The Great Lakes stretch from Western New York to Eastern Minnesota. I'll call it the North Coast. That term is not commonly used outside of Ohio but I'll use it to describe the entire Great Lakes because it sounds cool. Water temperatures are tolerable from June-September though you may have to wait until July to enter Lake Superior in northern Michigan and Minnesota. Surf is rare in the summer but there are a few days in which it can kick up to 2-3 feet.
I haven't thoroughly explored this region but I will list my favorite spots in each state:
New York: Lots of coastline around Lake Erie but the clear number 1 spot here must be Niagara Falls. I saw it as a small child and don't remember much. I saw the Falls again as a teenager but didn't get too close. I may be back for a Buffalo/Toronto road trip that may also include Cleveland.
Pennsylvania- Small amount of coastline but Presque Isle State Park packs a punch.
Ohio- Cedar Point in Sandusky is one of the greatest amusement parks in the country. There are a lot of nice beaches as well around Mentor (near Cleveland) including views of the skyline. I'd also like to see the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
Indiana- Small Lake Michigan coastline but the Indiana Dunes National Seashore has recently been designated as a National Park.
Illinois- City of Chicago, especially Lakeshore Drive, not to be confused with the running trail in Homewood, Alabama.
Michigan- I've heard that the beaches and dunes here are just as nice as Indiana but my vote is the Pictured Rocks National Seashore on Lake Superior.
Wisconsin- Door County all the way. Cave Point County Park and Whitefish Dunes.
Minnesota- North Shore drive on Hwy 61. I was just there. If I have to pick a favorite spot, it's Tettigouche State Park.
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Now, let's shift gears to last weekend's road trip. Interstate 65 runs from Mobile, AL all the way up to Chicago. On the way, you can stop in Monty, Birmingham, Nashville, Louisville, Indy and Indiana Dunes. This time, I didn't make it all the way to Chicago but did stop in Indy on the way to Indiana Dunes and Louisville on the way back.
I arrived in Indy by mid-late afternoon on Saturday and toured the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. I'm not a real big auto racing fan but this was still pretty cool. I was able to see the track itself only from a distance but was allowed to sit inside one of the cars.
From there, it was a walking tour of downtown including the White River State Park and the Canal walk with some pretty nice views of the skyline. I saw Monument Circle as well but could not go to the top because it was closed.
The next morning, it was off to the North Coast. I chose West Beach in Gary and yes, I did see the Chicago skyline in the distance. I stayed here a little longer than planned but that did cut down on the fun in Louisville.
I did see Churchill Downs on Monday morning, including the track itself but don't feel that I did this city justice. The entertainment district was mostly closed when I arrived but I was still able to take a nice tour of Main Street and the river walk. The drive home was tough but I did make one stop at Abraham Lincoln's birth place.
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