Midwestern Traveler- Michigan

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DAYTON ›› MIDWESTERN TRAVELER

MAGICAL Michigan

Northern Michigan offers visitors scenic beauty and one-of-a-kind experiences at every turn BY ERIC SPANGLER

A

pril Carroll knows exactly why people vacation in northern Michigan. “It’s because it’s the most beautiful place in America,” says the manager of Visit Up North Vacation Rentals. “It’s magical.” Starting in the most northern portion of the state, the Upper Peninsula, one of the most beautiful sights to see is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, one of the top attractions, says Tom Nemacheck, executive director of the Upper Peninsula Travel & Recreation Association. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore features sandstone cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, inland lakes, a deep forest and a wild shoreline. Hiking, camping, sightseeing and four-season outdoor opportunities are plentiful in this national park. One of the most popular summer activities is kayaking on Lake Superior in the Pictured Rocks area, says Nemacheck. There are a number of outfitters that can get visitors out on the water, he says. Another popular activity in the Upper

Headlands International Dark Sky Park in northern Michigan

Peninsula is watching ships pass through the Soo Locks and taking the Soo Lock tour, which takes visitors right through the busiest locks in the world. For those who are looking for a complete wilderness getaway Nemacheck recommends Isle Royale National Park, an archipelago in Lake Superior. Other top attractions in the Upper Peninsula are Mackinac Island and Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, he says. Petoskey, nestled along the shores of Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, is a wonderful resort community packed full of history, Victorian architecture and beautiful, sweeping views. Some of the “must-see” attractions in Petoskey are the plays, operas, discussions and classes that are open to the public during the summer months at Bay View Association, Lavender Hill Farm in Boyne City, Pond Hill Farm in Harbor Springs, the Crooked Tree Arts Center, Little Traverse Conservancy

Northern Michigan offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation, like paddleboarding. preserves throughout the Petoskey area and the new Great Lakes Center for the Arts, says Diane Dakins, assistant director of the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau. The Petoskey area is also near to Charlevoix’s Earl Young homes, also known as “mushroom houses,” and the Headlands International Dark Sky Park, one of the first DAYTON MAGAZINE . June/July 2019

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go high speed or slowly savor

When you’re in a pre y great place, the pace is what you make it. It’s where you can pour out your energy, or sit back for a second pour. And where every speed---or lack thereof--- is another reminder you’re in a pre y great place.

TraverseCity.com


DAYTON ›› MIDWESTERN TRAVELER 10 official dark sky parks in the country, she says. Another great place to view the beauty of the stars and the Milky Way galaxy is on the eastern side of northern Michigan in Alpena. There visitors can explore three Dark Sky Preserves that are protected from artificial light pollution— Negwegon State Park, Rockport State Recreation Area and Thompson’s Harbor State Park, says Mary Beth Stutzman, president of the Alpena Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Alpena is known as the Sanctuary of the Great Lakes, a place to relax, rejuvenate and restore,” she says. Visitors can spend some time kayaking over 19th century shipwrecks in Lake Huron, hiking or biking on groomed trails, wine-tasting with friends downtown, or fishing on inland lakes or on Lake Huron, says Stutzman. “Restaurants in the area offer the Catch & Cook program, where you can take in the fish you catch and they will prepare it for you for dinner,” she says. “Alpena is the hub of a four-county region serving as the

Downtown Traverse City is full of restaurants, shops and historic attractions. perfect basecamp for all of your northeast Michigan adventures,” says Stutzman. Back on t he west side of nort hern Michigan is another perfect basecamp for adventures—Traverse City. There visitors

Homes • Cottages • Condos

(231) 922-8922 40

DAYTON MAGAZINE . June/July 2019

can set off to see one of the most popular attractions in northern Michigan—Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which features immense sand dunes towering 400 feet above Lake Michigan, lush for-


ests, clear inland lakes, unique flora and fauna, and an island lighthouse. Popular attractions in Traverse City itself include the City Opera House; State Theater; the Village at Grand Traverse Commons with its restaurants, shops, galleries and apartments; Clinch Park; the TART trail; the Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park; Sleder’s Family Tavern, Michigan’s oldest continuously operated bar; and the beautiful Victorian architecture of the Central Neighborhood. Need a place to stay in northern Michigan but reluctant to check into another cookiecutter hotel room? Visit Up North Vacation Rentals has everything you could imagine and more, including cottages, cabins, condominiums, log homes, waterfront properties and hidden, tucked-in-the-woods homes. “We have a little bit of everything, from luxury to budget friendly and lots and lots of pet-friendly rentals as well,” says Carroll. More than 50 percent of the rentals offered by Visit Up North Vacation Rentals are pet friendly, she says. “If you’re a pet owner

your pets are like your family and so it’s important to us,” says Carroll. Visit Up North Vacation Rentals not only provides places for visitors to stay, it also offers something much more important—

Visit Up North Vacation Rentals offers a variety of cabins and vacation homes.

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Outlet

We are a unique destination worth traveling for.

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DAYTON MAGAZINE . June/July 2019

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DAYTON ›› MIDWESTERN TRAVELER Carroll. “Because we live here, we work here, we’re inside of these homes, we play up here and we can tell you just about anything you want to know.” For those visitors traveling Interstate 75 through Michigan a must-see location is Frankenmuth. “Frankenmuth is most well known for chicken and Christmas,” says Christie Bierlein, sales and marketing director of the Frankenmuth Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau. Frankenmuth is home to Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, the world’s largest Christmas store, she says. And Zehnders of Frankenmuth and the Bavarian Inn restaurant (two of the largest independently owned restaurants in the country) both serve world-famous, all-you-can-eat chicken dinners, says Bierlein. “Aside from chicken and Christmas, the downtown is beautifully lined with flowers from June until September and sets the perfect stage to shop your way through the charming downtown boutiques and shops,” she says. n

Downtown Frankenmuth

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DAYTON MAGAZINE . June/July 2019


welcome to

playtime welcome to

family time — in —

michigan's

L.2i.2ttle B.3avaria

FRANKENMUTH

DETROIT FRANKENMUTH AUTO FEST

Whether you’re looking for an escape from the ordinary everyday with the family at a waterpark hotel, or an eclectic night out with friends at a wine bar or brewery, in Michigan’s Little Bavaria, there’s something fun for everyone all year long. Plan your next getaway at frankenmuth.org!


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