the ultimate northern michigan loop.
Crazy story for this one. Logan and I planned a Northern Michigan trip that revolved mostly around breweries for our third anniversary. We were to leave on our actual anniversary, April 28th. The weeks leading up to our anniversary, I just did not feel right. The day before we left for the trip, Logan encouraged me to go to the doctor just to make sure everything was okay before we left for a week. Well little did we know that doctor appointment would change our lives forever. On April 27th, the day before our third anniversary and brewery trip, I found out I was pregnant. I will never forget the complete shock and fear that immediately overwhelmed me.
The week prior, I had been in Napa for work and found the rare bottle of wine that Logan and I drank the night we got engaged. My plan was to bring this to Michigan and drink on our anniversary. Instead, I got Logan a card, put the pregnancy test results in it, and laid out the bottle of wine. When he got home from work that night, I had him open his “anniversary present.” We both started crying and embraced, Charlie in the middle of course. Our lives were changed.
The next question was, well what do we do about our trip tomorrow?! Everything was planned around breweries! We decided to still go, rest when needed, and alter our plans slightly. We visited Traverse City, Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Mackinac Island. This was the first trip with the three of us. Continue reading to hear all about it!
TRAVERSE CITY
The drive from Fort Wayne to Traverse City is about four and a half hours. In typical Logan and Hannah fashion, we left super early to make the most of our first day. Traverse City reminded me of Lake Tahoe without the mountains. Traverse sits right on the Grand Traverse Bay. The land surrounding the bay is lush hills with cherry trees as far as the eye can see. The town itself is full of brick buildings, breweries, the smell of fresh fish, and adventure all around. We loved the walkability of the town. The first day, we walked almost everywhere we went.
The second day, we decided to drive up the peninsula to explore. We drove as far north on the M22 as we could, hugging the coast nearly the entire way. We came across the small town of Northport and saw signs for a state park so we continued north until we came to the park at the end of the peninsula. Leenau State Park sits on the north end of the peninsula and has a $10 entrance fee to see the lighthouse. We paid the fee and walked around the area. I do not recommend this portion of the state park. Rather, drive back south and park in the gravel parking lot for the Overlook hike. We hiked to the overlook and past the overlook to the shoreline access. We were amazed as we neared the beach to find a massive, sandy, beach full of dunes and we had it all to ourselves! The was definitely a hidden gem on the peninsula. Though this is part of the state park, no fee is required to enter this area. I highly recommend it.
Shoreline at Overlook Hike, April 2021
After leaving the peninsula, we headed towards Sleeping Bear Dunes. Now Logan and I have done our fair share of hiking and exploring parks, and I will say, Sleeping Bear Dunes was one of the most difficult places to find. Navigating the area was tough as there was little signage of where to go. I had tried to do research ahead of time and it felt like there was little to no guidance out there. We ended up asking what looked like a construction worker where the dune climb was and he gave us directions. My best advice is to trust your phone map, even if it feels like you are driving out of the way. You will get there, I promise! We made it to the Dune Climb area, parked our car, and started running up the dune.
Let me repeat myself and say, we had done very little research on the dunes. We ran up the first dune, expecting to have a view of the lake but rather, we saw another, much higher dune. We climbed up that dune and guess what? We found a massive, desert like oasis with no water in sight. For as far as the eye could see, we just saw sand. We figured why not, let’s keep climbing until we find water. It took us 2.5 miles one way, of trekking through the sand until we met the shoreline. The climb was a blast but strenuous. We just kept laughing at how unprepared we were. Overall, we hiked over 5 miles in the sand. It was in the upper 50’s while we hiked, perfect weather in my opinion. I can’t imagine how hot the sand would be during peak summer. Be sure to plan accordingly if you choose to visit the dunes during the summer.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, April 2021
There are several other viewpoints of the dunes and climbing areas, however, since we went so early in the year (end of April), the Dune Climb was the only area of the dunes open. We were exhausted anyway (remember, that positive pregnancy test?!) and drove about 40 minutes back towards Traverse City. The drive from Sleeping Bear to Traverse weaved in and out of cherry trees and vineyards. We drove past several wineries but didn’t stop.
Where We Stayed: We stayed at Hotel Indigo, directly across the street from the bay. The hotel was valet parking only, so make sure to have cash on you! I highly recommend Hotel Indigo, the rooms were large and modern and you can’t beat the location. We were able to walk all over downtown Traverse City from the hotel and the views of the lake were stunning. In the lobby of the hotel there is a bar with all windows overlooking the lake. It was just gorgeous! Across the street from the hotel was a park with a path you could walk along the shore. The water was insanely clear! We stayed at Hotel Indigo at the end of April so the weather was still a little chilly allowing us to get a great rate on the room. I would imagine during the peak of summer, the prices sky rocket. But either way, this is a fabulous place to stay.
