22 days in Great Lakes USA Itinerary

Situated on the westernmost point of the Lake Superior, Duluth represents a booming port city.

Duluth is known for parks, scenic drive, and historic sites. Your trip includes some of its best attractions: cruise along Minnesota's North Shore Scenic Drive, head outdoors with Self Discovery Adventures, appreciate the extensive heritage of Lakewalk, and test your team's savvy at popular escape rooms.

To find where to stay, traveler tips, maps, and tourist information, refer to the Duluth trip itinerary site.

Stuttgart, Germany to Duluth is an approximately 16.5-hour combination of train and flight. You can also do a combination of train, flight, and bus. The time zone changes from Central European Standard Time (CET) to Central Standard Time (CST), which is usually a -7 hour difference. In September, plan for daily highs up to 23°C, and evening lows to 14°C. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 4th (Mon) so you can catch the flight to Milwaukee.

Milwaukee boasts well-preserved historical districts with a rich European past and a strong beer-brewing tradition.

Start off your visit on the 5th (Tue): contemplate in the serene atmosphere at Basilica of St. Josaphat, see the interesting displays at Harley-Davidson Museum, and then head outdoors with Ray's The Limit Charters. On the next day, contemplate the long history of Pabst Mansion, then steep yourself in history at Tripoli Shrine, and then admire the striking features of SC Johnson Headquarters.

For more things to do, reviews, and other tourist information, read our Milwaukee trip maker app.

Fly from Duluth to Milwaukee in 3.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or do a combination of bus and train. When traveling from Duluth in September, plan for a bit warmer days in Milwaukee, with highs around 27°C, while nights are about the same with lows around 17°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 6th (Wed) so you can fly to Traverse City.

Traverse City might be well known for its huge cherry industry, but its position along Grand Traverse Bay in Lake Michigan endows it with fine scenery and a wealth of outdoor attractions.

Kick off your visit on the 7th (Thu): explore the wealth of natural beauty at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Keep things going the next day: get a new perspective on things with Boat Tours & Water Sports, make a trip to Benjamin Twiggs, legendary cherry products, and then learn the secrets of beer at a beer tour and tasting.

To find maps, ratings, traveler tips, and more tourist information, go to the Traverse City travel route builder tool.

Getting from Milwaukee to Traverse City by flight takes about 3 hours. Other options: do a combination of ferry and car; or drive. The time zone changes from Central Standard Time to Eastern Standard Time, which is usually a 1 hour difference. Expect a daytime high around 27°C in September, and nighttime lows around 14°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 8th (Fri) to allow enough time to fly to Chicago.

A huge and vibrant city, Chicago is home to top-notch theaters, shops, museums, galleries, and restaurants.

Chicago is known for sightseeing, museums, and nightlife. Your trip includes some of its best attractions: explore the world behind art at The Art Institute of Chicago, walk around Millennium Park, wander the streets of The Magnificent Mile, and take a leisurely stroll along Navy Pier.

To find more things to do, maps, traveler tips, and tourist information, use the Chicago itinerary planning tool.

Traveling by flight from Traverse City to Chicago takes 3 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. You'll gain 1 hour traveling from Traverse City to Chicago due to the time zone difference. Plan for a bit warmer nights when traveling from Traverse City in September since evenings lows in Chicago dip to 19°C. Cap off your sightseeing on the 13th (Wed) early enough to catch the flight to Cincinnati.

Situated on the north bank of the Ohio River, Cincinnati distinguished itself as the only U.S. city that left a favorable impression on one of its most famous 19th-century visitors, English author Charles Dickens.

Start off your visit on the 14th (Thu): try to win big at JACK Cincinnati Casino, get thoroughly spooked out with a ghost and vampire tour, and then sample some tasty brews at a beer tour and tasting. Keep things going the next day: get outside with Outdoor Activities, then explore the different monuments and memorials at Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum, and then stroll around Smale Riverfront Park.

To see photos, where to stay, more things to do, and more tourist information, you can read our Cincinnati trip planning tool.

Traveling by flight from Chicago to Cincinnati takes 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. You'll lose 1 hour traveling from Chicago to Cincinnati due to the time zone difference. Expect slightly colder evenings in Cincinnati when traveling from Chicago in September, with lows around 15°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 15th (Fri) to allow enough time to drive to Columbus.

More than just one of the nation's top business centers, Columbus is a mixture of many different parts of America, situated at the spot where the so-called "Bible Belt" meets the varied cultures of the Great Plains and Appalachia.

You'll find plenty of places to visit near Columbus: Dayton (Carillon Historical Park & National Museum of the US Air Force), Old Man's Cave (in Logan) and Zipline (in Rockbridge). And it doesn't end there: learn the secrets of beer at Pedal Wagon Columbus, see the interesting displays at Wagner-Hagans Auto Museum, admire the natural beauty at Inniswood Metro Gardens, and test your problem-solving skills at popular escape rooms.

For ratings, photos, and tourist information, use the Columbus online route maker.

You can drive from Cincinnati to Columbus in 2 hours. Another option is to take a bus. September in Columbus sees daily highs of 30°C and lows of 17°C at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 18th (Mon) to allow enough time to drive to Cleveland.

A culturally diverse city situated on the shores of Lake Erie, Cleveland boasts many places to visit, such as world-class museums, popular amusement parks, and sprawling recreational areas.

Kick off your visit on the 19th (Tue): see the interesting displays at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, then admire the masterpieces at The Cleveland Museum of Art, and then try to win big at JACK Cleveland Casino. Here are some ideas for day two: see the interesting displays at A Christmas Story House, look for all kinds of wild species at F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm, and then admire the natural beauty at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens.

For ratings, traveler tips, where to stay, and tourist information, go to the Cleveland road trip app.

You can drive from Columbus to Cleveland in 2.5 hours. Other options are to take a bus; or fly. In September in Cleveland, expect temperatures between 28°C during the day and 19°C at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 20th (Wed) to allow enough time to fly to Detroit.

Founded in 1701 by a French explorer and adventurer, Detroit exerted a profound impact on the world for most of the 20th century.

Kick off your visit on the 21st (Thu): take in the spiritual surroundings of Old St. Mary's Church, examine the collection at The Henry Ford, and then take a leisurely stroll along Detroit RiverFront. Here are some ideas for day two: steep yourself in history at Motown Museum, then examine the collection at The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, then pause for some serene contemplation at Sweetest Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church, and finally admire the masterpieces at Detroit Institute of Arts.

To see photos, where to stay, maps, and tourist information, read our Detroit trip itinerary website.

You can fly from Cleveland to Detroit in 2.5 hours. Other options are to drive; or take a bus. September in Detroit sees daily highs of 28°C and lows of 17°C at night. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 23rd (Sat) so you can travel back home.