I was thinking about a trip around the whole country, around the north by the great lakes, then west to Washington then south along the west coast, then east all the way down to the keys, then up north through the Smokies and the Blueridge mts. Probably take a couple months.
If you go, i suggest Mackinaw city, the island, US 2 to Iron Mountain, north to US 41, north to the Keweenaw peninsula to Copper Harbor, stop at Eagle Harbor, etc, back down through Ironwood to Duluth and where ever from there.
At Eagle Harbor, if you go stand on the rocks waterside, your standing on the earths exposed crust and on the southern edge of the mid continental rift.
At Calumet, youll be able to see the copper mining hay days. There is about a 16 ton, or so lump of nearly pure copper on display there...or there used to be anyway.
MTU at Houghton. They got a hell of a mineral display there.
At Iron Mountain, the Cornish Pump museum.
Fayette state park-reserved pig iron smelting town.
Big springs state park.
Porcupine mountains and lake.
At Ironwood/Bessemer swing a short trip across the state line and visit Hurley Wi...before Las Vegas, there was Hurley Wi. The wildest WORLD INFAMOUS, town in America back in the mining and logging boom. Most of what the mob learned about stuff was learned from Hurley Wi.
Just a few suggestions.