Where We Ate: For our anniversary dinner, we ate at Apache Grill, right on the water. This was about two miles from our hotel. We both had great seafood. The inside of the restaurant did remind us of more of a franchise type feel. They had a huge patio that was not yet open due to the weather. We had phenomenal service and food at West End Tavern. I would say this is a must go to when in the area. West End also had an awesome patio that was not yet open. In the summer, I would imagine this is the place to be! One morning for breakfast, I was craving donuts so we stopped at Peace Love and Little Donuts. It’s a make your own donut bar! Think Subway but donuts. You start with a plain donut and they have all the flavors of frosting and toppings you can imagine. It was a very unique experience and would be great for kids! While driving north on the peninsula, we stopped at New Bohemiam Cafe for breakfast sandwiches and coffee. The prices here were extremely expensive and the food was not good. I do not recommend stopping here. I will say, Traverse City definitely lacked in breakfast places.
Breweries: The first brewery we stopped at was one of my favorites of the trip. Of course I couldn’t drink, but the food and atmosphere were awesome at North Peak Brewing Company. Logan recommends the Margarita beer!
What’s great about Traverse City is the walkability. We walked to Mackinac Brewing and were not super impressed. I would leave this one off your brew tour. We also walked to RareBird Brewing. This brewery was a bit off the beaten path but definitely still walkable. Rarebird had several fruity beers, cocktails on draft, and excellent smoked trout dip! Close to our hotel was Workshop Brewing. This brewery was a bit more rough, they had darker beers and IPA’s. Most importantly, they had lemonade and for a pregnant woman at a brewery, lemonade is a must! Our favorite brewery, Hop Lot, was about a fifteen minute drive from downtown Traverse City. Hop Lot is all outside and in a beautiful lot surrounded by towering trees. There are fire pits everywhere, igloos in the winter, and so much outdoor space. We ordered their nachos, which were fantastic, and Logan had a great sour beer. This is definitely a family friendly spot with all of the outdoor space. This brewery made us feel like we were in the mountains, far, far away from home in a magical forest. I highly recommend Hop Lot.
We also visited Traverse City Whiskey Company. This distillery was extremely modern with several cocktail options and flights of whiskey. The atmosphere was dark and moody with an awesome outdoor patio with heat lamps. From downtown, you will have to drive here but it’s only a few minutes away and definitely worth the stop!
CHARLEVOIX
On our third day, we woke up and drove about an hour north east to Charlevoix, where we would spend one night. Charlevoix is a quaint little town known for its architecture by Earl Young, who most famously created mushroom houses. His architecture looks like something out of a fairy garden. Small homes with swooping roofs that roll off the home. Don’t believe me? Just google it. Charlevoix had one main street with shops and restaurants. Again, this was a very walkable city. We got coffee at My Grandmother’s Table (do not recommend) and headed on a walk towards the beach. Strangely enough, Charlevoix was another town with very few breakfast spots.
From Charlevoix, we drove another 20 minutes to the town of Petoskey. Petoskey is another smaller town but certainly had more options than Charlevoix. The downtown area was very walkable and was full of touristy shops, cafes, and a few small restaurants. After enjoying lunch and drinks in Petoskey, we headed back to Charlevoix where we came across the Village of Bay Harbor. This village looked like something right out of a magazine for Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket. Imagine beautiful New England styled estates, yachts, and streets full of nice shopping and dining. We drove through the village just exploring from our car windows until we came to a little restaurant right on the water. After exploring Bay Harbor, we headed back to Charlevoix where we had dinner and a relaxing evening at the hotel.
Where We Stayed: Hotel Earl in Charlevoix is one of the most unique hotels we have stayed at. It’s an older hotel that was completely redone and modernized. The inside of the hotel is very modern and industrial. The hotel lobby had free breakfast and even a nice little bar. I didn’t love the city of Charlevoix (just wasn’t a ton to do) but I would go back to visit just to stay at this hotel again! Hotel Earl was similar to the Cantilever Hotel we got to stay at in Rainier, MN. The hotel was in perfect walking distance to all of Charlevoix, if in the Petoskey/Charlevoix area, I highly recommend staying here.
Where We Ate: The Bridge Street Tap Room was a casual dinner spot right on the water. We walked here from our hotel and had sandwiches for dinner!
Breweries: Beards Brewery in Petoskey was our lunch spot while in Petoskey for the day. The food was very good, I had their enchiladas! We sat at the bar with views of the lake. The brewery was in a cool location, right downtown Petoskey overlooking the water.
View from Beards Brewery, April 2021
From Beards, we walked to the Back Lot Beer Garden. This was a unique spot and definitely made me jealous I couldn’t indulge in a beer! Back Lot has a large outdoor area with permanent food trucks in their courtyard and even one food truck inside! They also have one of the largest selections of craft beer I have seen. We had already ate at Beards but I would recommend stopping at Back Lot for lunch and a drink. This would be a great place for kids with the outdoor area and all the eating options!
