Vacation along Lake Michigan and other sights? (Milwaukee, Sheboygan: good hotel, restaurants)
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Our family is planning a trip around July 6th to Wisconsin for the first time. I have not decided if we will fly into Chicago from Nashville or drive. We would like to spend a night in Chicago then head north along the lake.
Our favorite activity when we vacation is to fly into a city and then hit the road driving from town to town or sight to sight and moving along. We don't spend a lot of time in a specific city maybe two nights at most. Obviously, we log a lot of miles which is fine. We may only drive 200 miles one day taking in the sights and then the next day we may drive 300 or more to get somewhere we want to be. This allows us to do what we enjoy best and that is stop in the local towns and eat at local restaurants, bakeries, ice cream shops, retail, etc. We also enjoy interesting factory tours along the way as well.
How far north would you suggest we travel before maybe we turn west to explore? I mean in reality we will enjoy the big lake, smaller lakes, etc but after a few days that would be sufficient as we like to see as much as we can during our time and actually don't linger.
Also, my fear is hotels are going to be costly along the lake? Obviously, on or very close to the water it will be but if we had to stay a few miles away from I43 for a reasonable stay that is fine. We are Holiday Inn, Best Western, Ramada, Hampton Inn, etc. folks.
I would maybe make note that i believe that period is during Milwaukee's Summerfest; a huge festival that can draw well of 3/4 million visitors. Which can add to traffic and hotel concerns. So perhaps it becomes a day stop for your family, or you skim right by and head north enough to allow you good hotel availability, less crowds at lakes/beaches, and so on.
I would do just that, meaning head north along the lake. Avoid I-43 wherever possible and follow the town or county roads along the shoreline. Plan stops at Port Washington, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Two Rivers, Kewaunee, Algoma and then plan for a couple nights staying in Sturgeon Bay. From there you can easily take day trip up the Door Peninsula and explore its 5 state parks.
If you stayed at the motels closer to the interstate your costs may go down.
From Sturgeon Bay I would make a beeline to the Apostle Islands (about 350 miles), or up to the Keweenaw Peninsula, but that's just my opinion.
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