WI to Niagara (with detours)

We are thinking about leaving Madison WI and going to Sault Ste. Marie, MI spending 2-3 days in the area and then driving through Canada (although we could go through MI) to Niagara Falls and spending 2-3 days in that area and spending 1-2 days in Toronto along the way. We have a total of 9 days. Any suggestions for stops along the way, things to do and see at or around the destinations, or places to stay? The other part of this is that our vacation starts 7/1/06 and we could go to Niagara first if it's well worth the cost and crowd to be there for the 3rd & 4th (Canada Day and Forth of July). Thanks for any assistance and advice!

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

The route you've laid out is not a detour, it's a great scenic drive! With the possible exception of Sudbury, an open-pit mining town, the entire trip will be very pretty and relaxing. On the way up to Sault Ste. Marie, you might want to explore Peshtigo, WI where, on the same night that Mrs. O'Leary's cow supposedly knocked over a lantern in that small town at the bottom of Lake Michigan, there was an even bigger fire with greater losses. Also more or less on the way are Colonial Michilimackinac and Fort Mackinac. One of my favorite places in the Niagara area is the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake on Lake Ontario at the north end of the Niagara River. It's just a lovely town to walk in, window shop, stroll the lakefront, eat, and generally relax. Niagara Falls is particularly beautiful from the Canadian side. Be sure to look into the various ways to view the falls - riverside parks, boats, tunnels, etc.

I like that you're going to spend a couple of days at a few stops along the way rather than just rushing through. And I would spend the first part of this trip making the drive around Lake Huron, and get to the Toronto/Niagara area after the holidays. But then I'm not a big fan of crowds and, after all, the Falls themselves are not going to change in the meantime.

AZBuck