The route runs from Standish just north of Bay City all the way up the coast to Mackinaw City. I must admit I still haven't seen enough of the whole Heritage Route. But it is first a great story of region building: Starting as a disparate group of folks mostly mostly interested in the local, it has grown into a region with verve and character and common interests.
And it has a lot to offer. One of my favorites is the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which offers many accessible shipwrecks along with a great view into the Great Lakes long maritime history. The museum there, the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, has some amazing exhibits, including a full size schooner on which you can ride out a storm!
The Heritage Route ends at the Straits of Mackinac, including Mackinac Island. A sometimes overlooked part of Mackinac State Historic Parks (at least by me) is Historic Mill Creek, featured in the video below. I got to visit this site in its infancy when I was doing archaeology in St. Ignace. It is really an amazing piece of living history now.
Check out the sunrise side!