Entertaining/scenic driving route from Chicago to Wisconsin north woods, UP

[Otter74]

Went out in the car today with my honey on a wonderful spring day, and in discussing travel plans for later this year my mind came to road trips. I really want to do a RT to and down the west coast, but don't have time for it this year. May do one over to Pittsburgh and then down the Appalachians to Atlanta, etc.

But I was thinking most of the Great Lakes. This 4th of July, as in the past, I'll go with her to her family's house in Sayner, WI. I know how to get there the normal way, and it's nothing special - lots of freeway and then freeway-ish highways. Can any of you who are familiar with Wisconsin suggest an entertaining route to the Sayner area? It's already long at 6 hours, so might as well make it more fun and then a little longer is OK.

I would then want, this year, to drive across the UP (stops wherever and for whatever TBD) and then across Big Mac and down the left side of the hand. I am familiar with lower MI, and I suspect it's hard to go too wrong in the UP, but if you have any particular suggestions (roads, particularly) for the UP, I'll listen to that, too.

[ckelly78z]

20 years ago, we did a wonderful road trip (with the truck and camper) around the perimeter of Michigan checking out the lighthouses, and local festivals, and it is still one of our favorite trips.

We started near Toledo, and went up the West side hitting all the classic shorline lighthouses, took a buggy ride on the the great sanddunes, hit the July 4th Cherry festival in Traverse City, and also watched the neat air show over the bay. We went over Big Mac, and stayed in Sault St. Marie for a few days, hit the shipwreck museum at Whitefish point, checked out Tahquamenen falls, toured Mackinac island, and generally had a good time playing in the sand with our 1 yr old daughter.

It's a trip I want to do again in a few years when I retire.