Traverse City, Michigan

Published 2019

I first have say that I had no idea what this vacation had in store for us when I planned it. I wanted to see the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore but what I wasn't aware of is all the diverse sites to see while near Traverse City, Michigan.

So lets dive in!

Three years ago we went to Mackinac Island without kids. It was a great time and we gained a favorite restaurant on the island called the Seabuscuit Cafe. If you have not been there it is a unique town filled with bikes, horses, fudge, more bikes, more fudge, a few more bikes...well you get the idea. People ride bikes all over the island and there are fudge shops all along the main street. Our favorite is Joann's Fudge and have been told it is the best. Although I am sure they are all really amazing...we will stick to what we know for sure.

After crossing over the Mackinac Bridge, and sleeping in the car for a few hours we decided to ferry across and let the kids experience a little taste of Mackinac Island for themselves. For a family of 6 plan on a 100 dollar bill just to get there and back. Remember this is a tourist area. The ferry ride only takes 16 minutes and you dock on the island where you immediately know you are somewhere unlike anywhere you have been before. We did not plan to stay there long and were on a mission for two things…breakfast at the Seabuscuit Cafe and of course….FUDGE!

Ferry Tip: I must note that boarding a ferry from Mackinaw City was a lot different than when we boarded in St. Ignace a few years ago. St. Ignace is a small town and we parked in a small lot next to the boats. Cross the bridge to Mackinaw City and you have to take a shuttle bus to the loading dock and there is a coffee stand. If you want to skip the crowds I would recommend St. Ignace but Mackinaw City was very nice and has its own draw as well.

All stocked up with fudge we made our two hour trek south to the “Grand KOA”…not really but is funny because there is a HUGE beautiful hotel on Mackinac Island called the Grand Hotel and you cannot go past the gate unless you are worthy….or have a room there I guess. But in all reality the Traverse City KOA did not disappoint either. Lots of things for the kids to do with clean and spacious campsites.

Camping 101: A bigger tent fits more people LOL. But in all seriousness, we have used an 8 person tent for the 6 of us for a few years now and it has work great but always a little cramped with the air mattresses and bags and just stuff. Enters the 12 person tent on the scene…AMAZING….room for a queen size mattress, a cot, three small air beds, an outdoor blanket in the middle and way enough space for everything. Game changer for sure.

After the tent was set up we decided to venture up the Mission Point Peninsula to Wine Country. Yes you read that right. Vineyards and fruit trees everywhere. It was crazy to see and so beautiful. The area is rich in all kids of fruit trees and lots of cherries which we did sample from an adorable roadside stand. *Those are fields of grapes next to the lake*

Tip of the peninsula brings you to Mission Point Lighthouse. It was closed for the evening but we could still venture around and enjoy the sandy beach while watching the sunset on Lake Michigan.

With the Mission Point peninsula crossed off the list we ventured up the Leelanau Peninsula the next morning with our sights set on Leland, an old fishing town which did not disappoint. The old town has been preserved and really is a destination to see and feel. It has a peacefulness about it there. We were lucky enough to see two different boats bring in the catch of the day while we ate fresh cheese curds and crafted sodas. Also made sure to get some of the smoked Lake Trout to enjoy on our travels that day. We were told the Salmon run right through there in October which would be amazing to see. We sat there for a long time and just enjoyed the simplicity of the surroundings.

The tip of this peninsula brings us the Grand Traverse Lighthouse. It was open and me and the girls decided to check it out and go to the lookout. From way up there it really shows how blue the waters of Lake Michigan are which we enjoyed by the waters edge as well before making our way back to Traverse City where we found the most amazing store….CHERRY REPUBLIC!

Imagine a store with all products made from cherries and you can sample all of them as much as you want…thats Cherry Republic. The store was beautiful..everything was delicious…def a must do if you are in Traverse City, MI. So make time to belly up to the bar with the kids…lol…and sample the wine and sodas! So fun for the kids to get to do a soda sampling while you experience their wine selection.

Our day was complete and we enjoyed dinner over the campfire and rested up for our adventure next day to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

We started off the dune adventure by taking the scenic driving tour with a couple of awesome lookouts. We did stop at lookout #9 on the Pierce Stocking Drive which had a large dune with water at the bottom but the danger aspect was there and we left shortly after our arrival….especially after seeing it drops suddenly and it costs $3000 to have someone retrieved. No thanks. Not today.

After that we asked where “the dunes” were they told us it was the big Dune Climb we had passed along side the road, but to reach the dunes by the shore you have to climb those and all across them to reach those. Nope. I was satisfied with the fact that I made it to the top of the main dune there and crossed that off my list… for now anyways. They were fun and quite a site to see from the top and the kids loved it. P.S. I didn’t alter the color of any of these photos…the water really is that blue. *Thats us on the top of the dunes…proof I made it lol*

After burning our feet for awhile on the hot sand we took the nice drive back down to Traverse city to find somewhere to have dinner. It happened to be my birthday and I decided upon the Apache Trout Grill. The food was great. Popular place and we did have to wait for a table even on a Monday night but we didn’t mind as there was seating on the outside patio right on the lake where you could enjoy refreshments while watching the boats. Everyone enjoyed their meal before we headed back for the nightly campfire.

First thing on the agenda the next morning was Peace, Love and Little Donuts. Lovely thought for our plans to live life but this was also the name of the donut shop in Traverse City! It was cute and had lots of variety and they were DELICIOUS!

With one full day left we decided to venture up to Torch Lake northeast of Traverse City. We didn’t know where “the place to go” was so we drove the whole circle of the lake. Torch Lake was described in my readings as beautiful blue waters comparable to the Caribbean. The water was beautiful and we found a part to go to but without a boat I do not recommend a visit there. The water would have been amazing to boat on and there were boat docking areas we passed by at each end of the lake. There were a bunch of boats out on a big sand bar and looked like fun. But bring your boat or I wouldn’t make a point to go there. Still was a nice relaxing day by the water though!

Not wanting to head home yet but seeing rain in the middle of the night we decided to pack up and head out instead of waiting to leave until morning. It was dark when we came over the Mackinaw Bridge so we got to enjoy it during daylight on our return trip which was really cool. A big ship had just went under it right before we passed over.

My opinion: 3 nights in the area would have been perfect for us anyway to see what we wanted to see. I also recommend using your energy in the dune area to make it up the Dune climb and keep going and make it to the water…I would make sure to do that if I ever go back. Also we thought a warm day would be good but it was almost too hot to be on the sand. Make sure to enjoy the local fare. Eat the fudge, the cherry products, smoked fish and fresh fruit while you are there. It really adds to the experience and the memory of being there. And enjoy the big and small of every adventure you go on!