Our time in northern Michigan has been sublime. From the beaches to the wineries, from the views to the weather, we loved everything about our time here. In this blog post we’ll share with you where we’ve been and what we’ve been doing. However, let’s get the big news out up front: we are now Michigan land owners! Yes, we loved the place so much we bought a little piece of summer paradise. Read on to learn what, where, and how.
After our time in the Mackinaw area we traveled south just a bit to Petoskey to explore this famed resort area. We drove the nearby tunnel of trees, which is hard to believe more spectacular in the fall when the leaves are turning. Our scenic drive was awe-inspiring from end to end.
Nearby Charlevoix was especially pretty with boats cruising into and out of the lake through the draw bridge. Nice weather and spectacular views make for some fun afternoons. However, we had to move along…
Our next stop, where we spent over a week, was Traverse City. Another resort town, we’d been encouraged to visit it by our RV friends Kunio and Michelle. We weren’t able to book a spot in their super-booked RV resort but we scored a coveted spot at the Traverse Bay State Park which borders Lake Michigan and the town’s network of bike trails. It was also our first chance to hit up a Costco in over a month.
Nearby Traverse City is the Old Mission Peninsula where we visited numerous farm markets and wineries with incredible views of Grand Traverse Bay. The lighthouse at the tip is a fun stop too.
After almost a week being surrounded by the crystal clear blue water of the bay and all the other fun things around town, we decided to drive out to Kunio and Michelle’s place to “just take a look.” One thing led to another, and we are now owners of a lot at the Traverse Bay RV Resort!
Our lot is a deeded property that includes lush landscaping and an oak paneled carriage house used for storage. The covered patio will be a great place for entertaining. And, when we are not using the lot, we can rent it to other RVers.
Our plan is to spend summers in and around this area and hopefully share our time there with friends and family. There’s so much to do and see and now we have a home base from which to launch our continuing explorations. Next summer we plan to participate in the National Cherry Festival, which is a major event in this cherry-growing region. We also hope to ride more of the trails, drink wine at more of the wineries, and enjoy the near-perfect northern Michigan weather.
Unfortunately we didn’t have much time left in our schedule to use our new lot this time, as we have plans down the road. But we’ll be back next summer!
From Traverse City we moved out to Empire on the edge of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Known for its sweeping views and massive dunes, this park is famous for the Dune Climb. I am not a fan of walking in sand, let alone hiking in it for miles and miles, but Steve wanted to give it a try. We also enjoyed watching others slowly trudge up the steep sand dunes and descend in seconds.
The cute town of Empire has an award-winning beach on the shores of Lake Michigan, so a few hours sitting in the sand with a good book while enjoying the view was a must.
Of course, we never seem to have planned enough time to fully enjoy these breath-taking places before it’s time to move along. From Empire we began our journey southward with stops in Manistee for more beach time, and to watch the big Great Lakes freighters pass through the town’s narrow channel in order to deliver coal. What a sight to see a boat slowly making its way through the canal, towering over the buildings just yards away. We finished our time in Manistee with a lovely evening of music in the park.
In Grand Haven we camped right on the beach. We got lucky with a very warm, clear day that brought out everyone and their brother to the beach. Look at those crowds! It was fun to be right in the middle of the fun for a day, to watch the breathtaking sunset, and eat a famed Pronto Pup. We didn’t even know what they were but we got in line with the locals who informed us a Pronto Pup is the best corndog on a stick you could ever have. Since we don’t usually eat corndogs, this one probably was the best we’ll ever have!
We’re now making our way back west for a fun event in Colorado. On the way we’ll make stops to visit friends in Des Moines and family in Omaha. Always fun!
And can you believe it? We’re Michigan landowners!!!
Marnie and Steve Travel 