Once again, that dream vacation to Tuscany is a little out of reach for this summer’s travel plans. And that leisurely road trip down Pacific Coast Highway? The logistics of getting there and back, renting a car and finding lodging along the way seems like more trouble than it’s worth.
Sometimes the next best thing is right in our own back yard. You just have to know where to find it.
1. If you’re longing for . . . Tuscan hillsides
Head to . . . Southwestern Wisconsin
Quaint hillside towns, picturesque farmland with cows out to pasture, and impossibly blue skies aren’t exclusive to Italy. Take a drive to this region of America’s dairyland in midsummer and you’ll swear the hills come alive with music.
2. If you’re longing for . . . Caribbean beaches
Head to . . . Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wis.
They may not be the Lesser Antilles, but Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands and the adjacent Big Bay State Park shelter pretty beaches, gorgeous sunsets and offer cruises to boot. Lake Superior isn’t quite as warm as the Caribbean Sea . . . but few bodies of water are.
3. If you’re longing for . . .
Pacific Coast Highway-esque drives
Head to . . . Lake Michigan Circle Tour
The LMCT can be just as pretty as PCH — and also much longer. The whole thing is a lengthy 1,160 miles (or you could go for the gold and do the Great Lakes Circle Tour, a whopping 6,500 miles long), but it’s easy to drive in pieces, if you just want a taste of waterfront road-tripping. Our favorite stretches include the southeastern leg in Michigan’s Harbor Country, and hugging the curves around Green Bay.
4. If you’re longing for . . . Cape Cod charm
Head to . . . Put-In Bay, Ohio
You’ll swear you’re in merry New England while wandering past friendly pubs and quaint B&Bs in this northern Ohio nautical wonderland. There’s even some British history written in the books here: The War of 1812 saw Put-In Bay used as a base of operations for defending against British Capt. Robert H. Barclay’s fleet, and monuments mark the spots.
5. If you’re longing for . . . Rocky Mountain ruggedness
Head to . . . Eagle Mountain, Minn.
The Rockies it ain’t, but Eagle Mountain is Minnesota’s — and the Midwest’s — highest point, at 2,301 feet. Completing the five-hour round-trip hike to its peak warrants bragging rights, and it’s surrounded by the evergreen Superior National Forest, covering a lush 3.9 million acres.
6. If you’re longing for . . . Napa Valley winery-hopping
Head to . . . Southwestern Michigan
Wineries in Michigan? Mais, oui. Berrien County in Southwestern Michigan is home to 10,000 acres of grapes and the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail, which stretches from Saugatuck down to New Buffalo. Especially in the summertime, when the weather gets as balmy as the California valleys, Michigan’s famous Fruit Belt and the fertile soil on which it lies make for some good varietals of the grape juice.
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lviera@tribune.com
