Lake Michigan - Bloomington to ????

So many choices, so many places I want to see. Do Monica and I head to Detroit and visit Rosie, then head up to Mackinac? Do we go to Detroit and then cut across the state in order to head up the coast of Lake Michigan to Mackinac? (Advantage: looks like some Whitmanites will be vacationing there then.) Do we forget about Detroit and just head up along the coast?

What about Wisconsin? Anyone been down the coast of Lake Michigan there? I've heard the area that juts out north of Green Bay is like Cape Cod. Sounds interesting. I'd like to see Madison. Apparently there's good custard to be had. Where exactly? And then I hear the Great Road along the Mississippi is not to be missed.

Here's a site I'll be checking out: http://www.great-lakes.net/tourism/circletour/michigan/
(Maybe some day I'll figure out how to create a live link. Right now it either disappears or shows up as a URL.)


Suggestions?

CAR DISCUSSION or MAN OH MAN DOES MY SON EVER HAVE MY NUMBER!

Son David and I chatted this morning. About this and that, including confirming that he intends to join me for the southern swing back across the country. I'm ecstatic. Elated beyond imagination. This trip seems to be like having all my dreams come true.

So I run the idea by him that I've been contemplating. Maybe it's not a good idea, I say, to bring my car, the little convertible Lexus that I love so. I give him all the rational explanations -- maybe it's too small, maybe it's a problem that there's no spare tire, and maybe that's too much mileage to put on the car. What are your alternatives, he asks?

Well, I say, I've started looking into rental cars. Boy oh boy, they are expensive. And that's for a crappy little car and probably doesn't cover mileage, which of course will be considerable. So how's this? (Now I think I'm all smart and have figured out a brilliant, stunningly smart solution.) Why don't I take the money I'd spend on a car rental and use it, instead, to fix up our old Acura and use that. We could switch cars for the duration. Bigger car, bigger trunk, spare tire. Brilliant, no?

To which David points out that he thought the whole point is that I've spent years working hard to have a nice life with a nice car and why would I want to take off to drive across the country in anything but my little convertible that I love to drive? So what if it's not completely practical? People have been driving across country for years in all sorts of vehicles. Where's the "just do it" idea?

And as soon as he said it, I knew he was absolutely right. It's exactly what I want to do.

The Lexus it is. Hope UPS can ship in a tire if I get a flat in Montana!

1/29/10 - The Planning Starts

Welcome! This is where I'm going to plan my long-contemplated mid-life (past mid-life?) crisis cross country trip. Who cares? Who knows? What I'd love is suggestions, advice reactions, anecdotes, cautionary tales, and anything else you care to contribute.

Right now I have a few fixed destinations:

August 1 - head to Bloomington, Indiana

By August 12 - arrive in the Yellowstone/Jackson area

By August 20 - make it to Los Angeles and spend the weekend

183 days until departure!