Your kids want to go to Disney. Of course they do. They should. Disneyworld is a great place; a spectacularly well run institution that has essentially organized an entire city into a well-oiled machine of family fun. You will pay through the nose for it, and be grateful you did. But if you try to do it every summer you'll be on your third mortgage by the time your eldest is in middle school.

What follows is a perfect alternative: an two week road tour of my home State of Michigan. I figure in 13 days you'll have seen everything you could want to and spent about what you would spend in a single week at Disney. It's also possible that everyone in your family may want to kill each other after that all that quality time together, but I think there will be enough to do to keep everyone distracted from their thoughts of mass murder. You can always skip a couple of the stops and make a shorter trip out of this.

What you will experience in this journey is decidedly homier and less garish than the tightly controlled carnival that is Orlando, but you will certainly get a stronger sense of being outdoors and away from it all. Unlike Disney, where even the Wilderness Adventure feels manufactured, you'll be in lush woodlands and small towns almost the whole time. Norman Rockwell could do no better.

One caveat: Getting here. One thing you don't get out of this is a car free vacation. Sorry, but there is no Disney shuttle service for trolling about upstate Michigan. Unless you live within a three or four hour drive of Michigan I really can't recommend driving here. It's one thing to make a long drive to Orlando knowing you will have a few days leaving the driving to the shuttle, it's another to take a long road trip to begin a long road trip.

While we are on the topic of driving, since I still have the emotional scars from the excruciating cross country family road trips of my childhood, I have purposely designed the drive time on this trip to be manageable (as you'll see). There are a number of good sized cities (including Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Toronto) that are close enough that it makes sense to drive here from but, by and large, I expect you'll be flying in. That means a starting point of Detroit Metro Airport -- it's a Northwest Airlines hub, so that's where you check first if you want a direct flight.

A few notes before we get started:

• The Detroit area is not suitable for the kind of family vacation you are looking for. I have consciously avoided Detroit and the Detroit suburbs. It's what the locals do too. Believe me.

• There will be little real luxury in this. If your visits to Disney involved renting multi-bedroom suites at the Grand Floridian, you will be in for a shock. Expect fair quality hotels and a nice B & B or two, with maybe a motel now and then. You will always be able to get nourishing if unspectacular food, with a couple of exceptional restaurants thrown in the mix.

• As I said, I have tried to minimize long drives. With one or two exceptions I would not expect there to be more than about 4 hours of driving per day, with no need to do that all at once. There is nothing worse than a vacation that is all about making time on the road. For the most part, you can sleep in as long as your kids let you and you won't be hunting around for a locale in the dark -- you should be checked in and settled by dinnertime every night.

• Along the same lines, I have not done what many guides do, which is assume you are up at the crack of dawn and doing things constantly throughout the day and into the night. A single day of that sort will stress you beyond your breaking point, especially when family is involved. Not only that, when you are in a strange place, you often need time to find your way around so you have to pad your activities with a little contingency time. I got you covered here; nobody can avoid vacation stress like I can.

• Think about making lodging reservations ahead of time. Although nothing like the crowds at the MGM theme park, it is tourist season and things can fill up. An extended real-time search for vacancy can hammer traveler morale.

•Be sure to bring a road map and maybe even call AAA about potential construction ties up. (Here in Michigan we say there are really only two seasons: Winter and Construction.) • Click through on the links I've provided to get more details on what interests you.

So away we go.

Day 1 - Arrival to Saugatuck

Your trip is going to start at Detroit/Metro airport, which is actually about 30-40 miles west of Detroit. Rent an appropriate sized car, load up the kids and the bags and head west on I-94. Head towards Battle Creek, home of Kellogg (you can tour the cereal plant if you are so inclined), where you'll catch route 89 heading west by northwest. You'll pass through a few little towns, most of which will have a nice homey little main street where you grab some lunch or a snack. Less than three hours of drive time will place you on the coast of Lake Michigan at your first destination: Saugatuck.

