Monday, July 26
Traverse City State Park
It took over three hours to Traverse City State Park along a very hilly route through the Huron-Manistee National Forest. We did have some steep grades as we got near Traverse City. The State Park was just on the eastern outskirts of Traverse City along a busy coastal parkway overlooking the East Arm of the Grand Traverse Bay. About 350 campsites crowded into the park’s wooded campground across a highway from a nice beach area.
We arrived at the park around 2 pm, and because we had a water spigot near our site, we immediately drove and parked there since I thought I could fill up with fresh water there. Unfortunately, after backing into the site, I discovered that the spigot had no threads, so I could not connect my water hose. We returned to the dump station to get water and had to wait in line behind three other trailers. While I filled up, I talked with a camp host who said the water spigots were installed to keep campers from blocking the streets while filling their tanks with water.
We had site #235, which was near the bathrooms. It was shady with hard-packed sand and very little grass. Though the campground was crowded, I felt we had a lot of room around us. A pedestrian path went behind our trailer so people did not have to cut across sites to get to the bathroom.
Old Mission Peninsula
We finished setting up mid-afternoon, so we decided to drive up the Old Mission Peninsula. The Old Mission Peninsula is a narrow 18-mile finger of land extending into Grand Traverse Bay’s center. The road that cuts down the center of the Old Mission Peninsula was named a Scenic Heritage Route in 2007. The highway took us through pretty farmlands, where we saw numerous grapevines and fruit trees. This is where we saw little unattended farm stands along the road for the first time with vegetables and canned fruits, which you paid for by the honor system. We found these frequently during our time in this area.
Old Mission State Park and the Misson Point Lighthouse are at the peninsula’s tip. From 1870 until 1933, this lighthouse helped guide mariners through West Grand Traverse Bay. It is a wooden structure that is only one and a half stories tall, but it sits on a 14-foot-tall dune, making it 47 feet above lake level. Also on the grounds was the Hessler Log Cabin, originally built by the early pioneers Joseph and Mary Hessler between 1854 and 1856.
When we went down to the beach, we were surprised at how crystal clear the water was, and it was not very cold. We saw many cars along the woodline between the road and the beach, and we assumed they were taking advantage of this nice water. On the way back, we stopped at a market stand that was still open to see if they had any of the cherries that this region is famous for, but they were out.
J & S Hamburg
We returned to Traverse City around 6:30 and drove downtown to a small restaurant called J & S Hamburg. Established in 1938, the restaurant was an old-school diner in the center of the business district with a large outdoor patio area. We sat outside on their patio and enjoyed a couple of burgers.
Moomer’s Ice Cream
We then went 10 miles outside town to the Moomers Farm Creamery for ice cream. The family farm opened in February 2011 as a direct-to-consumer way to sell milk and ice cream. The milk is processed, and the ice cream is made on the farm in a small creamery. They make over 160 varieties of ice cream but only have about 20 available on a particular day. In 2016, it was named America’s Best Ice Cream Parlor by USA Today.
Even though it was a Monday night, there was a long line of people when we arrived. The parking lot was on one side of the ice cream parlor, and an outdoor picnic area was on the other side, overlooking the dairy barn and its cows. You could smell the stinky cows. It took about 30 minutes for us to get inside to order. Lisa got the Cherry Moobilee, the store’s signature flavor, and I got the Choc-o-holic. Because of COVID, we decided to eat our ice cream in the truck. The ice cream was very good.
We were back at our camper around 9:30 pm.
July 27, Tuesday
We left the trailer around 9:30 and headed to the Leelanau Peninsula.
The Leelanau Peninsula extends about 30 miles into Lake Michigan and is sometimes called the “Little Finger of the Mitten” of Michigan. The Leelanau Peninsula sits astride the 45th parallel, a latitude known for growing prestigious grapes, which has resulted in 26 wineries on the peninsula.
Suttons Bay
We followed the coast west through Traverse City and then along the eastern coast of the Leelanau Peninsula. The landscape was filled with fruit trees and vineyards. We stopped briefly in Groesser Park in Suttons Bay so that we could walk down by the water. It was just as crystal clear as it was on the Old Mission Peninsula. Suttons Bay was a cute little tourist town full of little boutique shops.
Northport
In Northport, we stopped briefly at their marina so that we could walk around again, and we found the same beautiful water. Northport also had the charm of a small tourist town.
Grand Traverse Lighthouse
We soon reached the tip of the peninsula and the site of Leelanau State Park and the Grand Traverse Lighthouse.
The lighthouse was built In 1852 to assist mariners between the Manitou Passage and the Straits of Mackinac and enter into Grand Traverse Bay. It was replaced with the current lighthouse in 1858. Coast Guard crews maintained the station until 1972, when the tower light was replaced by an automated beacon mounted on a steel skeletal tower.
We walked around the beautiful grounds, nicely decorated with cobblestones, fountains, flower beds, fences, and staircases. The shoreline was cobblestone, and the water crystal clear.
