Indian Trails Blog

Ann Arbor has long been known as the home of the University of Michigan Wolverines, but there’s so much more to the city. Year-round, indoors and out, a trip to Ann Arbor is sure to please even the pickiest of travelers in your group.

If your group is looking for family-friendly fun in the mitten, it’s hard to beat Holland, especially during early spring through autumn. For over half the year, it’s almost impossible for kids or adults to be bored in or around Holland. And you can bet every activity you choose will involve some good, clean fun. Here’s a look at some of what Holland has to offer.

“Up north” is a part of the vernacular of the mitten state. And for many who have lived in Michigan their whole lives, going up north means going to Traverse City or nearby areas. Perhaps one of the best known and loved destinations in the state, Traverse City feels like home to so many, even those who have only spent a week there, simply because of its modest, welcoming atmosphere. Whether you’re from Kansas or Kalkaska, once you visit Traverse City, you’ll be counting the days until you can return.

Detroit will never be what it was during the early automotive boom years, but if you take a look around Detroit today, you’re likely to say, “It’s not the same as it was … it’s better!”

Truly rising from the ashes of a former life, Detroit (aka the D, Motown, and the Motor City) is being remade by people who know and love the city. New businesses, new entertainment venues, new restaurants and bars, even new transportation options are enticing people not only to visit, but to live and work in the D, spurring further growth in residential and commercial real estate. If your group wants to do its part in supporting the new and improved city of Detroit, take a look at what’s happening and start planning your next adventure.

The holidays are truly the most wonderful time of the year, especially in Michigan where there are so many ways to make every minute of the season count. This year, start a holiday bucket list for your group and choose from destinations that offer some of the state’s best and most festive events.

Chicago is a city of many artistic attributes and among the most beloved are the theaters. Shows range from contemporary hits like “Hamilton” to classics like “Hello Dolly,” “A Christmas Carol” and the opera “La bohème,” each produced in theaters with their own interesting histories. Your group will be enchanted by the entertainment and the venues. Here’s a list of some theatrical options upcoming around Chicagoland.

Michigan’s long legacy of ingenuity and innovation is well known and has helped shape our nation and the world. But when it comes down to pure engineering, a few exceptional examples outshine the rest. If your group loves to learn about buildings and structures that are bigger than life, that are expanding the future, or have withstood the test of time, plan a charter tour to these engineering marvels in the Lower Peninsula.

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When you’re riding a bus, you don’t need to worry about traffic, directions, or stopping to take bathroom breaks. You have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, talk, and play games with your bus-mates. But we’ve all been there: you’re an hour into your five-hour trip and everyone, whether they’re 5 years old or 50, is starting to go stir-crazy. Here are some ideas to keep your group entertained.

The history of scheduled service bus travel probably goes back centuries, depending upon one’s interpretation of the word “bus.” Essentially any vehicle that could transport groups over the land might be considered a bus, but the first “modern” interpretation would probably be the “charabanc.”

Imagine what it was like in the upper peninsula in 1668, the year Sault Ste. Marie was founded by French Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette on the south bank of the St. Marys River. The river was turbulent with rapids and was originally named Baawitigong or “place of the rapids” by the indigenous Ojibwa. The only connection between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, the river dropped 21 feet in a tumultuous waterfall that made uninterrupted travel by water impossible. It was wilderness then and served as a meeting place for the Ojibwa tribe who came together during whitefish season. In 1668, it became the first “city” in the entire Great Lakes region and “the place where Michigan was born.”