Saugatuck, along with its next door sister Douglas, is probably the most prominent of the visitor oriented towns on the south east Lake Michigan shore. It has a bit more going for it than most in that it also serves as the area center for the arts. Snag a room at any local motel or B&B. (Be careful about staying at a B&B. Saugatuck is also a destination for romantic couples and your kids may be an issue at some of the more adult places.) The Best Western Plaza will do. I've heard good things about the Lake Shore Resort. The Ship and Shore is right down in the heart of Saugatuck.

The area is small enough that if you don't stay immediately in town it's only a short drive in. Same with the beach. And it generally doesn't get so crowded that you can't find parking. Once settled, make your way into downtown Saugatuck and wander a bit (it's not that big, you can walk the whole town in a half hour) until you decide on a restaurant for dinner, there are quite a few choices. After dinner take a boat cruise and catch the sunset over an uninterrupted Lake Michigan horizon. Your trip has begun.

Day 2 - Saugatuck

For your second day in Saugatuck, plan on a visiting Oval Beach. It's the main beach in the area and the only one in the immediate vicinity with facilities. Here's the thing about the better Lake Michigan beaches: at the right time of year, you could place them up against any beaches in the world and they would fare quite well. The sand is soft and the water, if not crystal clear, is clean and fresh. The bottom is sandy apart from the odd rock; it is quite shallow until well offshore, and if you go mid-to-late summer the water is warm enough to stay in for hours. There are two ways to get to Oval Beach. One is to drive of course -- there's on site parking. The other is to scale Mount Baldy.

Not so much a mountain as a big-ass sand dune, it is 282 steps to the top of Mt. Baldhead. You walk up the steps on the side facing the River and follow a wooded path down the other side all the way to Oval beach. It's a sweet little hike. Fabulous view at the top. Highly recommended. But, if you are carrying a lot of beach gear, send someone ahead in a car with the stuff, 282 steps is a lot even when you aren't weighed down with coolers and towels.

After your day at the beach you have a couple of options. One possibility is a hike or a dune buggy tour through the nearby Dunes State Park. Another is to take in a show at a downtown theatre or, if there are shoppers in the group, explore the boutiques peppered throughout town.

One thing to be prepared for: Saugatuck is a haven for gays (this kind of goes along with being artsy). I remember being in some gift shop there and when "It's Raining Men" came on the radio, the cashier turned it up and started shaking his ample hips while ringing up the customers. High comedy. I'm just saying there might be a moment or two in Saugatuck where you'll need to have an open mind.

Day 3 - Saugatuck to Crystal Lake

After a leisurely breakfast, get on route 31 north. Your first stop will be just beyond Muskegon at Michigan Adventure amusement park. Michigan Adventure is a complete package of family fun (there's a money quote for ya!), roller coasters and rides and a full-on water park. The kids'll be sick with pleasure, probably literally. Plan on spending no less than three hours; let your kids run wild. Don't miss Shivering Timbers, which is one of the world's longest old school wooden roller coasters, over a mile long. OK, it's not the latest Cedar Point ultra high tech futuristic monstrosity, but coaster purists declare it to be one of the best for "air time" -- the feeling of weightlessness as you pass over the crests.

Once everyone has had enough amusement, get back on the road north. You'll pass through the coastal towns of Ludington and Manistee. Feel free stop for a snack or a walk by the lake. In your final destination, the Crystal Lake area, you have your choice of staying in the eensy little town of Beulah or the weensy little town of Frankfort. Once again, the ubiquitous Best Western is a safe bet, but there are plenty of motel options. Count yourself lucky that in the high summer it'll be around 10pm before darkness hits because that will give you time to check-in and get some dinner before the movie starts.

The movie, in this case, is whatever is playing at The Cherry Bowl Drive-In, a genuine '50s style drive in movie theatre. The movies are always family safe and relatively current and even you've seen them before it doesn't matter, the point is: it's a real drive-in movie. There is a playground and miniature golf and a '50s style snack bar - once again, you can just let the kids run wild. It's a double feature, but I'm betting the kids are asleep after one.

