🍂 The fall destination I hadn't considered

Howdy Roadtrippers,

Last week we covered a few popular fall foliage destinations, and y’all overwhelmingly voted on New England as your destination of choice.

But there were quite a few of you who had another recommendation that I had failed to mention, and it piqued my interest.

I got curious and did some research… and might have started planning a trip there. 🙈

So, here’s a sneak peek at what I looked at thanks to all of you!

• 🍂 The Route Report: Michigan fall foliage drives

• 🏨 The Check-in: $300 credit for flexible lodging

• 🚗 The Roadside Assist: Up to 35% off rental cars

• 🛑 Pit Stop Poll: Would you do this route?

🍂 The Route Report: Michigan fall foliage drives

Many of you touted Michigan as a must-see fall destination, and I’m not gonna lie, I was skeptical. 

I know the summers on the Great Lakes are supposed to be super pleasant and the winters downright frigid (at least from a Texan’s POV). But I hadn’t heard as much about the shoulder seasons.

So I took y’all’s recommendations and did some digging into the best Michigan fall foliage routes. 🔎

Upper Peninsula (aka the U.P.)

Several of you mentioned Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and if you’re chasing fall foliage, that’s probably where I’d start, since the leaves turn sooner the farther north you go.

For the uninitiated, the U.P. is this part:

You could technically drive straight across the Upper Peninsula in about 6 hours, but it’s definitely better experienced over multiple days. There’s plenty of lakeshore and outdoors to explore.

The Upper Peninsula is home to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, and a lot of forests. 

Forests = trees + leaves = fall foliage. It’s math.

For a specific scenic drive, head up Brockway Mountain on the Keweenaw Peninsula. The 9-mile drive takes you to the highest drivable point between the Rockies and the Alleghenies for sweeping views of the surrounding forests decked out in their fall colors.

Daniel reports that this area also has a rich copper and iron mining history. So if you don’t want to just look at trees and lakes, there are mining museums, underground mine tours, and the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum in Houghton, MI.

Mackinac Island

No route around northern Lake Michigan is complete without a mention of Mackinac Island.

The island sits in Lake Huron, between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, and is easily reached from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace by ferry.

Though at this point, any road tripping comes to a halt because the island has been car-free since 1898, when motor vehicles were banned – almost 130 years ago. 🤯

Instead, you can navigate the island on foot, on a bicycle, or in a horse-drawn carriage. If you’re really brave, you can rent your own horse-drawn carriage to drive around the island yourself!

A popular summer tourist destination, it still draws a small crowd in the fall as festivals like the island’s Fall Fudge Festival wrap up the tourist season.

This stop is one of the pricier destinations when it comes to accommodations, so prepare yourself, and don’t expect to find any chain hotels. Or base yourself out of Mackinaw City (more touristy) or St. Ignace (a little quieter) for cheaper accommodations.

Tunnel of Trees

South from Mackinac as you head to Traverse City is a stretch of road along M-119 known as Tunnel of Trees. Here, the trees grow so close that they create a natural canopy over the road.

In the fall, those trees turn gold, orange, and red, making for a spectacular autumn drive.

The narrow 20-mile scenic route winds along the bluffs above Lake Michigan, offering viewpoints of the water and stops at farms and a local general store along the way.

Traverse City

Continuing south, chasing the foliage, is Traverse City – the Cherry Capital of the World.

While cherry season concludes in August, there’s still plenty to do in Traverse City now that the crowds have started to dissipate.

Visit wineries – the area is known for them – sip local ciders, and find a local farm with a corn maze for the full fall experience. Or head out to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for views of the lake juxtaposed by the brilliant fall leaves and drive Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, where you’ll be greeted by an entrance through a covered bridge.

The most recommended fall route in Michigan, though, was hands down the M-22 highway along the Lake Michigan shoreline and through the Leelanau Peninsula. In fact, the 116-mile route has been voted the best autumn drive in the U.S. in past years by USA Today readers.

It’s like a quintessential New England road trip with farm stands, cider mills, and vibrant foliage, but with harbor towns, sand dunes, and the brilliant blue of Lake Michigan frequently within sight.

Honestly, I’m in love just thinking about it. 😍

The 3-hour drive is best broken up with stops along the way, and timed up for mid to late October for peak foliage viewing.

The rest of the route

All of the stops mentioned generally make up a small portion of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour, which continues south through Chicago and up around the other side of Lake Michigan through Wisconsin back up to the Upper Peninsula.

