Michigan with Women Traveling Together

Pure Michigan
 Surrounded by the sparkling blue waters of lakes Michigan and Huron,  the state of Michigan is a true diamond in the Great Lakes region.  The beaches and dunes of the west coast (Lake Michigan) are beautiful and are meant to be enjoyed on Michigan time...don't be in a hurry if you come here!
  We decided to spend most of our time in the Sleeping Bear Dunes region, traveling up the western part of the state. Leaving from Grand Rapids, we headed to the coast and our first stop was in the quaint town of Frankfurt right on Lake Michigan. The town is truly delightful with a park on the bay as well as a sparkling, clean beach with a lighthouse out on the pier. The walk out to the lighthouse was a perfect beginning of our day, as the Michigan air is pure, clean, fresh and invigorating. Lots of sandwich places and cafes along the main street offer brown bag lunches for a picnic, so we had ours at the park on the bay, watching the sail boats come in and out.
  As we traveled up north, we stopped in the town of Empire at the visitors center for the region.  This is always a good idea when visiting a new place, and the rangers of Sleeping Bear Dunes were exceptionally helpful and exuded Midwestern hospitality as they gave us their best suggestions for enjoying the dunes. As we meandered up north, we had absolutely spectacular views of the shoreline while driving through The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.  We chose not to do the Big Dune Climb this time, but I would highly recommend everyone doing it at least once if you have the physical stamina for the 3-4 hour round trip hike to the shore. It's a badge of honor. We opted instead to go further up north and walk the much smaller dunes in the town of Glen Haven. This is a much more pleasantly paced hike and takes you up to Sleeping Bear Point. Park information.  In the town of Glen Arbor, we managed to find the time for some cherry wine tasting and cherry ice cream before heading to Traverse City.
  Traverse City is at the south end of Traverse Bay and is the main city of the region.  Our walk along the historical Sixth Street was a true feast for the eyes. These magnificent homes are breathtaking.  We were invited into the Secret Garden of one of these homes by the owner and gardener herself!  We entered through the ivy covered wooden door into the most magical garden I had ever seen.
   A visit to the Chateau Chantal winery on Mission Peninsula brought more tasting, and another spectacular view of the bay.  A drive up the peninsula could easily turn into a full day of exploration, great local food, and wine-tasting. From here, we drove to Mackinaw City and caught the ferry to the auto-free island of Mackinac.  Once on the island, we had three modes of transportation: foot, bike, and horse carriage. A true highlight of the trip was our dinner at The Carriage House, overlooking the sunset on Lake Huron.  Exquisite! High Tea at Grand Hotel was also a real treat! An absolute must-do is  biking around the perimeter of the island. There are plenty of bike rentals on the island. The perimeter is about 8 miles and is relatively flat.  You can also bike the interior, which has more climbs.
   There is so much beauty in Northern Michigan. It's the perfect place to explore by car and bicycle. The coastline, the dunes, the charming towns...you'll love exploring this best kept secret of the Great Lakes.