Day 4 - Crystal Lake and Sleeping Bear Dunes

This is your day to pretend you're in Summer Camp.

The big natural attraction in this area, and perhaps all of the Midwest, is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. Stop at the visitor center for maps and ideas. There is a scenic drive through the park for the sedentary types, but the more ambitious will want to hike the Sleeping Bear Dunes trail, a 3.5 mile round trip, through the sand, in bare feet, uphill both ways. I kid, but it is strenuous hike that you'll want to start early so that you can finish before it gets to be 92 degrees and 80 percent humidity. These are some seriously monster sized dunes; challenge your kids to climb them and see how far they get. If you are fit, count on three to four hours round trip, with the requisite plunge into Lake Michigan at the midpoint. Tip: The beach is sandy, but the shore turns very rocky just as you enter the water. Don't let that discourage you -- if you make it out about 20-30 yards, the bottom turns sandy again, it's just a struggle to get there. If you have aqua shoes, you're golden.

Break for a restorative lunch, then head south back towards Frankfort/Beulah and rent a canoe (or a tube if you are completely lazy) for a leisurely trip down the Platte river in the late afternoon, pausing for and another refreshing plunge in Platte Lake or Crystal Lake; you'll need it on a hot day. If you've done this right, the kids should be too exhausted to be pestering you or each other (woo hoo!) so take the opportunity for a quiet dinner and a down-night before hitting the road the next day.

Day 5 - Crystal Lake to Charlevoix

Another driving day, this one north along the very scenic coast, around Grand Traverse Bay, through Traverse City, and on to Charlevoix. Traverse City is certainly worth a stop on the way. It is the largest city in the northwest glove, and it is one of those cities that claims international greatness when it really just has a ton of local goodness. Traverse has also been known to refer to itself as the Malibu of Michigan, the key part of that phrase being "of Michigan," but as with the rest of the Lake Michigan coast, there are some sweet beaches. There are a number of wineries in the area and according to the chamber of commerce they are fast becoming world renown. They're not really, but a winery tour can be interesting (depending on the age and attitude of your kids) and you might stumble on a tasty Riesling or the like. My recommendation is a Black Star Farms, a working B&B/Winery/Working Farm/Stable, just north of Traverse City. There is a nice Farmer's Market and Wine Tasting area. You can sample to wines and cheeses, then you have pretty much free rein to wander the farm and see the all the animals -- dogs, cats, cows, sheep, llamas, and lots of horses (there is a strong equestrian theme). Black Farms is a great spot for lunch and leisurely afternoon of exploring.

Charlevoix is one of those little lakeside towns that I keep describing: a sweet little Main Street filled with shops and restaurants and the requisite ice cream parlor, just aching to be strolled down for an evening constitutional. And, in fact, you should probably do just that when you arrive and then hit the sack because the next day you will catch the 8:30AM ferry for the 32-mile trip to Beaver Island.

As usual, there are plenty of lodging and restaurant choices.

Day 6 - Beaver Island

Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan, about fourteen miles long and about a third as wide. It has a curious history of being settled by an offshoot of Mormons, called Strangites, who were eventually run off the island when their leader declared himself king and took to tithing his subjects and even flogging a couple of them. They responded by assassinating him. These days Beaver Island bills itself as America's Emerald Isle due to the predominance of Irish ancestry in the 600 full time residents. It also serves as a locale for rustic retreats for those whose vacation home fantasies run toward the remote.

Once again, activities tend to the outdoorsy. Hiking, kayaking, fishing charters, even scuba and skydiving (beats a ride at the Magic Kingdom any day); I don't need to describe the litany again. You could start with a bus tour of the island while you're deciding, but don't take too long to get in gear, you will arrive at 10:30AM and catch the 5:30PM ferry back (last one) giving you a total of seven hours total, before you have to hop the return ferry.