Knot Just a Bar was a magical place we stumbled upon while exploring the Village of Bay Harbor. Bar Harbor is just south of Petoskey on your way to Charlevoix. Seated right on the harbor, surrounded by large estates and beautiful streets with string lights, Knot Just a Bar was a fun place to stop, have an appetizer and enjoy the surroundings. We learned that many of the homes in Bay Harbor are vacation homes and are vacant most of the year.
Mackinac Trail Winery in inland Petoskey was the only winery we visited this trip. Something about the smell of wine and my pregnancy have not mixed well. They had several different award winning varietals. This may have been the best winery I have ever visited, as soon as you walk inside, two golden retrievers came running to greet us! They sat at our table almost the entire time just wanting to be pet. The goldens certainly made the experience all the more memorable.
MACKINAC ISLAND
The next morning, we woke up early, grabbed breakfast at the hotel (always take advantage of free hotel breakfasts!), and drove about an hour and a half north to St. Ignace to catch the ferry over to Mackinac Island. We took the Star Line Ferry from St. Ignance (free overnight parking) over to the island. Make sure to get to the boat with enough time to park your car across the street and check in with your luggage! We were pleasantly surprised to find out that the boat line checked your bags for you and delivered them to the hotel so we didn’t have to walk the bags from the dock on the island all the way to the hotel. Great surprise! The ferry ride was about 20 minutes over to the island. Logan had visited Mackinac before but I had no idea what to expect!
Imagine stepping back in time where cars simply do not exist. Everyone either walks, rides bikes, or rides horses. Architecture is older, very doll house like and everyone simply moves at a slower pace. I knew Mackinac did not have cars but I guess I didn’t realize how much cars affect us! The island was quaint and quiet, very peaceful. I enjoyed walking everywhere with views of the lake almost everywhere we went.
We rented bikes from the Mission Point Resort and rode the nine mile loop around the entire island. This was my favorite part of Mackinac. The ride was gorgeous, hugging the clear, turquoise water the entire time. I couldn’t get over how clear the water was! We stopped and parked our bikes at the famous arch and climbed up the stairs to view the arch from above. You cannot get lost on Mackinac, so don’t be afraid to ride around and explore!
Other than bike riding, I will say, there are not many other activities on Mackinac. There are shops, restaurants, and bars but it’s definitely a quiet, more restful place. If you are looking for a lot of activity and adventure, Mackinac may not be the place for you. For the end of our trip, and the classic early pregnancy symptoms I was feeling, Mackinac was perfect. I don’t recommend this as a yearly spot to visit, but definitely a unique place to visit at least once!
Where We Stayed: There are two large hotels on the island. The Grand Hotel (most famous hotel but very expensive) and the Mission Point Resort. Other than these two hotels, all other spots are tiny bed and breakfasts. We stayed at the Mission Point and had a great experience. The property is very large with coffee shops, multiple restaurants, shops, bike rentals, and a large outdoor space to sit and relax with views of the lake. We actually visited the first week the island was open to tourists for the season, so not everything was open at the resort yet. Upon checking into the resort, we learned that our room was not in the main building but a few buildings over. We were a little anxious as the building looked like an old dormitory from the outside. Though the building was very old, the rooms were updated and it was a great place to stay. I will say, in an older hotel, you have to expect the rooms to be smaller and walls thinner.
Where We Ate: We were so hungry when we got off the ferry that we went straight to lunch even though it was still early. We had lunch at the Chuckwagon Saloon. The food was typical bar food. I will say, I was craving Italian the whole time we were on the island and the food options are few and far between when staying on an island! Food was also more expensive. While we were riding bikes, we came across the Gate House at the base of the Grand Hotel. This was a fun spot to stop at. We got appetizers and I had a milkshake! Even if you don’t stay at the Grand Hotel, it’s fun to ride around their property. To go inside of the hotel, if you are not a registered guest, you have to pay an entrance fee. After turning in our bikes, we walked around the town and stopped to watch the Kentucky Derby at the Broken Spoke. This was probably the most modern establishment we found on the island. We also ate breakfast here the next morning! The breakfast wasn’t anything to ride home about. Again, there were not many breakfast options on the island. For dinner, we ate at the Round Island Kitchen at the Mission Point Resort. This was a beautiful restaurant overlooking the lake. We sat at a window seat in the bar and sat there way longer than we normally would, just staring out at the lake.
The next day, we took the ferry back to St. Ignace to our car to finish our journey back home. The drive home was about 5.5 hours. Overall, our trip that revolved around breweries turned out to be more relaxing than we thought. It was the perfect amount of activity and relaxing for the news we had just received. There is so much to see in Michigan that I highly recommend going to more than one town per trip. I would like to think that between this trip, our UP camping and kayaking trip, and our Southern Michigan Brew Tour up the coast, we have experienced a good portion of the Mitten!