Leland
We continued our drive by going down the peninsula’s west side to the town of Leland. We arrived at lunchtime, and it was very difficult to find a parking place. We had to park just on the outskirts along the highway and walk back into town.
The Village of Leland is a popular tourist destination located on a sliver between Lake Michigan and Lake Leelanau. The Leland River flows through the town, and Fishtown, a historic commercial fishing village and dock, sits along its banks. Today, most of the old fishing shanties have been converted into little boutiques and restaurants. The shanties selling food had long lines in front of them, and they had already started putting up signs that said they were out of certain menu items. Along the river was also the most popular restaurant in town, The Cove, and it was packed. There was a small boardwalk shopping area where we checked out the Grand Traverse Distillery tasting room, but they charged for samples, so we skipped it. The nearby marina is the only place to catch the ferry to North or South Manitou Islands. The docks were full of charter fishing boats.
It was a fun stop, but we obviously would not find anything to eat here, so we continued south.
Glen Lake Picnic Area
We drove through the town of Glen Arbor next but it was packed, so we did not stop. We continued south and took a detour up to Port Oneida. We discovered that this was nothing but a place on the map. Even the buildings had been torn down.
We soon arrived at Glen Lake Picnic Area, so we pulled over to eat our lunch. Glen Lake has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful lakes in the Great Lakes region because its waters, filtered by the underlying and surrounding sands, are remarkably clear and pure and glow with an iridescent indigo blue.
Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
Our next destination was Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. This was a 7.4-mile drive loop through a Beech-Maple forest to several overlooks featuring the towering sand dunes and epic views of Lake Michigan and Glen Lake.
One of the best overlooks was the Lake Michigan Overlook, which has an observation deck about 450 feet above the lake level. The angle to the lake was sandy and very steep here, but plenty of people accepted the challenge of climbing down and then up it. A sign near the top says, “Enjoy the view from here — Don’t risk injury and rescue fees by going down – or the two hours it might take to climb back up!”
Empire
We continued south and stopped at “Grocer’s Daughter Chocolates” in Empire because I read great reviews about it. It was fun to window shop the candy, but we escaped without buying anything. They did have a fun garden out back with butterfly chairs.
We then stopped at the Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitor Center near there. They were closing so we just took a selfie of the sign outdoors.
Point Bessie Lighthouse
As we continued south, we stopped at the Point Bessie Light Station, which is said to be America’s most photographed lighthouse. The grounds were closed because it was past 5 pm, but we could still see it well from the beach. I also climbed around on the concrete “shield” in front of the lighthouse, even though it was very broken.
The light station began operation in 1859 to mark the all-important entrance to the southern end of the Manitou Passage, a once-vital maritime shipping channel. The tower is 39 feet tall but has a focal height of 52 because it sits on a hill. This location is also the site of one of the earliest Life-Saving Stations built in 1875. It was automated in 1983 and was the last manned lighthouse on Lake Michigan and the previous Michigan lighthouse to lose its keeper.
Most original Life-Saving Station buildings have disappeared or been converted to private cottages. We saw many still use the same color scheme as the lighthouse.
Joe’s Friendly Tavern
After a Google search, we returned to Empire and had dinner at Joe’s Friendly Tavern. It was an old-school tavern, and the staff was friendly.
After, we arrived at our camper at around 7 pm.
July 28, Wednesday
We left around 9 am and headed northwest along the coast of Lake Michigan.
Mushroom Houses
From Traverse City, we followed the coast of Lake Michigan up to Charlevoix. We parked near Michigan Park Beach, where we walked around the beach area.
We then walked up the hill and around the residential area containing the “Mushroom houses.” The Mushroom Houses are 28 unique homes built by Charlevoix native Earl Young from 1924 through 1974. Using stone that he found throughout Northern Michigan, he built each house to blend into the surrounding landscape and feature his signature designs. These buildings are creatively known as Gnome Homes, Mushroom Houses, or Hobbit Houses. Today, six are available for rent, while the rest are private residences. They are primarily in two clusters: the Park Avenue area, where we were currently located, and the Boulder Park area, where we drove to next.
World’s Largest Former Pie Pan
After leaving the Mushroom houses, we looked at “World’s Largest Pie” Pan. In 1976, Charlevoix baked the World’s Largest Cherry Pie as part of the nation’s bicentennial and the town’s annual cherry festival. The result was a cherry pie weighing 17,420 pounds. It is now the third-largest pie made because Traverse City built a bigger pie in 1987, and Oliver, British Columbia, built an even bigger one in 1992.
The original pie pan and the “Medusa Made Oven” where it was baked are on display. In front are the words “World’s Largest Cherry Pie.”
