Leelanau Peninsula

It seems to be a well kept secret, but Leelanau has a great variety of winerys. Last summer my husband and I took a whole day and visited 4 or 5 wine tastings (by the end we were a little buzzed) Visit Black Star Farms (their artisan red is great), Chatau Leelanau, Leelanau cellers, and practically any other winery in this region. You will not be disappointed. The drive was beautiful, too.

Spent a lot of time camping on the beach in this area last summer. It’s a magical place. I dream of running away there, and just staying, in fact…

Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula, the “pinky” of the mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula, is a beautiful, rolling area of apple and cherry orchards, sand ridges, humid pine forests and nautical lore. Situated on the main shipping channel between the ports of southern Lake Michigan (Chicago, Milwaukee and Gary) and the St. Lawrence Seaway, the coast is dotted with clear blue lakes, tall lighthouses and summer homes.

Whether hanging out in the marina town of Northport, picking cherries near Traverse City’s Cherry Festival, enjoying a cup of warm cider on a snowy winter afternoon or looking for the elusive fossilized Petoskey Stones, this is one of my favorite places in the world: a freshwater sea bordering dense, sandy forests.

Stop by Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, go deep-water fishing out of Leland, or walk through the forest parks near Empire. Buy some cherries from a roadside stand and enjoy this beautiful part of Michigan.