On the other hand, feel free to take the whole day to get in gear. If you are going to take a day off, this is as good as any, just wander the paths and streets and find a place to lay down for an outdoor nap. There are worse places to take a leisurely day than Beaver Island.

You'll be back in Charlevoix by 7:30 and grabbing a late dinner on the deck at The Weathervane then joining the crowd gathered by the South Pier lighthouse to watch the sunset.

Alternative: spend the night on Beaver Island -- there are inns, and good camping if that's your thing -- and catch the 8:30AM ferry back to Charlevoix the next day.

Day 7 -- Charlevoix to Paradise

Hop on route 31 again and pass through the towns of Petosky and Pelston and eventually you will join up with I-75. I-75 is over 1700 miles long will take you all the way down to Miami if you choose. Instead, go north and follow the signs to the Mackinac Bridge.

The Mackinac Bridge connects Michigan's two peninsulas. It is really quite a beautiful sight and provides great views of the straights as you cross it. Michigan trivia: Folks from the Upper Peninsula are called "Yoopers," from the phonetic mispronunciation of the initials "U.P." Folks from the Lower Peninsula are called "Trolls," because they live under the bridge. We are a witty people, aren't we?

The U.P. is a different world. As outdoorsy as the northern lower peninsula is, the U.P. is borderline North Woods wilderness. Unless you've spent a lot of time in equatorial rainforests or arctic wilderness, it's unlikely you have ever been surrounded by as much green. You could easily spend a week doing nothing but exploring the U.P., but we'll just start with a short taste.

There are plenty of little towns within shooting distance of the bridge, but my guess is that Paradise will work out best. From I-75, hop on route 123 north to for little less than two hours. If you can, get a room at the Best Western in Paradise. It's the best place around and it has its own private beach. That's right, on the edge of the northernmost Great Lake (the big lake they call Gitche Gumee), you can hit the beach. And swim even. Technically this beach is on Whitefish Bay, just off Lake Superior. It gets little more than waist deep as far as fifty yards out and the bottom is soft sand. Probably due to the shallowness, by late afternoon in high summer the water is warm enough to wallow around in but still cool and clean enough to be briskly refreshing. Seriously, do this if you can, it's a real treat. You should easily reach Paradise in time for a late afternoon swim. Maybe take a 15-20 minute drive north to Whitefish Point to enjoy the sunset and wander amongst the white clapboard buildings of the Shipwreck Museum and the Lighthouse. Snag dinner just across from the Best Western at Little Falls Inn (pretty much the only restaurant in town).

Day 8 -- The U.P.

It's going to be an active day. Grab your bathing suit to change into, snag a quick breakfast in the lobby, and head for Tahquamenon Falls State Park, about a half hour away west along route 123.

Tahquamenon is divided into two parts, the upper falls and the lower falls. The first entrance will be for the lower falls. The lower falls is not so much a water fall as a series of cascades tumbling through a broad, but shallow, river through the woodland. It is simply the most perfect spot for wading in the history of the universe.

You can take a brief hike around the edge of the river to get to the cascade or you can rent a rowboat and row directly across the river. Either way, change into your suit beforehand. Once you get there, take off your shoes and wander through the river. Explore the edges or soak in the deeper spots or settle under one of the cascades for a natural shower. Bring your camera if you have one, because your snapshots of this place will make you look like a pro.

Once you had enough of that, get back in your car and drive the 10-15 minutes to the next entrance, which is for the upper falls. The upper falls are less accessible, being an actual waterfall -- the third largest waterfall east of the Mississippi (which sounds like a manufactured title if there ever was one). It a lovely sight, and another great outdoors camera opportunity. You can get close the falls edge on the pathways, but it's not a wading type place.

By now you're probably ready for a late lunch which is good because you happen to be right near one of the best restaurant in the U.P. (yeah I know: not saying much), the Falls Brewpub. A fun wilderness lodge style place with tasty food and good service. If it's not too early in the day for you, you should try the Porcupine Ale -- seriously good.

