Northern Michigan Weekend
Pentwater, MI
The weekend before Thanksgiving, my husband and I took a quick trip up north. We needed to hit the reset button. Our plan: get some extra sleep, soak in the hot tub, sit by the fire, go explore and get some fresh air in our lungs.
We stayed in Glen Arbor, which is a cute, sleepy town in the colder months and turns into the place-to-be in the summer. But almost every cute, northern Michigan town is the place to be in the summer. We spent three nights at The Homestead Resort.
If you don't want to pay the higher rates to stay there in the summer (it is fun though!), try going in the fall or late winter. Rates are more than half off, depending on the room. Staying in the off season is a great chance to try the resort and see if you want to go back in the summer. During the summer, the pool and hot tub area is open and it's located right off Lake Michigan. I mean, you're looking at the lake from the hot tub. Yes please. ALSO, gosh I almost forgot, go to the spa while you're there. We couldn't fit it in this trip (limited spa hours in the off-season), but we've been before and it was amazing.
Eat: We always make it a point to stop at Art's Tavern. It's your local watering hole. We like the friendly staff, the greasy food and cold beverages. Hint: they do serve breakfast and it is delish! Also, bring cash, they don't accept plastic.
Downtown Glen Arbor is pretty quiet now but you can still catch a few places open. Coffee is always a priority so we stopped at Leelanau Coffee Roasting. The Cherry Republic store was open, and was looking pretty cozy with the light dusting of snow from the night before. We didn't go in, but I noticed the book store was open too. If you go during the summer, there is a nice beach in Glen Haven, a quick little ride west of downtown Glen Arbor.
Drink: If you happen to find yourself in Sutton's Bay check out Hop Lot, it's a brewery located right outside downtown. The staff was awesome and the drink I had was tasty. If you get bored in Sutton's, Traverse City is a 30 minute drive away.
Empire, MI
Explore: Take a day trip and head south to Empire. It is a quaint place about 15 minutes from Glen Arbor. Find the hiking trail and walk to the Lake Michigan overlook. It is worth it.
Frankfort and Point Betsie Lighthouse: If you keep driving south from Empire, you'll find the Point Betsie Lighthouse. It was a chilly time to visit. The wind was bitter cold but that didn't stop us from taking a few photos. Stop in Frankfort after you visit the lighthouse for a quick bite. We stopped at Dinghy's. The food was good and our server was fantastic. Also, go to the beach for a view of the water.
Point Betsie