Most American road trip fantasies are coastal – a salt-sprayed dash down the Pacific Coast Highway or a seafood-heavy loop of New England. We’ve been conditioned to overlook the middle of the map, but the midwest might just be the USA’s best-kept secret.
Trafalgar recently launched a new 9-day journey from Chicago to Detroit. You’ll cruise alongside the logic-defying scale and infinite horizons of the Great Lakes. Step into a 1898 time capsule on Mackinac Island, where cars don’t exist. And explore the grit and glamour of American reinvention, from the Art Deco vaults of Detroit to the very bus where Rosa Parks changed the world. Let’s hit the road!
7 epic experiences that make this Midwest road trip
1. See Chicago’s architecture from the water
Most visitors experience Chicago from the sidewalk, dodging commuters on the Magnificent Mile. But to truly understand the “Windy City,” it’s best to drop below street level. On Trafalgar’s Scenic Great Lakes with Mackinac Island tour you’ll board an architecture cruise on the Chicago River. From this perspective you’ll glide through a canyon of steel and glass, passing 40 city landmarks, from historic Art Deco masterpieces to modern engineering marvels. Hear the stories of the fire that razed the city and the grit that rebuilt it.
2. An orchard-to-table Be My Guest lunch
On Day 3 you’ll arrive in Grand Rapids, a city known for its craft scene and creative spirit. You’ll pull up a chair at Farmhaus Farms, where John and Meghan Behrens welcome Trafalgar guests for a cider-fueled lunch. The couple traded their accounting desks to save a 150-year-old family farmstead from development. Between three courses of seasonal, orchard-grown fare, you’ll sip small-batch hard ciders – some of the very best in the Midwest!
3. The motorless magic of Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island famously banned cars in 1898 and never looked back. Take a short ferry from the mainland to this island where horse power is all there is! You’ll be welcomed by the scent of pine and horse hay, and the rhythmic clip-clop of hooves. Long ago this island community decided to keep its 19th-century pace of living, and now you can step back in time and slow down too. Board a private horse-drawn carriage ride to the Grand Hotel for the night…
4. A special Stay with Stories on Mackinac Island
The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island has been open since 1887, and guests on Trafalgar’s Scenic Great Lakes with Mackinac Island tour will rest their heads here for the night as a special Stay with Stories. This hotel is a landmark in its own right, a huge white facade on the hill with a front porch that stretches 660 feet – the longest in the world. Spend your afternoon in a white rocking chair with a view of Lake Huron, learn about the famous figures who’ve stayed here (from presidents to public personalities), and explore the grounds where over 1,300 geraniums bloom. This stay is a chance to step into a unique piece of American history.
5. Learn how to hand-roll pretzels in “Little Bavaria”
Frankenmuth, Michigan, is a quirky slice of Germany transplanted into the American heartland. While the Bavarian-style architecture is a draw, the real highlight for Trafalgar guests is a Dive Into Culture workshop at the Bavarian Inn. With your baker’s hat on you’ll learn the tricky technique of pretzel rolling, turning flour and yeast into a perfect knot. After, you’ll have free time to explore Frankenmuth – you’ll have earnt a stein after that!
6. Discover the legacy of the first African American military aviators in Detroit
Your time in Detroit begins at the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Here you’ll explore the legacy of the first African American military aviators and their pivotal role in World War II. You’ll hear honest reflections from docents on the legacy of these heroes, seeing the aircraft they flew and learning how their impact continues through local youth programs. It’s a purposeful encounter that ensures your travel leaves a positive footprint while giving you a deeper understanding of American social history.
7. Stand in the room where history happened – at the Henry Ford Museum
The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation isn’t just about cars – it’s about the ideas that built the modern world. Step inside the actual bus where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott. From presidential limousines to the Wright brothers’ workshop, the museum transforms abstract history into something you can touch and feel. It’s a fun exploration of American grit, innovation and ingenuity that shaped “Motor City”.
This Midwest road trip proves that America’s most underrated frontier isn’t found at the ocean’s edge, but in the clip-clop silence of a car-free island and the grit of the cities that built the modern world. Will you join Trafalgar’s Scenic Great Lakes with Mackinac Island tour? Leave us a comment…