With full tummies, pile back in the car and continue on route 123 to route 28 and continue west to the city of Munising, gateway to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It will be a couple hours or so to get there, but if you've got this timed right, you'll be able to catch the sunset cruise boat. Picture Rocks is a long stretch of Lake Superior coastline that is formed into dramatic and colorful cliffs, punctuated by beaches and sand dunes and an occasional waterfall.

You could do some short hikes through the lakeshore area but for a quick taste you might have more fun with the boat cruise. The sunset cruise launches at about 6:30 or 7 and takes a couple of hours, so plan on getting back to Paradise at 9 or 10.

If you can, you may want to grab a quick dinner before the cruise since most places may be closed by the time you are done. Try the Dogpatch in Munising. It's a hoot.

Day 9 -- Paradise to Mackinac

You had a busy day yesterday, so today you'll ease off a bit. Sleep as late as you want. You're only job today is to make your way to storied Mackinac Island, which should be a piece of cake.

Retrace your steps back south across the Mackinac Bridge to the land of the trolls. Just across the bridge, follow the signs to the docks in Mackinaw City. (Yes, the city is spelled phonetically with a "w"; the bridge and the island are spelled with a "c" which is pronounced as a "w". No, I don't know why.) The plan is to leave your car at the dock and catch a ferry to Mackinac Island, where you will be spending the next two nights. At times during the summer, rooms on the island can be a bit pricey, and you are certainly going to want to have reservations in place well ahead of time. Don't leave the lodging for this leg to chance.

There are three ferry operators and they are priced comparably (Arnold, Star, Sheplers). You might be able to find a coupon to save a buck or two or get an internet special, but figure $20 for adults and roughly have that for kids under 13. I recommend Arnold because their self-park option is actually useable. The others have you park a several blocks away, effectively forcing you to use their valet service. Whichever you choose, give your bags to the nice young men who will load them into the ferry, for the twenty minute ride across the straits to Mackinac Island. Upon arrival, porters with pedal driven luggage carts will deliver your bags to you hotel. Here's why: There are no cars allowed on Mackinac Island. No motorized vehicles or any sort. You get around by bicycle, horse drawn cart, or foot.

Note: a workable alternative, which should not be your first choice, is to stay at one of the motels near the ferry docks, and ferry over for the next day. They are decent motels which are always cheaper than island digs and there is a fair water park and some crap shops right nearby to distract the kids, but having to budget your island time to make the ferry home is an inconvenience and a point of stress that, to my thinking, makes savings less than the cost. Plus, like any island, there is a certain sense of distance from the world that makes staying on an island appealing. You don't get that from a day trip.

That brings us to the question of where to stay on the island. The flagship property is the Grand Hotel, famous from the movie Somewhere in Time -- a throwback to a more genteel time, when jacket and tie were standard dress. All the old-school romantic cues are evident: the 600 foot long porch with rocking chairs for sitting and sipping and enjoying the summer weather, the perfectly manicured lawns and gardens, the views of the lake, the hyper-attentive waitstaff in white tie, the horse drawn carriages out front. A beautiful place, for sure, and the only way you will see it is by staying there; you can't get in lest you are a guest -- no gawkers allowed.

Now here's why you shouldn't stay there: while it may seem like a fun little affectation to get dressed for dinner, you are 10 days into a road trip, remember? Have you packed formalwear for the kids? Not only that, The Grand is well away from the center of town making it a bit inconvenient for those looking to experience the island.

A better choice for a big resort is Mission Point; a huge resort with multiple pools, and restaurants that sits at the very edge of the village. There are also numerous B&Bs that will fit the bill; I've had good luck at the Metivier Inn and the Lilac Tree. Scan through the list at mackinac.com and see what tickles your fancy.

Whatever the case, the first thing to do after getting checked in is rent bikes for the whole family. This will be your main source of transportation and activity (not that you really need them, the village is easily walkable from end to end, it just makes things easier and more fun). The other good thing about them is that you can just turn the kids loose and let them go off how and where they please. The island is extremely safe and not large enough to really get lost. Let them pedal around to their heart's content and possibly give you some quiet time.