Castle Farms
We then drove over to Castle Farms. Castle Farms was built in 1918 as a model working dairy farm by the acting president of Sears, Roebuck & Co. Now, it is a top wedding and event venue surrounded by beautiful gardens and ponds, interesting architecture, and extensive museum-quality collections worldwide. We bought tickets for the two-hour guided tour, which walked us through the large complex and the fantastic collections. There was so much to see that we could have spent several days there looking at everything. Afterward, we drove over to one of their picnic areas next to a pond and ate lunch.
Kilwins Chocolate Kitchen
Our next stop was Petosky and the Kilwins Chocolate Kitchen. Petoskey is the corporate headquarters for the chocolate chain Kilwins, and this was their centerpiece retail store and working chocolate kitchen. The fantastic chocolate scents overwhelmed us when we first walked in the door. Before COVID, they offered chocolate factory tours, but now there is a glass wall in the back of the store that separates the factory from the kitchen area where you can look into the factory. While there, we saw them make marshmallow squares and chocolate lollipops. We enjoyed looking at all the different types of chocolate candies, especially the oversized chocolate bars and carvings. Before we left, we had some of their famous ice cream. Lisa got hers in a chocolate-coated waffle bowl.
Tunnel of Trees
North of Petosky was a 20-mile scenic drive that followed the coast through Harbor Springs, Hart, and Cross Village villages. This very narrow and curvy road was called the “Tunnel of Trees” because of the thick canopy of trees that covered the road and gave you the effect of being in a tunnel. The road was so narrow that there wasn’t even a centerline for most of it, and the forest was so thick that we could not see the coast. Because there were so many sharp curves, we concentrated on the road more than the surroundings. Luckily, we did not pass very many people coming from the other direction. We stopped at a few small villages along the way. The Legs Inn in Cross Village was especially a tourist draw with a roofline trimmed with stove legs, wood art furniture and doors, and a wood teepee in the front.
Homeward Bound
We left Cross Village around 4:30 pm and drove east through the countryside and south into Petosky. We stopped briefly at Walmart before getting back to our camper at around 8 pm.
Thursday, July 2
Leland
We decided to go back to the Leelanau Peninsula today, so we left the trailer at about 9 am and headed west to Leland, where they were hosting a weekly farmer’s market. We drove up the peninsula’s east coast, enjoying the views before cutting across to Suttons Bay. The farmers market was disappointingly small, but we did buy some Michigan maple syrup, a bag of peaches, some cherries, and a small cherry crumb pie.
Glen Arbor
We then drove down to Glen Arbor to see the Cherry Republic. The Cherry Republic is a store that is famous for the variety of cherry-based products that it sells. It has six retail outlets around the state of Michigan. Still, its headquarters was there in Glen Arbor, where it had a retail store (“The Great Hall”), a restaurant and brewery (“The Cherry Public House”), the Winery, and a Cherry Pit Spitting Arena. It is a popular destination in Leelanau, but we beat the crowds by arriving just as the retail store opened. After exploring the store, we checked out the pit-spitting arena. We then went into the Winery, where we each bought a tray of six cherry wine samples. They were supposed to offer free tastings of their old-fashioned soda pop, but they said they were out of it. Seeing it getting busier, we decided to go to the Cherry Public House and order one of their craft beers. We were relaxing and enjoying our beers on their front deck when we decided to eat lunch there. A waitress explained that because of COVID, we would have to order lunch online when the restaurant opened, and they would deliver it to the table where we were sitting. This was convenient because a long line of people was already trying to go inside the restaurant.
Boathouse Vineyards
After we left the Cherry Republic, we decided to try to find a vineyard for wine tasting. We wanted one with a great outdoor area and some great lake views. However, we found that many of the tasting rooms were closed and only open on weekends. We first drove to the French Valley Vineyard, but it did not look interesting, so we drove north past Chateau Fontaine, which was closed, and eventually found the Boathouse Vineyard. This tasting room was in the village of Lake Leelanau along the “narrows” that connected north and south Lake Leelanau. After some free tastings, Lisa got a glass of wine, and I got a cider, and we relaxed down by the water on their Adirondack chairs, enjoying the beautiful afternoon.
Grand Traverse Pie Company
After we left the Boathouse Vineyard, we headed south, followed the coast of Lake Leelanau,. Then, we continued south to M-72,, which took us back to Traverse City. We decided to eat dinner at the Grand Traverse Pie Company and then had some famous Cherry Pie and Ice Cream for dessert.
Traverse City State Park Beach
We returned to our camper around 5:30 pm, so we walked over to the beach. A skywalk connected the state park to the beach across the highway. The beach was part of the State Park and sat along the East Arm of the Grand Traverse Bay. It was a nice sandy beach but mostly empty because the temperature was only in the mid-70s, and it was very windy. We walked the length of the beach and then sat on a bench for a short time, overlooking the water. While there, we watched a windsurfer trying to surf, but he did not have much luck staying up longer than a couple of seconds.
July 30, Friday
After dumping, we left the Park around 10:00 am and headed north to the Upper Peninsula.