Spinoff... What touristy things did YOU do this summer

[MIGrandma]

Spent two nights on Mackinac Island and had dinner at the Grand Hotel!

DH and I will be on the island for 3 nights next month, I can't wait!! We're staying at the Lilac Tree Hotel downtown. We stayed one night at the Grand Hotel many years ago, would love to stay there again but haven't found a good price. Last time I looked it would have been $800/night.

Went to Mackinaw City, MI as we do every summer.

We'll be there next month, looking forward to it as always. Do you have any favorite restaurants you always go to when you're there? We like Darrow's a lot, have been to Cunningham's too but I see they now charge $4 for using your credit card so we won't be going there.

As for the OP's question, we really haven't done anything touristy yet this summer. With my Mom being so ill in May and June and passing away July 10th we have stuck pretty close to home, except for some camping in Northern Michigan.

We'll be taking an 11-night vacation to the U.P. of Michigan next month (8 nights camping with our truck camper - 2 at Mackinaw City, 2 at Tahquamenon Rivermouth and 4 at Sault Ste. Marie) followed by 3 nights at the Lilac Tree Hotel on Mackinaw Island so we're really looking forward to that.

Then we are planning a trip to the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area (2 nights at the Hampton Inn in Gatlinburg, then a 7-night cabin rental) in late March next year.

I have been wanting to go to Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum down by Detroit again, didn't get it done last summer and doesn't look like we will this summer either, maybe next year.

 

[scrhsa]

Sadly, not a dern thing!! I live 5 minutes from a little beach and haven't even made it there yet!!!

 

[MamaLema]

We are going to Chicago in 2 weeks and we'll be trying Chicago deep dish pizza

 

[antmaril]

DH and I will be on the island for 3 nights next month, I can't wait!! We're staying at the Lilac Tree Hotel downtown. We stayed one night at the Grand Hotel many years ago, would love to stay there again but haven't found a good price. Last time I looked it would have been $800/night. .

We priced the Grand Hotel for our visit, too, but it was over $900 a night for a small, interior room. No thanks. We stayed at the Bicycle Street Inn and Suites (very close to the Lilac Tree Hotel). It was great. We had a room with a balcony overlooking Main Street and the water. We could see Shepler's Ferry coming and going. Very nice. I hope you have a great trip. Our weather was spectacular. Mackinac Island was hopping. It reminded me of Disney World on a busy weekend!

 

[PollyannaMom]

I love doing local touristy stuff in whatever country / city I live in

I do too! I moved to Mass late in life, and still marvel at all the history stuff DH and his family take for granted. - This summer I finally got to the JFK Library & Museum!

But we mostly did non-local touristy stuff on our summer trip this year. The basis was our usual visit with my family out in western NY, but we took a reeeeally round-about route this time:

We went via Portsmouth, NH & York, ME, where we did Water Country, York's Wild Kingdom, the Moffatt-Ladd House, and (of course) a bunch of touristy restaurants and shops.

We returned via Bristol, CT, where we went to Lake Compounce (the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the US).

Oh, and on the way to CT, we ate at the Calaboose Grill - a restaurant built in a converted jail:

(This isn't my photo - I just found it on the internet.)

 

[DawnM]

Winslow, AZ
Grand Canyon
Sedona
Drove some of Route 66

Disneyland
Several touristy LA things

 

[dotfurio]

We went to DC and did the typical touristy stuff - monuments, museums, zoo, White House, Capitol, Supreme Court, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, changing of the guard, etc. Also a self guided car tour of Gettysburg and a trip to Mt. Vernon. I think my favorite part was seeing the Star Spangled Banner - I had no idea how immense it is. I was really bummed the ruby slippers were off display, though. I embarassed myself on the Metro - wasn't hanging on very well during rush hour because it was so packed and I was trying to keep a hand on my kid, and when the train took off I fell into the arms of a stranger. I felt so bad. I know he must've been rolling his eyes at the stupid tourist, lol.

We also did a little trip for DH conference and saw the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot and Henry Cowell Redwoods.

 

[MIGrandma]

We priced the Grand Hotel for our visit, too, but it was over $900 a night for a small, interior room. No thanks. We stayed at the Bicycle Street Inn and Suites (very close to the Lilac Tree Hotel). It was great. We had a room with a balcony overlooking Main Street and the water. We could see Shepler's Ferry coming and going. Very nice. I hope you have a great trip. Our weather was spectacular. Mackinac Island was hopping. It reminded me of Disney World on a busy weekend!

I can't even imagine paying that much, and for a small interior room. I remember we paid $139 when we stayed there in 1981 (for our 6th wedding anniversary) and I thought THAT was expensive! We had a very small room in the back. But the hotel itself was so...Grand! And dinner in the dining room, with the orchestra playing and all the courses of food, just amazing. I would love to stay there for one of their special weekends like the "Somewhere in Time" weekend. Last year we stayed at the Chippewa, had a room with a balcony facing the water and loved it, but this time we'll have a balcony facing the street and with water view. I love hearing the clip-clop of the horses, especially at night when all of the ferries have left. It's an amazing place, so special.

