Michigan Summer

We have been to Michigan now many times but never in the summer. Out friends who have a home in Leland that we stay at usually are there the whole summer but this year, they were having a baby and decided to stay in Ohio. SO we got to go and it was truly a treasured time. Michigan has proven to be eventful and beautiful no matter the time of year but since it stay colder than Ohio this was our first experience getting to swim in the lake and not be freezing. I’ve said t before and I’ll say it a again- Northern Michigan is where its at.

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.

Lake Michigan | 2020

In a surprisingly good turn of events amidst these stay home/quarantine times during covid-19, Ryan and myself found we had a long weekend off together after his scheduled drill weekend was canceled. Originally, we had plans to go stay at my favorite interior designer/nursing school bestie’s lake house in Michigan a few weeks ago and had to cancel due to Michigans strict rules of no travel at the time. Now with this new time off together, I checked with her if the lake house was open; AND IT WAS, cue the happy dance. With Michigan lifting their strict travel ban, we headed north to go spend some quality isolation/stay home time but with a change of scenery…(one with a view). Brittanys lake house sits right on Lake Michigan in an area called Lake Leelanau on Michigans famous Highway 22. We really enjoyed lounging around and cozying up by the wood burning fire while also supporting locally and ordering some of the areas best take out food. For two days in a row we went about 30 minutes north just past Northport and hiked a really easy 1 mile hike to the shoreline to go play on the sand dunes. The first day was pretty foggy with little visibility and the next day was bright sun, which made for two completely different experiences despite “doing” the same thing. We are home now and so glad we took the leap to take the long drive north.

We can’t express how thankful we are to have had the opportunity to get away while still feeling safely socially distanced. If the house catches your attention, check out Brittanys interior design services over at Will+Blu, she has always been my go to inspiration on styling my home and can’t recommend her enough.

Mackinac Island | Michigan

Another weekend away in Michigan, this time kid free and with our friends Seth & Emily.  Seth and Emily just had their four year wedding anniversary, something to really value and celebrate, so why not get away?! As usual this trip was a last minute decision. With the weekend off and a recent anniversary the Britts and Bakers were at it again. Emily had her heart set on Mackinac Island and I quickly agreed that be the perfect weekend away. We had actually both been there before for a girls trip and have always talked about wanting to take our husbands and someday our kids. Mackinac Island is one of a kind. You can usually categorize the places you visit- "city" "beach" "mountains".. they most likely will all have the same kind of things to do with their own personal touches but Mackinac is truly unique.

Mackinac Island is located between Michigan's lower mainland and upper peninsula. From Columbus it takes about 7 hours to get to Mackinaw City, where you park your car and take a ferry over (roughly about 30 mins). There are NO cars on the island. Everything is by foot, bike or horse. This alone helps set the tone of how peaceful and relaxed the town is. We used each method of transportation and enjoyed them all. This time we stayed at the Murray Hotel(great location) downtown across from the ferry dock. Last time we stayed at Mission Point (located out of downtown but also a nice stay). The big attraction is to stay at the Grand Hotel. Usually the ferry service will take your luggage to all the lodging so you don't have to lug it around to check in.

Day One. We arrived around noon. Lunched at The Pink Pony. I was underwhelmed with the food but enjoyed their decor and drinks (pony up bloody mary and rosemary-ginger sparkler). Then we set out on foot and took a tour of Fort Mackinac. Last time we didn't get to see inside the grounds and with a history buff/military husband this was worth taking the time/money to do. After walking through the grounds and visiting most of the buildings we took a coffee break inside the Fort at The Tea Room Restaurant. We sat outside and had the best views of the island from up high. We then headed back to our rooms to rest/clean up and get ready for dinner. This was a repeat event for me and Emily but we really wanted the guys to enjoy the same experience. We had our hotel call and schedule us a pick up by horse carriage to take us to The Woods. This horse drawn carriage ride takes about 30 mins but you get great site seeing and usually the drivers or other passengers have fun facts to share. This time our driver was Paul, from Transylvania, his horses were Betty and Sam (one lost a shoe on the way). The Woods is a restaurant you MUST experience. Its high end, mens hunter club aesthetics fit perfectly to the middle of the island location. We didn't think to call ahead and make a reservation early enough, so we dined in the bar room, still totally worth it. (Defiantly try to call ahead if you are visiting). There is a single lane old school style bowling ally and popcorn to help hold you over for any wait. The horse carriage ride home is just as fun, everyone on board is usually cheerful and chatty.... you learn about the people around you and all gather under horse blankets to keep warm. The dark quiet ride is spooky and feels like you've gone back in time.

Day Two we walked to get coffee and breakfast. We landed the best breakfast sandwich (Good Morning Egg Sandwich) at Good Day Cafe. Next up were the bike rides around the island. This was and still is the best experience on the island to date. You rent bikes and take off on the path around the perimeter of the island. One side is always water front and the other is either nature or beautiful homes you can only dream of staying in. It takes a couple hours to get around the whole thing, with stops. We stopped at the Arch Rock and walked up 207 steps to see the rock formation and look out off the cliffs. The water is so calm, clear and beautiful. Memory to not forget- Ryans bicycle chain falling off :)

Once around the perimeter we went up above downtown and headed toward the Grand Hotel. This place is seriously massive, beautiful and unique. SOMEDAY we will plan ahead enough to actually stay. The hotel is the setting for the old classic movie "Somewhere in Time", which is extra cool because I fell in love with that movie at Emilys house in our childhood. Last time visiting with girlfriends, we did afternoon tea inside the hotel and that was a fun experience, I'd recommend for anyone visiting. We did bike over to the Grands horse stables and walked through seeing all the different style of carriages over the years and saw some of the beautiful horses and their equipment. (also highly recommended). Once done site seeing, we headed back and jumped on the next ferry out.

You could easily spend more days there doing new things and repeating some of it over and over. Its a great get away as a family, couples and friends. There isn't another place like it and I can't wait to go back with Hattie and Hazel when they are older.