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Best Places For A Fall Getaway Near Detroit

One of the best ways to enjoy a fall getaway is to head out into wilderness and to just enjoy nature in all of its colorful splendor as the last of the beautiful weather makes way for a long and tough winter here in Detroit. Here are some of the best getaway trips that you can make in your car or on foot - whichever works for you - so long as you're enjoying the last blast of autumn before it's too late. We've also highlighted some great places to stay and check out along these mini-getaways.

Murphy Inn
505 Clinton Ave.
Saint Clair, MI 48079
(810) 329-7118
www.murphyinn.com

Where better to start your fall getaway than right here in the heart of Detroit? Make your way along the tree-lined Detroit Riverwalk on the banks of the river and enjoy the stunning effect of the color changes along the water. Then jump in your car and make your way up to Port Huron along the eastern coast of Michigan, making sure to stop in wonderful Algonac State Park, situated right upon the river itself. Either on your way up, or on the return trip back, any group would be well-advised to make a stay at the Murphy Inn, a totally restored 1836 boarding house that now makes for a charming stop.

Radisson Hotel - Detroit
39475 Woodward Ave.
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304
(248) 644-1400
www.radisson.com

This north-to-south trek will take you approximately 150 miles throughout some of the most easily accessible, heavily wooded areas of Michigan. Flint often catches a bad rap for a past of crime and poverty, but the area is really host to a great number of various species of trees which fill the area around the University of Michigan - Flint campus with some great sights. Once you reach Bloomfield Hills, the area and nature preserves around Cranbrook will prove to have made it well worth the trip. The Radisson Hotel in Bloomfield Hills will surely make a luxurious spot to spend the night after your long outdoor getaway.

The English Inn
677 S. Michigan Road
Eaton Rapids, MI 48827
(517) 663-2500
www.englishinn.com

If you've never been through mid-Michigan and the Lansing capitol area, there really is no better time to do so than in the fall. Along the way, you can stop and stay at the highly recommended English Inn, out in Eaton Rapids. This award-winning bed and breakfast offers the best of convenience and natural splendor in a secluded area of the city. This 150-mile round trip is best taken late in the fall, so you can get the full effect of the whole mid-Michigan autumn experience. The Michigan State University campus in East Lansing boasts more species of trees than any other college campus in the country. That's one reason why they call it one of the top agricultural schools in America.

Related: Best Fall Family Getaways

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University of Michigan - Nichols Arboretum 
1610 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 647-7600
www.lsa.umich.edu

Fall in Michigan without a trip to the city that practically bears the wonder's namesake should be unheard of.Ann Arbor is one of the most spectacular places to visit in the Mitten State around the fall of each year. This is especially true of the Nichols Arboretum, which is owned and operated by the amazing volunteers at the University of Michigan. The trees alone make the trip to Nichols worth the stop in Ann Arbor, but the whole scenery itself of the arboretum is quite amazing. Driving west from Monroe into Ann Arbor will give you the best chance to see the changing of the leaves along the expressways.

The Bavarian Hotel in Frankenmuth
(credit: Michael Ferro)


The Bavarian Hotel
713 S. Main St.
Frankenmuth MI 48734
(800) 228-2742
www.bavarianinn.com

If you're more of a "water person" and the idea of a fall without one last stop near some incredible beaches is too much to bear, try a glorious 230-mile trip around the Saginaw Bay up across the lower edge of Michigan's "thumb." Saginaw is an idyllic area that will start out your journey along the coast of Lake Huron and boast some incredible views of the Great Lakes. Make your way through Bay City and Bad Axe to enjoy the best of the coast and tree line changes along the way, and finally make your way to Frankenmuth for a late fall stop in one of America's best-loved Bavarian villages. It's a great way to end your fall getaway before the winter weather settles in.

Related: Best Fall Sporting Events In Detroit

Michael Ferro is freelance writer and a graduate of Michigan State University where he majored in Creative Writing and received the Jim Cash Creative Writing Award. Born and bred in Detroit, he currently resides in Ypsilanti Township. Additional writing can be found at Examiner.com.
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