Michigan’s Best 15
If you had asked me about Michigan 10 years ago, automobiles, manufacturing, and a declining economy would have been the first few things to pop in my head. Not to mention all that government bail out stuff. I didn’t know anyone that lived in Michigan let alone vacationed there. But then things changed. 6 years ago Nisheet and I decided to do the Lake Michigan Circle tour which took us on a wonderful road trip around the entire lake. We started in Chicago and worked counterclockwise with our first stop being Indiana Dunes. The Dunes, as the Chicagoans call it, has always been one of those “get away from it all” places for me. That’s where I would go to clear the cobwebs in my head and put myself in a more natural setting. The dunes are huge, and the water extends seemingly forever. The next day we hit Michigan, and I wondered how I ever liked the Indiana Dunes. In Michigan, the dunes were even larger, the water clearer, the sky blue-er, and the air crisper. A few year later, Nisheet moved to Grand Rapids, and we got to experience even more of “Pure Michigan.”
Climb the Dunes at Sleeping Bear
Sleeping Bear Dunes is a National Lakeshore, and it was voted the "Most Beautiful Place in America" on ABC's Good Morning America in 2011. The park stretches across 35 miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline, and the dunes approach a height of 450 feet. Besides the massive dunes (aka. very thick beaches), you will discover ghost forests to hike through, rivers to kayak, lush forests to camp in, and starry skies to gaze at. Our favorite hiking trail is the Dunes Trail which starts at the famous Dune Climb and then continues over various dunes to the beach. Bring lots of water, sunscreen, and a hat!
HELPFUL LINKS
(1) Climb the dunes as Sleeping Bear
(2) Go wine tasting on the Old Mission Peninsula
(3) Admire the views at Pictured Rocks
(4) Attend Tulip Time in Holland, MI
(5) Eat cherry pie at the Cherry Republic
(6) Sample Michigan beer at the Winter Beer Festival
(7) Explore the waterfalls at Tahquamenon Falls
(8) Attend Art Prize in Grand Rapids, MI
(9) Relax on the beach in Western Michigan. Our favorites include Holland State Park, Grand Haven State Park, Muskegon State Park
(10) Find your inner artist at the Meijer Gardens
(11) Step into history at the Henry Ford Museum
(12) Enjoy a sunset over Lake Michigan. Check out the sunset near the Platte River Campgrounds.
(13) Go on a dune buggy ride on the Michigan dunes. We recommend Mac Wood’s Dune Rides.
(14) Take to the slopes on the Michigan Mountains. We recommend Caberfae and Boyne Highlands.
(15) Search for Petoskey stones.
Disclaimer: We were not paid by any party to write our recommendations.
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