{"id":886628,"date":"2026-04-21T17:21:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T16:21:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/?p=886628"},"modified":"2026-04-21T17:21:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T16:21:34","slug":"midwest-road-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/midwest-road-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"This Midwest Road Trip Might Be the Most Underrated in the USA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Most American road trip fantasies are coastal \u2013 a salt-sprayed dash down the Pacific Coast Highway or a seafood-heavy loop of New England. We\u2019ve been conditioned to overlook the middle of the map, but the midwest might just be the USA\u2019s best-kept secret.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trafalgar recently launched a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/en-us\/tours\/scenic-great-lakes-with-mackinac-island?optionId=2213\">9-day journey from Chicago to Detroit<\/a>. You\u2019ll 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\u2019t 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\u2019s hit the road!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-7-epic-experiences-that-make-this-midwest-road-trip\">7 epic experiences that make this Midwest road trip<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"tf__box horizontal tour-cta\" style=\"height:100%\" data-module-name=\"Trafalgar Unlocked Awards 2024\">\n    <div class=\"tf__box-hero\">\n        <div style=\"background: url(https:\/\/content1.travcorpservices.com\/media\/dv5ff2vo\/mackinac-island-guided-tour.jpg?width=1300&#038;height=1300&#038;mode=crop) no-repeat center center \/ cover;\"><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"tf__box_container\" style=\"background-color: #CFD3C4;\">\n        <div class=\"tf__box_title\" style=\"color: #4B6B35\">\n            <span class=\"tf__box_title-icon\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fa fa-suitcase\"><\/i><\/span>\n            <span class=\"tf__box_title-text\">Go on tour<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"tf__box_content\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/tours\/scenic-great-lakes-with-mackinac-island\" data-item-type=\"navigation\" data-item-name=\"View Trip\">\n            <p class=\"box-header\" style=\"max-width: none;\">Scenic Great Lakes with Mackinac Island<\/p>\n\t\t\t<br>\n            \n                <button class=\"tf__button\" style=\"background-color:#4B6B35\">View Trip<\/button>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-see-chicago-s-architecture-from-the-water\">1. See Chicago\u2019s architecture from the water<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Most visitors experience Chicago from the sidewalk, dodging commuters on the Magnificent Mile. But to truly understand the &#8220;Windy City,&#8221; it\u2019s best to drop below street level. On Trafalgar\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/en-us\/tours\/scenic-great-lakes-with-mackinac-island?optionId=2213\">Scenic Great Lakes with Mackinac Island tour<\/a> you\u2019ll board an architecture cruise on the Chicago River. From this perspective you\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chicago-river-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"A view of the Chicago River with buildings lining either side at sunset\" class=\"wp-image-886632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chicago-river-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chicago-river-330x186.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chicago-river-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chicago-river.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-an-orchard-to-table-be-my-guest-lunch-nbsp\">2. An orchard-to-table Be My Guest lunch&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On Day 3 you\u2019ll arrive in Grand Rapids, a city known for its craft scene and creative spirit. You\u2019ll pull up a chair at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhausfarms.com\/\">Farmhaus Farms<\/a>, 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\u2019ll sip small-batch hard ciders \u2013 some of the very best in the Midwest!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"tf__box horizontal tour-cta\" style=\"height:100%\" data-module-name=\"Trafalgar Unlocked Awards 2024\">\n    <div class=\"tf__box-hero\">\n        <div style=\"background: url(https:\/\/content1.travcorpservices.com\/media\/dv5ff2vo\/mackinac-island-guided-tour.jpg?width=1300&#038;height=1300&#038;mode=crop) no-repeat center center \/ cover;\"><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"tf__box_container\" style=\"background-color: #CFD3C4;\">\n        <div class=\"tf__box_title\" style=\"color: #4B6B35\">\n            <span class=\"tf__box_title-icon\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fa fa-suitcase\"><\/i><\/span>\n            <span class=\"tf__box_title-text\">Go on tour<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"tf__box_content\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/tours\/scenic-great-lakes-with-mackinac-island\" data-item-type=\"navigation\" data-item-name=\"View Trip\">\n            <p class=\"box-header\" style=\"max-width: none;\">Scenic Great Lakes with Mackinac Island<\/p>\n\t\t\t<br>\n            \n                <button class=\"tf__button\" style=\"background-color:#4B6B35\">View Trip<\/button>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-the-motorless-magic-of-mackinac-island\">3. The motorless magic of Mackinac Island<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>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\u2019ll 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\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mackinac-Island-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Looking out to the lake from Mackinac Island and it's whitewashed town\" class=\"wp-image-886630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mackinac-Island-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mackinac-Island-330x186.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mackinac-Island-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mackinac-Island.