Restaurants are numerous including some quite good; just pick a convenient one for dinner (Goodfellas is one of our favorites). There is little of what could be called nightlife in the big city sense. If you are in one of the resorts there will likely be evening movies or something. In a B&B you'll probably have to make do with board games or puzzles. Remember, you are back in the (faux) Victorian era. Grown-ups who can sneak away have plenty of options for watering holes to socialize with fellow travelers.

Day 10 - Mackinac Island

The main village -- the only village -- is a colorful Victorian style place. There are basically five kinds of businesses: Bed & Breakfasts, Restaurants, Gift Shops, Bike Rental Centers, and Fudge Emporiums. Turns out that's all you need for a complete civilization. Who knew? Do get some fudge, though.

One thing you will want to do with your bikes is take a circle tour. The island is ringed by a nice wide bike path about 8 miles in length. It's an easy morning or afternoon ride. There are plenty of places to stop along the way to go wading off shore (you may want to bring water shoes as there are no sandy beaches, just rock), or sit and have a picnic.

In addition to the shoreline road, there is a road that goes over the top of the island from one side to the other. From the west side it goes up so steeply that you'll probably have to walk your bike, but you are rewarded with great views of the expanse of Lake Huron and the neighboring islands from an ancient stone lookout on the high point of the island called, Point Lookout (much credit for literalism, there). There are also a few little side roads and paths that are worth exploring (day trippers rarely get up in this area).

From the top it is a gentle downhill across the island to the shore road on the other side. Advice: do not try this the other way around -- a long, slogging uphill to Point Lookout followed by what will be a manic, terrifying downhill at speeds that make stopping a dicey proposition.

Conveniently located at the very center of the village is kiosk where all the vacation services advertise. Those disinclined to biking will want to do a carriage tour of the island. Other favorites are the tour of Fort Mackinac, the Butterfly House, or a horseback ride -- it's one of those where the horses just walk their route with never a thought given to what or who is on their back. Speaking of which, you should brace yourself for sharing your small island with horses. The smell of horses will be in your nostrils pretty much constantly when you are out on the street. And although they do an excellent job of frequently cleaning the roads over the course of the day, watch your step.

Let me suggest an evening cruise aboard the Mackinac Breeze, a private sailing catamaran that brings guests out into the straights and around the island for a gentle pre-dinner activity, then watch the sunset over Mackinac Bridge in the distance.

Day 11 - Mackinac to Ann Arbor

Indulge me, but I want you to spend a couple nights in my neck of the woods, the excuse being that it is pretty close to the airport. You remember the airport; that big ugly place you need to get to that is hundreds of miles away by now. So here is your only really long drive of the trip. Catch the ferry back to your car and hop on I-75 south. Stop wherever you get hungry for some standard issue road food. There is really very little special to see or do along I-75. When you get past Flint, exit on to US-23 south which will take you into Ann Arbor. You probably have about six hours of driving before you arrive. The upside to this long haul is that when you fly out in a couple of days you'll be less than a hour away from the airport, which will make your life a lot easier, which is one of our goals here.

A college town is a smallish city dominated socially and economically by a large university. Ann Arbor is a paradigmatic college town, although perhaps a bit less so now than in previous years. It is dominated by the gargantuan University of Michigan which keeps the local economy steady by cornering tons of government grant money for research and siphoning the wallets of the parents its undergrads, then redistributing it through its bureaucracy to actual local residents. That's a simplified model, but it's roughly accurate. (Disclaimer: I am a University of Michigan grad.)

The mother's milk of a University gives a college town the chance to spread its wings in a way a comparable-sized commerce-based town does not. Ann Arbor has vastly better restaurants than most cities its size. It can afford to set aside multiple tracts of land for city parks and stage unending strings of cultural events despite being smack in the middle of the economic backwater we call Michigan. And it can afford to be one of the last places in the known world to harbor radical academics and hippies in their natural habitat -- except that's really just a reputation. It may have been true 40 years ago, but no more. The real essence of Ann Arbor is the limousine liberal: upper-middle class, hybrid-SUV drivers devoted to all leftish and environmental causes -- unless they decrease property values or make parking more difficult at Whole Foods.