 

[low-key]

I havent done nothing this summer and its killing me, but I had to get some financial things in order, and I just about got that all taken care of which will insure me of many touristy things to do in the not to distant future

 

[disneychrista]

Spent a lot of time at the coast/beach.

Visited the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (walked from one end to the other, bought taffy and left)

Visited several breweries in Santa Cruz, Berkeley and some closer to home.

 

[JaxDad]

All Florida...

Universal
Palm Beach/Florida Keys/Key West
Ichetucknee River and Springs
Local beaches and water park

 

[gillep]

I have had a super lazy summer, this is the least I have traveled in probably 4 years. My friends and I took a day off of work to go to the beach in Monterey, and my husband and I went to the Santa Cruz boardwalk and beach for a day (and stopped to get ice cream with homemade marshmallow fluff on the way home), and we hiked the Redwoods. We usually at least go to Napa and Sonoma, or to NY, but the summer is practically over, and it doesn't look like any of that is happening.

 

[Wendy31]

Our summer was pretty busy w/ our older 2 kids' summer swim league plus 2 birthdays & one family reunion.

However, we did go on vacation to St. Augustine, FL in June. We've been so many times that I really don't feel like a tourist any more when we visit though - it's almost like a second home.

But we did visit the Alligator Farm & Zoological Park while there because our younger son loves it & we go just about each time. We also toured the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum because it'd been years since we'd been last... it's VERY much a tourist trap! LOL! We also shopped on St. George Street in the historic district, walked through the gardens of the first Catholic mission, and went on a ecological boat tour.

 

[antmaril]

I can't even imagine paying that much, and for a small interior room. I remember we paid $139 when we stayed there in 1981 (for our 6th wedding anniversary) and I thought THAT was expensive! We had a very small room in the back. But the hotel itself was so...Grand! And dinner in the dining room, with the orchestra playing and all the courses of food, just amazing. I would love to stay there for one of their special weekends like the "Somewhere in Time" weekend. Last year we stayed at the Chippewa, had a room with a balcony facing the water and loved it, but this time we'll have a balcony facing the street and with water view. I love hearing the clip-clop of the horses, especially at night when all of the ferries have left. It's an amazing place, so special.

While I have visited Mackinac Island many times over the years, this was my first time spending the night on the Island. The clip-clop of the horses in the late evening after most people have left, is magical. My late husband and I were actually on Mackinac Island when they were filming "Somewhere in Time". I can picture Christopher Reeve like it was yesterday. He had tissue tucked into his collar to protect it from makeup. I have pictures of that day somewhere. I think you will enjoy having the balcony overlooking Main Street. Good people watching!

 

[Kellykins1218]

I live in a tourist town so spent all summer going to Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores water park.
Took the ferry to Put-in-Bay. Cruised around the island in a golf cart, visited Perry's Monument, Perry's Cave, and the Butterfly House.
Spent a day in Amish Country. Went to Lehman's Hardware, Troyer's, Heini's Cheese Chalet , Amish farm tour, took a buggy ride, and ate at the Amish Door.

 

[MIGrandma]

While I have visited Mackinac Island many times over the years, this was my first time spending the night on the Island. The clip-clop of the horses in the late evening after most people have left, is magical. My late husband and I were actually on Mackinac Island when they were filming "Somewhere in Time". I can picture Christopher Reeve like it was yesterday. He had tissue tucked into his collar to protect it from makeup. I have pictures of that day somewhere. I think you will enjoy having the balcony overlooking Main Street. Good people watching!

Oh, wow, to be there when they were filming "Somewhere in Time", how wonderful!! That has always been one of my very favorite movies. Last time we were there (two summers ago) we rode bikes around the island and stopped at "the tree" where they have the plaque and where Richard and Elise were together.

 

[Funfire240]

We also spent a lot of time at Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores (and DH laughs because I still do all the "tourist" photos with the kids!). Spent a couple nights at Kalahari.
Went to our house in the Florida Keys for awhile and had fun with the kids going to different attractions down there and of course eating at Margaritaville many times

 

[MrsDuck]

We went to Dry Tortugas National Park this summer. It was great!

 

[karmic]

It's fun doing tourist-y stuff with a little one - even if he won't remember it (yet)! So far, we went to the Connecticut Science Center to meet Daniel Tiger, then a short visit to Old Sturbridge Village (my visiting uncle couldn't take the heat and humidity) and took a cruise on the Cross Sound Ferry to look at the lighthouses.

This coming Friday, DS's 2nd birthday, we're going to Foxborough/Gillette Stadium/Patriot Place. On Saturday, we have our annual John Williams Film Night concert at Tanglewood (we go with DH's whole family). We're hoping to find time to visit the Lupa Zoo in Ludlow, MA. Then maybe we can rest before the autumn festivities begin

We are going th​

 

[NHdisneylover]

DS18 and I just spent a week in Berlin. The REALLY touristy thign we did was spend an afternoon at Madame Toussad's. We had a heck of a lot of fun too!