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-a-special-stay-with-stories-on-mackinac-island\">4. A special Stay with Stories on Mackinac Island<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island has been open since 1887, and guests on Trafalgar\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/en-us\/tours\/scenic-great-lakes-with-mackinac-island?optionId=2213\">Scenic Great Lakes with Mackinac Island tour<\/a> 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 \u2013 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\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/The-Grand-Hotel-on-Mackinac-Island-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Outside view of the white Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island\" class=\"wp-image-886629\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/The-Grand-Hotel-on-Mackinac-Island-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/The-Grand-Hotel-on-Mackinac-Island-1-330x186.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/The-Grand-Hotel-on-Mackinac-Island-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/The-Grand-Hotel-on-Mackinac-Island-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-learn-how-to-hand-roll-pretzels-in-little-bavaria\">5. Learn how to hand-roll pretzels in \u201cLittle Bavaria&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>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\u2019s hat on you\u2019ll learn the tricky technique of pretzel rolling, turning flour and yeast into a perfect knot. After, you\u2019ll have free time to explore Frankenmuth \u2013 you\u2019ll have earnt a stein after that!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"tf__box horizontal tour-cta\" style=\"height:100%\" data-module-name=\"Trafalgar Unlocked Awards 2024\">\n    <div class=\"tf__box-hero\">\n        <div style=\"background: url(https:\/\/content1.travcorpservices.com\/media\/dv5ff2vo\/mackinac-island-guided-tour.jpg?width=1300&#038;height=1300&#038;mode=crop) no-repeat center center \/ cover;\"><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"tf__box_container\" style=\"background-color: #CFD3C4;\">\n        <div class=\"tf__box_title\" style=\"color: #4B6B35\">\n            <span class=\"tf__box_title-icon\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fa fa-suitcase\"><\/i><\/span>\n            <span class=\"tf__box_title-text\">Go on tour<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"tf__box_content\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/tours\/scenic-great-lakes-with-mackinac-island\" data-item-type=\"navigation\" data-item-name=\"View Trip\">\n            <p class=\"box-header\" style=\"max-width: none;\">Scenic Great Lakes with Mackinac Island<\/p>\n\t\t\t<br>\n            \n                <button class=\"tf__button\" style=\"background-color:#4B6B35\">View Trip<\/button>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6-discover-the-legacy-of-the-first-african-american-military-aviators-in-detroit\">6. Discover the legacy of the first African American military aviators in Detroit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Your time in Detroit begins at the <a href=\"https:\/\/tuskegeemuseum.org\/\">Tuskegee Airmen National Museum<\/a> for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER\u00ae Experience. Here you\u2019ll explore the legacy of the first African American military aviators and their pivotal role in World War II. You\u2019ll 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\u2019s a purposeful encounter that ensures your travel leaves a positive footprint while giving you a deeper understanding of American social history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-7-stand-in-the-room-where-history-happened-at-the-henry-ford-museum\">7. Stand in the room where history happened \u2013 at the Henry Ford Museum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Henry-Ford-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Close up of a red vintage Ford car's bonnet with the horse logo\" class=\"wp-image-886631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Henry-Ford-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Henry-Ford-330x186.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Henry-Ford-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Henry-Ford.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation isn&#8217;t just about cars \u2013 it\u2019s 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&#8217; workshop, the museum transforms abstract history into something you can touch and feel. It\u2019s a fun exploration of American grit, innovation and ingenuity that shaped \u201cMotor City\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"tf__box horizontal tour-cta\" style=\"height:100%\" data-module-name=\"Trafalgar Unlocked Awards 2024\">\n    <div class=\"tf__box-hero\">\n        <div style=\"background: url(https:\/\/content1.travcorpservices.com\/media\/dv5ff2vo\/mackinac-island-guided-tour.jpg?width=1300&#038;height=1300&#038;mode=crop) no-repeat center center \/ cover;\"><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"tf__box_container\" style=\"background-color: #CFD3C4;\">\n        <div class=\"tf__box_title\" style=\"color: #4B6B35\">\n            <span class=\"tf__box_title-icon\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fa fa-suitcase\"><\/i><\/span>\n            <span class=\"tf__box_title-text\">Go on tour<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"tf__box_content\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/tours\/scenic-great-lakes-with-mackinac-island\" data-item-type=\"navigation\" data-item-name=\"View Trip\">\n            <p class=\"box-header\" style=\"max-width: none;\">Scenic Great Lakes with Mackinac Island<\/p>\n\t\t\t<br>\n            \n                <button class=\"tf__button\" style=\"background-color:#4B6B35\">View Trip<\/button>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This Midwest road trip proves that America\u2019s most underrated frontier isn&#8217;t found at the ocean\u2019s 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\u2019s <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/en-us\/tours\/scenic-great-lakes-with-mackinac-island?optionId=2213\"><em>Scenic Great Lakes with Mackinac Island tour<\/em><\/a><em>? Leave us a comment\u2026&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most American road trip fantasies are coastal \u2013 a salt-sprayed dash down the Pacific Coast Highway or a seafood-heavy loop of New England. We\u2019ve been conditioned to overlook the middle of the map, but the midwest might just be the USA\u2019s best-kept secret.&nbsp; Trafalgar recently launched a new 9-day journey from Chicago to Detroit. You\u2019ll [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":886656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4905,1],"tags":[784,327],"class_list":["post-886628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-destination-guides","category-travel","tag-road-trip","tag-usa"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - 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