Northern Michigan | Lake Leelanau | Oct 2020

If you follow along you’ll know we made our way up to northern michigan back in the spring and it was an easy get away during the hype of COVID. We didn’t plan on going back up for a second time but I had an old co-worker friend ask me to photograph her wedding in East Jordan, MI which is about 1.5 hours away from our retreat house on Lake Michigan/Lake Leelanau area. I reached out to the owner of the home and checked if it was open and it was! So we made repeat plans to head north as a family and asked a couple friends and their families to join us this time. We had never come up in the fall and I think we got it at the right time fortunately. It was cool but just enough to need a light jacket or cardigan. One our friends even jumped in the lake.. a few times. The kids were able to enjoy the beach area each day and by the end were always wiped out. I had to use one of our days to go meet the bride and see the venue so I took along all the moms and we made a small day of it. We stopped at The Farm Club for a mid day snack/drink and enjoyed the scene (without kids for a couple hours). We hiked The Dune Climb at Sleeping Bear Dunes for the first time and we stayed up late enjoying whiskey smashes, thanks Noah, played cards, ventured out for a meal at the Hop Lot Brewing Co and used the homes paddle boards for some Lake Michigan time. Michigan has proven to be the best escape and we have big dreams to someday have a getaway up there, only time will tell but for now, we are so grateful for our friends big hearts to share their home and allow us to get away.