Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, so don't wait to book. Indian Trails serves beach towns, festival destinations and college cities across Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Wherever you’re headed, there’s a route that gets you there without the driving headaches.
A few ideas worth considering this Labor Day weekend:
Experience the Woodward Dream Cruise in Pontiac, one of the great automotive spectacles in the country
Take a long weekend in Duluth or Sheboygan, where you can enjoy excellent beaches, food and scenery
Gather with family and friends you've been wanting to visit
No matter where you want to go, remember to book early before holiday travel fills up. Tickets start at just $6.
Travel Easily Between Home and Campus
August means college communities will be ramping up soon for classes. If you need to travel back and forth between home and school, Indian Trails is a simple way to go without the stress, parking hassles and gas expense. We serve college towns across Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. So whether you're heading back to classes, commuting to a job in a college town, or making the trip to visit a friend at another school, we have many bus routes to choose from. Remember to book early since the start of the school year is a busy time to travel, and download the Indian Trails Bus app to track your ride in real time.
The Indian Trails Bus app puts everything in one place — tickets, booking management, bus tracking and your Let’s Go! Rewards points. Simply download from the Apple App Store or Google Play and create an account. Once you’re signed in, you can:
Purchase tickets
Track your bus with one tap
Change your booking and save $5
Check on the points you’ve been earning
We’re here to help. Questions? Indian Trails offers extended customer service hours. During regular business hours, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., please call 989-725-5105. During extended hours, Monday through Friday 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and weekends 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., please call 989-725-5105 and select option 5.
Let’s Go! Rewards. Did You Know…
You Could Be Earning Points Right Now
Every eligible Indian Trails ticket purchase earns you points toward future ticket purchases. If you have an Indian Trails account, you’re already enrolled, just make sure you’re logged in when you buy. Don’t have an account yet? Create one and you’re automatically enrolled the moment you do. Points are earned at purchase and managing your balance is easy with the Indian Trails Bus app.
Travel Tip of the Month
Pack Once, Ride Twice
Here's a scenario nobody wants: you land, grab your bags and realize your luggage met the airline criteria perfectly for your flight but not for the motorcoach leg of your journey that gets you the rest of the way. Now you're on the airport floor, repacking before you've even left the terminal.
The good news is it's an easy problem to avoid. Carry-on size limits, checked bag weight allowances and what you can and can't bring can vary between airlines and bus carriers — and they don't always match up. If you're flying into or out of Michigan and connecting with Indian Trails, Michigan Flyer or DAX, it pays to know the restrictions for both legs before you zip up that luggage. Start here with Ben Thoennes' breakdown of the basics — then check the baggage policies for your specific airline and bus carrier so your bag works all the way through to your final destination.
August and early September can bring some of the most unpredictable weather of the year across Michigan and the Upper Midwest. Before you head to your stop, it’s worth checking for service alerts — especially ahead of a holiday weekend.
If you have a trip booked, here are some things to keep in mind:
We send notifications to the email address on your reservation as soon as possible.
Service alerts are posted on IndianTrails.com, so check there before you leave home when the forecast is stormy.
If a trip is canceled or modified, we will contact you directly and discuss your next steps.
Have a question about your trip? Indian Trails offers extended customer service hours. During regular business hours, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., please call 989-725-5105. During extended hours, Monday through Friday 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and weekends 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., please call 989-725-5105 and select option 5.
Discover the locations you can visit on an Indian Trails deluxe motorcoach!
Destination Spotlight: Pontiac
Motor City Roots and Modern Energy
Pontiac is a critical place in the American automobile story. About 25 miles northwest of Detroit on the Clinton River, this is the city that gave birth to the Pontiac Motor Division, GMC Truck and Coach and a legacy of manufacturing that still runs through its DNA. But there’s more going on here than history.
Every August, Pontiac serves as the northern terminus of the Woodward Dream Cruise — the world’s largest one-day automotive event, drawing roughly a million spectators and tens of thousands of classic cars along Woodward Avenue.
Pontiac also has a live music scene anchored by the historic Flagstar Strand Theatre, a growing arts community, the hands-on motorsports experience at M1 Concourse and a downtown that’s been quietly rebuilding itself block by block into a rewarding destination ready to be explored. Indian Trails serves Pontiac directly. Read the full destination guide and start planning.
Employee Spotlight: Patrick Kinsey, Motorcoach Operator
After more than 20 years in the restaurant industry, Patrick Kinsey was ready for a change. When his girlfriend mentioned an Indian Trails ad seeking new drivers, something clicked. "I was looking for something completely different," he said. He joined Indian Trails in 2023, despite never having driven anything bigger than a U-Haul.
"I looked at it as both a new opportunity and a leap of faith," he said. A Detroit native, Patrick credited his trainer with helping him build confidence behind the wheel of a motorcoach. "The trainer was patient and reassuring, awesome as both a teacher and coach."
“I've never felt more valued by an employer than I do here.”
Patrick started out running routes between the Detroit area and St. Ignace. Today, he operates a Detroit Air Xpress (DAX) motorcoach connecting downtown Detroit with Detroit Metro Airport. His years in hospitality still shape how he shows up for passengers. "Today, I do my best every day to bring those same people skills to bear with my passengers," he said.
When Patrick is off the road, he performs stand-up comedy at open mic nights around Detroit, reads mystery novels and watches movies.
Your Next Career Is Just One Stop Away
Indian Trails is hiring motorcoach operators, and the next training class starts in September. If you’ve been considering a career change — or just want a job with real purpose, steady miles and a team behind you — this is your window.
Key Dates
Application window runs Aug. 7-21, 2026
Training begins on Sept. 28, 2026
CDL training is provided, no commercial driving experience required
Not ready to apply just yet? Start with the guidebook. It walks you through everything from licensing and training to what life on the road actually looks like, day to day.
This service offers 14 daily trips between East Lansing, Whitmore Lake, Ann Arbor and the Detroit Metro Airport. To get schedule details or to book a bus ticket, visit MichiganFlyer.com.
D2A2
The D2A2 bus service provides frequent and affordable transportation between Detroit and Ann Arbor. Fares are as low as $2 with a frequent rider passbook. For more information, go to D2A2.com.
DAX
The Detroit Air Xpress (DAX) bus connects downtown Detroit to DTW airport. DAX runs nonstop from 3:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. One-way tickets are $6 in advance. For more information, visit DAX-bus.com.
Indian Trails, LLC, 109 E. Comstock St., Owosso, MI 48867, United States, 989-725-5105