The entire route is about 1,100 miles long and would take roughly 17 hours without stops, but where’s the fun in that? Also… bathroom breaks and road snacks??

Or you can skip the rest of the Lower Peninsula portion (and all the city traffic) and take the SS Badger ferry across the lake from Ludington, MI to Manitowoc, WI – but only through October 11th.

There’s certainly more to see and do along the LMCT – and in the rest of the state of Michigan – but as I said, this route was inspired by some of y’all’s suggestions!

🏨 The Check-In: $300 credit for flexible lodging

The only downside to a road trip like this one is that sometimes smaller towns and unique places (like Mackinac Island) can be short on chain hotels, which can make it difficult to use points to help save on the trip.

You get all the small-town charm and cute boutique hotels but none of the cost savings.

This is where I’d reach for my cards that come with hotel credits. 😎

My go-to card for trips like this is usually the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card because it comes with a $300 travel credit to use through Capital One Travel. But it also comes with a bigger annual fee. 😣

Which is why, when I saw the latest limited-time welcome offer for the $95-annual-fee Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, my initial thought was “no fair!”

Because it comes with a one-time $300 travel credit to use on hotel and vacation rental bookings through Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year PLUS you can earn 75,000 Capital One miles. All that, for a fraction of the price of the big brother Venture X card.

You’re literally making money on this card if you use that $300 credit.

You could immediately take that $300 and use it to cover almost two nights in Traverse City at a property like this one, which comes with beachfront access and free breakfast.

Or if you’re like me and have realized that toddler + hotel room = nobody sleeps, you might be shifting your search for vacation rentals now. And in that case, the $300 credit can be used towards vacation rentals in the Capital One Travel portal that would otherwise just be a straight out-of-pocket expense.

That’s almost two nights (potentially more if you pick a budget hotel or motel) for one $95 annual fee. And that’s before you even break into the stash of miles you’d earn with the card.

TBH, I’m a little salty I already paid the higher annual fee on the big brother version of this card when this offer is so much better right now. 😭

But that’s good news for you if you don’t have it… so go for it while you can! 👇

🚗 The Roadside Assist: Up to 35% off rental cars

If you’re an American Airlines AAdvantage member (it’s free to become one), you can save up to 35% off qualifying Avis rental cars or 30% off Budget rentals through the end of November.

American Airlines loyalty program partners with rental car companies, among other travel entities (RIP Hyatt 💔), to offer additional ways to earn miles beyond flying.

When you put your AAdvantage member number on your Avis or Budget reservation, you earn AA miles based on your spend. Your earning rate is based on status or whether you hold an AAdvantage co-branded card:

• AAdvantage members: 2 miles and Loyalty Points per $1 spent

• Eligible AAdvantage credit cardholders without elite status: 3 miles and Loyalty Points per $1 spent

• AAdvantage Gold and Platinum members: 4 miles and Loyalty Points per $1 spent

• AAdvantage Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members: 5 miles and Loyalty Points per $1 spent

If your status and credit card qualify for different earn rates, you should expect to receive the higher rate.

And with this promotion, you will also earn additional bonus AA miles: 500 bonus miles on 3-4 day rentals and 1,000 bonus miles on rentals of 5 consecutive days or longer.

To qualify to save up to 35% off your rentals and get the bonus miles, you will need to:

• Book an eligible Avis or Budget rental to be completed by November 30, 2026

• Enter your AAdvantage number at the time of rental

• Use code AWD K817113 (Avis) or BCD U072404 (Budget)

• Book a minimum of 3 days to earn 500 bonus miles, or min. 5 days to earn 1,000 bonus miles

• Pay a $1.50-per-day surcharge to earn airline miles on your rental

You can use the promotion at participating locations in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and discounts don’t include taxes, fees, and surcharges.

I wouldn’t jump on this just for the bonus miles, but if the 35% discount is competitive when you shop around, it could definitely be worth it, especially if you’re a frequent AA flyer and could benefit from the extra miles.

🛑 The Pit Stop Poll: Would you do this route?

🚘 The Dashboard 🚘

Alright, y’all, I’m off to see if I can finish planning this trip. 🤔

Hope you were inspired or learned something new.

Catch ya next week! ❤️

Katie Begnoche
Writer, Daily Drop
29.7604° N , 95.3698° W

with contributions by Sam Anthony, Daniel Burnham and Megan Johnston!