumping ground for all the crap that Chicago didn’t want. Except we bet that Chicago wishes it could claim the 2,182-acre Indiana Dunes State Park, a place that looks a lot more like the Caribbean in summer than you’d expect from a state park located just down the road from one of the largest industrial complexes in The Americas. Just an hour or so from the Chicago Loop (you can take the train from Union Station) and you’re scrambling down some of the biggest freshwater dunes in the world. On a steamy day, there’s nothing like it.
Don’t miss Besides the dunes, there is also beer. Really, really good beer, the kind that hopheads drive from all over to sample. Tucked away in a boring industrial park in the nowheresville that is Munster, the edgy Three Floyds Brewing Co. features beers good enough to lure in-the-know Chicagoans down to the source for a night of sampling — there’s a brewpub on site, serving up some really good food. On a hot day, there’s nothing like their wheaty Gumballhead, a summer beer that was such a hit when it first came out, it’s now brewed year-round (3floyds.com).
Info in.gov/dnr
#4 ENJOY THE SILENCE New York
If you’ve been lucky enough to spend much time upstate, you already know — things can be pretty quiet once you get away from the city. Lake Ontario’s shoreline takes things to a whole new level — you can drive for ages and barely run into a soul, particularly on the stretch between Rochester and the Niagara River, with very little except for some beautiful state parks, lots of open road and plenty of fruit orchards. Sometimes, simple is best.
Don’t miss The old-school summer resort town of Sodus Point is a trip (and a trip back in time, too) — surrounded by water on three sides, there’s nothing quite as wholesome as an afternoon on the town beach. Fuel up with dogs and burgers at Hot’s Point (8482 Grieg St.).
Info iloveny.com
#5 KICK IT OLD SCHOOL Wisconsin
Milwaukee is many things, but it has never been very interested in being cutting edge. It happens by accident now and then, but in so many ways, the city that made beer famous feels as if it were stuck in the time of Fonzie or Laverne or Shirley. Book a lane at the oldest bowling alley in the United States (in the basement of the retro Holler House tavern), sample the unreal scene (and really good thin-crust sausage pizzas) at Maria’s, pull up a barstool at the the so-old-it’s-cool-again Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge, dating back to the 1930s. If you’re in love with the old days, with the way things used to be, you’re going to feel right at home.
Don’t miss Opened in 1942, Leon’s Frozen Custard, an iconic South Side drive-in, is still a must-stop on summer nights for many a Milwaukean (3131 S. 27th St.)
Info visitmilwaukee.org
#6 CROSS OVER Ohio
Where will you find the country’s longest covered bridge? It’s shortest? Answer: Not in New England. Seriously — they’re in Ohio, in and near Ashtabula, a port town located on Lake Erie that often gets overlooked, even though it’s got dozens of those bridges everyone loves, not to mention twenty wineries. (Bet you didn’t know they made wine in Ohio. They do, and they’re very serious about it, so no jokes please.) To get the complete experience, rent one of the old-school cottages along the lake.
Don’t miss Stop in at Debonne Vineyards in Madison to taste some of the local supply — family-owned and operated since 1916 (7743 Doty Road).
Info discoverohio.com
#7 POKE THE BEAR Michigan
Stretching from Erie to Superior, Michigan claims the most freshwater coastline of any political designation in the world — in other words, if the water runs out elsewhere, Michigan is going to be the most popular girl in school. Good thing there’s plenty of room for everyone. Apart from Metro Detroit, a few dour post-industrial cities and a handsome town here or there, Michigan is wide open, and it is typically pretty gorgeous. Out along the Leelanau Peninsula, high up on Lake Michigan, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is one of many (many) places in the state that by virtue of their remote-ish location manage to keep from being overrun with pleasure seekers. Towering up to 400 feet high, the first sight of the dunes is kind of breathtaking; so’s the clear, cool lake water on a steamy July afternoon.
Don’t miss This part of the state is full of distractions — over in nearby Grand Traverse Bay, the beautiful Old Mission Peninsula is like a less crowded version of Long Island’s North Fork, with beautiful farms, vineyards, small inns and secluded beaches (oldmission.com).
#8 SOUTHERN EXPOSURE Ontario
Canada doesn’t have a Florida, which explains all those old ladies in St. Pete, or that twangy French you hear in Hollywood. As close as it gets to the tropics in Canada is Southwestern Ontario, hundreds of miles south of Vancouver or anywhere else along the border. Here, it’s all small towns and mile after mile of fertile farmfields. The tomatoes down here are no joke; Heinz Canada has a giant factory in the friendly burg of Leamington, which calls itself the country’s Tomato Capital and feels more like California’s Central Valley than the north shore of Lake Erie, what with its taquerias and a Mexican Consulate on Main Street. There are vineyards, blueberry farms and endless open space — Point Pelee National Park attracts hikers and birders, seeing as this is a prime stop in the bird and butterfly migration corridor. If you’re looking to disappear off the map for a few days, here you go.
Don’t miss Ride the ferry to Pelee Island, a world unto itself in the middle of Lake Erie, with just 250 or so permanent residents and miles of roads and trail to explore — rent a bike at the docks (pelee.org).