📍Long Weekend 🍁 North Michigan Maple Leaf Trip
📅 Three Days & Two Nights, Oct. 2017 Route: Minneapolis ▶️ Wausau ▶️ Porcupine Mt. ▶️ Houghton ▶️ Copper Hbr The Great Lakes region is one of the best places for maple leaf viewing ☝️, and North Michigan is especially famous 🥇! In fact, there are many maple-viewing parks 🏞 and scenic roads 🚏 around the lakes. But since seeing too many maple leaves might make you “overwhelmed” 🤦♀️, here’s a 3-day itinerary 🗺 perfect for a weekend getaway 🚗! 📍 Maple Leaf Viewing Time Varies Yearly‼️ Many websites provide real-time updates and forecasts. We went during the first week of October . Locals said the leaves usually turn from yellow to red at this time 📈, making the scenery stunning 💐. But that year, the maple leaves were a bit late , so most were still yellow-green when we arrived 🤷♂️ Day 1️⃣: Minneapolis ▶️ Wausau First, we visited Mall of America in Minnesota 💰 – the largest mall in the US with lots of amusement rides . You could easily spend a whole day there Stayed in Wausau overnight 🛏️. Wisconsin is famous for ginseng 🥣 – grab some if you want a health boost Day 2⃣️: Wausau ▶️ Porcupine Mt. ▶️ Houghton First stop: Presque Isle State Campground . This trail leads to Lake Superior and is easy to hike. Not far away is Porcupine Mountains – a Michigan state park and our key maple-viewing spot ! Most people head straight to Lake of the Clouds Overlook . The park has many observation towers for maple viewing , but since the scenery is quite similar everywhere, this overlook is more than enough. Drove 1 hour to stay in Houghton overnight Day 3⃣️: Houghton ▶️ Copper Hbr ▶️ Return About Houghton 📣: It’s home to Michigan Tech Univ 🎓 – super quiet and ideal for academia 🖋. It’s also the departure point for Isle Royal N.P. 🏝. The Lift Bridge over the river is definitely worth a photo Head north along Highway 41 🔼 – the whole road is lined with maple trees, especially the last few miles approaching Copper Hbr . Copper Hbr is very small . Two must-visit spots: Hunter’s Point Park: Get up close to Lake Superior, with lots of pebbles 🪨. Brockway Mt Lookout: Overlook the lake and forests 🔭🌲.Summary 📄 We started and ended in Minnesota . If you’re in Chicago, Milwaukee, or Madison, you can reverse the route or make a loop with these major cities . Anyway, the weather is pleasant 🌡️, the scenery is beautiful 🏞, the roads are good , and it’s not a peak holiday 🛀. If you’re tired from work or stuck on your thesis , find a weekend in October to relax! #DayTrips #Weekend #Travel #ChicagoLife #ChicagoFoodAndFun #MapleLeafViewing #TravelGuide #MapleLeaves #Beer #ChicagoWeekendGuide #FallMapleViewing #ExploreChicago #ChicagoEntertainment #ChineseLanternFestival #Milwaukee #MilwaukeeArea #AmericanLife #DescribeAutumnInOnePhoto
