Lake Michigan Travel Story Web Exclusive

Tom

Tom looking adventurous on the Milwaukee waterfront.

Mantis

We named our little friend "Mantis" and wished we took him along on the rest of the trip.

BoatSpray

Milwaukee skyline

A particularly beautiful view of the Milwaukee skyline aboard the Lake Express high-speed ferry.

Kite Surfer

A kite surfer enjoying the day along the Michigan shore.

Leelanau spiderweb

Dune Walk

Is this really the Midwest?

Manitou

Both Manitou Islands are visible from the end of the Dune Climb.

Sam Jumping

Sam used the sand dunes to practice his acrobatic routine.

Michigan Tom Swim

The warm, aquamarine water of Lake Michigan was a great finish to the sweltering Dune Climb, as demonstrated by Managing Editor Tom Kaiser's enthusiasm.

Michigan Lake Blur

It was a perfect day for fishing.

13_Michigan_Leland_waterfall

The man-made falls within the Leland waterfront.

Muskegon Silversides

The Silversides along the lake.

Muskegon Dock Loading

Refreshments are necessary for any aquatic trip.

Muskegon Soash Reeling

Trailer Life Digital Media Manager Chris Soash showing off his non-computer-related skills.

Muskegon Fish In Water

Reeling in dinner.

Muskegon Lake Express

The Lake Express is a much quicker, more exciting way to get across Lake Michigan - especially compared to braving Chicago's rush hour.

19_Muskegon_FishCooler

Catch of the day.

Muskegon Boats

The old boats that dot the shore are just one of the sites to see.

Muskegon Fish Crew

We were quite pleased with our work - not bad for a half-day trip!

Muskegon Fish Cleaning

For every fish, there is -- of course -- some cleaning to do.

Addiction Charters' Brian

Captain Brian from Addiction Charters in Muskegon - a very entertaining fishing guide who led us to fill our coolers with salmon.

Leelanau State Park

At the very tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, the Leelanau State Park is a fantastic campground, but has limited services for RV travelers.

Leland Historic District 2

We had a delicious dinner at The Cove, which comes highly recommended from this crew.

Leland Historic District

After a strenuous hike, we enjoyed cooling off at the Leland Historic District for dinner and shopping along the boardwalk.

Michigan Dune Hikers

Doing the Dune Climb (on a very hot day) at the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Milwaukee Museum

The Santiago Calatrava-designed Milwaukee Art Museum is one of the country's most beautiful structures.

Milwaukee Up Close

Milwaukee has a beautiful skyline and riverfront, so we scoped out the situation before boarding the Lake Express.

Muskegon Crowd Gathers

A crowd gathers to scope out the shore, the anglers and the many boats as we approached Muskegon Lake.

Muskegon Happy Couple

Enjoying the view...

Muskegon Lake Muskegon

Most passengers stayed inside the cabin during the ferry ride, but people came out in droves as we approached the Michigan shoreline.

Salmon In Foil

Cooking up our fresh-caught salmon over the fire was easy: olive oil, butter, garlic, onion and lemon.

Sam and Fish

Sam Holzinger holding one of the largest fish we caught while out on Lake Michigan with Addiction Charters.

Sleeping Bear Dunes

Arriving at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in the Leelanau Peninsula.