Gerry and I had a wonderful time in Michigan! We flew into Traverse City on Wednesday, August 19 and rented a car. We drove the scenic 116 mile M-22 on Thursday. We stayed Thursday through Tuesday with our dear friends Steve and Gladys at their beautiful historic home in Manistee, MI. We flew back home to LA on Tuesday, August 25th.
We checked into the Grand Traverse Motel On Wednesday evening around 7:00pm. We drove a short mile or so to the downtown Front Street "city center" with several blocks of restaurants and shops. We took a short stroll along Front Street, perhaps 1.5 miles total, and stopped at Seven Monks taproom for dinner.
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a 1954 Studebaker car greets us at the Grand Traverse Motel |
Thursday morning we checked out of the Grand Traverse around 9:30 am after eating their continental breakfast. The drive on historic M-22 was well worth it, with so many scenic stops.
We drove north, and the first stop was Sutton's Bay, about 18 miles north of Traverse City.
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| A lovely peaceful Suttons Bay welcomed us |
The town of Sutton's Bay was a small "get out and walk" town with many small shops to explore. We especially liked the Bayside Gallery.
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| Owl rocks and glass art at the Bayside Gallery caught our eye |
We headed further north to the town of Northport at the northern tip of the Leelanau Peninsula. Then we headed south, stopping in the town of Leland. We walked to the dock and bought some smoked trout at Carlson's Fishery, a family-owned multi-generation business since 1904. We also bough some Raclette cheese from the Leelanau Cheese company.
Onward to Glen Arbor and the bridge separating Glen Lake from little Glen Lake.
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| Gerry under the bridge at Glen Lake |
Next stop is Frankfort, a small town with historic houses. We stopped for lunch at the Pork City Smokehouse, where we each ordered a whitefish sandwich and shared an order of french fries.
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| Our lunch stop |
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| Enjoying my sandwich! |
Ten miles later we arrived at Inspiration Point, the highest point along Michigan's shoreline, just north of the town Arcadia. We climbed the 120 steps to the viewing platform, with a breathtaking panoramic view of Lake Michigan.
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| Gerry is a few steps above me and took this photo |
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| Both of us together at the viewing platform at the top |
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| Quite the view! Worth the stair climb for sure! |
Onward to Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve, our final stop on this scenic drive. It is estimated that over 80% of all original Great Lakes marshes have been destroyed. These marshes are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world, and Arcadia Marsh is one of only 15 or so remaining coastal marshes along Lake Michigan’s Lower Peninsula shoreline.
We walked the boardwalk out-and-back, about 1.7 miles. Saw many butterflies, heard many birds, and especially enjoyed seeing a beautiful green heron and it's reflection.
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| Green Heron on the marsh |
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| Monarch butterfly caught our eye |
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| Great Blue Heron hanging out |
We arrived at Steve and Gladys house around 6:00 pm. They gave us a tour of their renovated house, which has old-time furniture, pictures and atmosphere. It's like living in a house in the Victorian Era before the current times.
We went out to dinner at TJ's Pub, located on the first floor in the historic Ramsdell Inn.
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| Gerry, Steve and Gladys approaching the Ramsdell Inn |
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