Michigan: Up North

This far north, there are lots of little lakes that are all beautiful and have crystal clear water. The first time I went, I at first wanted to stop at every lake to take pictures and be amazed at how gorgeous lakes could be (we don’t have this in Ohio). After a while, I realized all the lakes up here are that gorgeous. If you’re looking for a few though, Elk Lake and Torch Lake are up north, and known for having water that looks like the Caribbean.

Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen Lake

We’ve been to this area a couple times, and I’m convinced it’s one of the prettiest and most unexpected places in the Midwest. It definitely doesn’t get a lot of PR, but it is SO worth the trip to check out this area.

  • There are two points at the dunes that you have to drive between to access. Both of them are national lakeshore areas, so you have to pay to get in. The Sleeping Bear Dunes Overlook/Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is a very nice area and easy to drive right up and see the huge dune right along Lake Michigan. There are lots of signs warning you not to climb down it. When we were there we saw a couple of very in-shape young guys climbing back up the dune and they were STRUGGLING! We decided it wasn’t worth it to try.

  • The other cool dune area is the Dune Climb, where you can actually (and more safely) climb the dunes if you want but it's INTENSE. From the peaks you can see Glen Lake to the East. Come prepared with lots of water, and plant to take breaks. It's farther than it looks.

  • On the other side of the dunes is Glen Lake (Glen Arbor is the name of the area). Glen Lake is BEAUTIFUL. I've never been all the way around it and it's mostly residential area. A great place on the lake is "On the Narrows Marina" - you can rent a boat or kayak, this is also a good place to be able to park along the side of the road and “sneak” into the water (there are little paths down to the water on either side of the road). 
    The water in Glen Lake is AMAZINGLY clear, and the areas along the shore are very shallow. If you get a boat (even a kayak) you’ll find sandbars in the water where you can hop out and stand in knee-waist deep water. This is such a fun way to spend an afternoon!

Traverse City

To be honest, Traverse City is pretty low on my list of best places to visit in Michigan. It gets a lot of hype, but in my opinion is worth about a pit stop along your route, to say you’ve checked it out. There’s a good variety of lake activities, shops, and biking, but none of it is my favorite. Nevertheless if you’re in the area, may as well stop to say you’ve seen it!

  • In Traverse City you can bike all along the riverfront and through the neighborhoods, which are very nice. 

  • There's an area (like the Short North in Columbus) along Front Street between Union and Boardman Ave that has shopping, ice cream, and eateries. When we went there was some kind of festival so the whole street was blocked off for foot traffic. This was very fun since we were in the area. 

  • Keith J Charters Traverse City State Park is GREAT camping - it’s right near town, across the street from the bay and beach. The washhouses were recently remodeled when we stayed, and they were very nice. This was SUPER busy when we went in August, so if you’re planning to camp anywhere in Michigan, be sure to make reservations WAY in advance, because things really fill up. 

  • One day when it rained we went to The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. We only spent a couple hours there, but it was interesting to see how they have renovated an old hospital grounds into a shopping center, full of small local boutiques and coffee shops. 

  • Along highway 31 outside the city you can pass the 45th parallel marker. Not really all that exciting, but kinda cool to find.

Charlevoix & Petoskey

They’re about a half hour from each other, but Charlevoix and Petoskey are pretty similar neighboring towns. We did this whole portion of our trip with family, and found many places to be dog-friendly.

  • Charlevoix has a very cute downtown area, nice neighborhoods (with some interesting houses tucked away!), and Michigan Beach Park and Lake Charlevoix are both pretty nature areas. Michigan beach park was very rocky (bring your water shoes!), but the water was perfectly clear. We never actually stopped on lake Charlevoix, but it looked pretty from the road!

  • The downtown Petoskey area is similar to Charlevoix, but the downtown shopping strip I think is bigger. Same vibes, cool area, different city. Our group liked NorthPerk Coffee and The Backlot Beer Garden, which is a large outdoor area with several food trucks, and a bar inside. We did this for lunch and had a great time!

  • Bayfront Park in Petoskey is a nice place to watch the sunset, and there’s a little man-made waterfall tucked back in there!

North North we go

  • All the way at the North of the Glove is the Mackinac bridge. There are lighthouses to see on both sides of the bay, and you can cross the bridge at the junction of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

  • Mackinaw City is there also, I've only driven through, but it looks like there's a lot there - lots of restaurants and shopping.

  • If skies are clear at night, Headlands International Dark Sky Park is nearby and is a GREAT place to view stars at night. When we went in 202,  there were people out with huge telescopes, and they let us look through them to view Saturn and Jupiter. It was so cool! I think they are out pretty frequently allow people to see the night sky, but they did back up a couple hours after dark. You're not allowed to use regular flashlights at night in the park, so you'll need to get a red light flashlight. We went right after dark on a clear night, and there were lots of people there and it was pretty safe.

Michigan is just full of super cute small towns, pretty lakes and beaches, and safe neighborhoods. You may lose some cell service as you drive through low-population areas. I strongly recommend downloading your map and driving directions ahead of time because there's a lot of nothing between some of the small towns.