Michigan's Lakes & Mackinac Island

Tour begins: 5:15 PM, Delamar Hotel Traverse City. A transfer is included from the Cherry Capital Airport to the Delamar Hotel Traverse City in Traverse City. Join us tonight for a welcome cocktail reception and dinner.

You might be surprised to learn on your Michigan tour that the state's western coast is a land of vineyards and sandy beaches as well as really impressive sand dunes. This morning you'll see some of the spectacular Lake Michigan shoreline as you travel along the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore; ranging in color from the palest champagne to vibrant sienna, the constantly shifting dunes can be as high as 400 feet! This afternoon, board the 114-foot schooner Manitou for a private tall ship cruise on the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay. Wind up a great day with a winery tour and wine-pairing dinner at Chateau Chantal Winery on the Old Mission Peninsula in Grand Traverse Bay.

On your first stop today, music fills the air at the Music House Museum, displaying rare antique musical instruments and music-making machines from between 1870 and 1930; feel free to hum along during your visit! Then wind your way along the shoreline of beautiful Grand Traverse Bay as your Michigan tour continues toward the historic Straits of Mackinac; this strip of water connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron saw both booming commerce and some pretty spirited conflicts during the active fur-trading era of centuries ago. Stop in quaint Petoskey for lunch en route to Mackinaw City, from which a ferry carries you across the strategically important straits to historic Mackinac Island, where no cars are allowed... so you'll ride a horse-drawn carriage to your accommodation at the world-famous Grand Hotel, among the most celebrated hotels in America! This stately hotel's front porch, reputed to be the longest of its kind when it was built in 1887, is still a very popular gathering place for guests and local residents alike.

The tiny treasure known as Mackinac (pronounced "Mackinaw") Island remains much as it was when the first Europeans settled the island centuries ago. Folks get around here by foot, by bicycle or by horse... because motorized vehicles are not permitted on the island. Although the year-round human population is only about 600 residents, the horse population can be as high as 500 during the summer months! A sightseeing tour by horse-drawn carriage reveals all that is magical about Mackinac Island and is sure to be a highlight of your Michigan tour. You'll see Fort Mackinac, built by the British to guard the Straits of Mackinac during the American Revolution, as well as "downtown" Mackinac Island with many historic homes and grand Victorian cottages. You'll also learn more about your celebrated hotel at a presentation by a local resident historian who shares unique anecdotes about this famous landmark. The remainder of the day is yours to explore the island as you please; you're bound to discover things that capture your interest.

Leaving peaceful Mackinac Island behind via ferry to the mainland, continue on to Midland, where you'll explore the home and studio of noted 20th-century architect Alden B. Dow, son of the founder of the Dow Chemical Company, who was a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. Dow's innovative use of geometric planes, angles and landscaping elements to integrate his home into its natural surroundings has earned the home the designation as a National Historic Landmark. Arrive late afternoon at your riverfront hotel in Bay City, where you'll have dinner at your leisure this evening.

You might think you've landed in Bavaria today when you visit the little village of Frankenmuth, founded by German pioneers in the 1840s, for lunch and some free time to poke around. Continue on to Dearborn, a city instrumental in America's automobile culture, where a guided visit to The Henry Ford is a fascinating, "must-do" experience on any Michigan tour. Historic trains, automobiles, airplanes and more help illustrate the American experience of progress and innovation between 1800 and 1950 – along with Dymaxion House, created by R. Buckminster Fuller; and the homes and workplaces of ground-breaking innovators such as Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers and Harvey Firestone. Tonight you'll begin a two-night stay at the historic (and newly renovated) Dearborn Inn, Autograph Collection. During dinner at the hotel tonight, enjoy a Tauck Exclusive – a private Motown musical performance by a live band.

Begin the day with a look at a state-of-the-art automotive manufacturing facility when you take the impressive Ford Rouge Factory Tour in Dearborn, connecting the innovation of the past with the technology of the present and future. Then head to Detroit, where a city orientation tour introduces you to the "Motor City," historic home of the American automobile industry; see the Renaissance Center, Comerica Park (home of the Detroit Tigers), the Fox Theatre, and more. Return to Dearborn, where the afternoon is free for your own further exploration and discovery amidst the living history and Americana of Greenfield Village; enjoy an included ride in a Model T for a firsthand look at early automotive travel. Please join us this evening for a farewell cocktail reception and dinner, and the opportunity to share your memories of your Michigan journey with those who shared the experience.

Tour ends: Detroit. Fly home anytime. A transfer from The Dearborn Inn to Detroit Metro Airport is included. Please allow two hours for flight check-in.