Not that this really matters to you; it's just standard local cynicism. The bottom line is Ann Arbor is a terrific place to spend some time and a great place to live if you have enough money to burn (or if you are nursing at the University's breast).

Most of the interesting activity in Ann Arbor is centered around the downtown/campus area. The problem is there are no more than a couple of reasonable hotels in that area. Your first choice should probably be Weber's. It's got a big pool/spa/play area that your kids will love and a fine restaurant with an ace Sunday brunch. (There are both a Best Western and Super 8 motels within spitting distance of Weber's should you wish to economize.) You'll have to drive into the heart of campus, but summertime is off season since the students are gone and there is no football, so you should be able to find parking readily. If you'd rather stay within walking distance you'll want to be at the Campus Inn or The Bell Tower Hotel. Both of these are pretty much right on campus in the heart of the city although they lack the family-style amenities of Weber's. You other lodging are the usual Courtyard Marriots and Hampton Inns out on the outskirts near the freeway.

On your first evening in Ann Arbor you'll likely be a bit burnt out after your long slog from Mackinac, so keep it simple. Take a walk down Main St. and park yourself at one of the many restaurants with sidewalk seating. Good ones for a top notch meal with kids are Real Seafood and Gratzi. If you want more basic, pub style chow try Conor O'Neils or Full Moon. Rugrats also seem to like Mongolian Barbecue. Relax. People watch. Maybe visit one of the little shops.

Day 12 - Ann Arbor

This is your last full day away from home and there are many possibilities. You could do a canoe trip down the Huron River, but I'm guessing you've canoed enough already on this trip. If your kids are of the right age and frame of mind, they will likely enjoy the Hands on Museum. A stroll in the Nichols Arboretum would work; bring a Frisbee and a picnic lunch. Many people visit Ann Arbor just for a visit to the widely renown Zingerman's Deli; great food even if it is a bit overrated. Why not do all three?

I am duty bound to mention Pinball Pete's sprawling arcade should you need to bow to your children's whims.

In the evening again you have many choices. If you happen to come during the time of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival you should be all set. Even if you have no interest in the show on the Mainstage, do hit the free Top of the Park for some decent grub and live music in a festival setting. Plus, you get a free movie come dark (about 10pm) Sunday thru Thursday.

Otherwise, I suggest you check out what's playing at the Michigan Theatre on Liberty St. -- a historic and fully restored movie house right out of the 30s, including organ soloist for pre-film entertainment. Less dramatic is the State theatre about a half block away; more history, Art Deco this time.

If you are truly lucky there will be a kid-acceptable play at the Purple Rose Theatre, the venue operated by actor Jeff Daniels. (Just so you don't commit a faux pas: Escanaba is a real place). It's located about 20 minutes west of Ann Arbor in the little town of Chelsea, where you can also get an incredible meal at my very favorite area restaurant Common Grill; worth the visit for the bread alone. If you are stumped, just grab a copy of the Ann Arbor Observer (or look at their web site) and check out the day's events.

Day 13 - Ann Arbor to Home

Whew. If you leave Ann Arbor a couple of hours before your flight, you should have time to drop your car, get your bags checked, and get through security.

As I've describe this journey, it's been 13 days. You could economize a bit and shave a day off here or there. If you are pressed to save a couple of days, I would skip the Charlevoix/Beaver Island sequence and go right from Crystal Lake to the U.P. But even taking the full trip, you won't have spent anything near half of the cost of the equivalent time in the Mouse House.

Done right, you'll have had uncountable great experiences: gigantic sand dunes and forested streams, old time movies and boats-a-plenty, isolated communities and upscale artsy towns, outdoor adventures and Great Lakes. And if for some reason the kids didn't like it, well, I'm pretty sure Disney will still be there next year.