It's going to be a busy travel summer.
10.05.2024 - 17:05 / lonelyplanet.com
Where some families have recipes that they hand down through generations, my family has canoes and sand dunes.
Every summer since my grandmother was a girl, my family has made the trek from wherever we are living to a little lake cottage in Northern Michigan. We spend our days riding bikes and playing in the lake. We take long rock-collecting walks, and sand dune hikes and get ice cream in town. In the evenings we light beach fires and watch while the sun electrifies the sky.
It's idyllic and timeless. The tradition of it has trained me to anticipate my week of relaxation. I plan dinner outfits all year. I used to tell Michigan stories the way some people told band camp stories in a certain movie. It becomes more than a week at the beach. It becomes a touchstone to reset, recalibrate and reconnect to the parts of me I cherish and the people who love me no matter what.
This doesn’t have to be a family tradition. Taking a week (or more) to disconnect from full schedules and busy days, to fill your days with the things that bring you joy is an experience anyone can create. Here are my top tips to help you make this happen.
Planning some time on the beach? Here are 9 of the very best in Michigan
Northern Michigan is tailor-made for road tripping. There are small hamlets to stop in, parks to camp in and boundless adventures to be had. But in order to really create a slow-paced, connective and fun vacation, I recommend finding a cottage, bed and breakfast or small motel in which to base yourself for the week. Day trips are abundant if you get bored (we rarely do). Here are some of the best places to stay:
Vibes: Surf town meets Americana charm. Frankfort has a thriving main street that deadends into a gorgeous white sand beach. Ice cream shops mixed with cute boutiques and a plethora of t-shirt shops make for a fun stroll.
Do: Rent paddle boards and bikes from Crystal Lake Adventures Sports and have a blast in the water and on the incredible bike trails around town.
Eat: Storm Cloud Brewery is the local microbrewery with a tasting room at one end of town (with food trucks) and a restaurant at the other. I also particularly like Goody’s Seafood Shack, which is great for a calamari snack while the kids play at the playground on the harbor across the street. Finally, Port City Smokehouse has fish sandwiches for takeaway, trout dips for cocktail hour fare and fresh cuts to make at home.
Stay: Harbor Lights Resort sits right on Frankfort Beach. Its simple, straightforward rooms and condos are just what you need when returning wet and sandy from a day at the beach. Alternatively, look for home rentals on Crystal Lake. The smaller lake is ideal for boating and swimming.
On a road trip? Here's our guide to the best
It's going to be a busy travel summer.
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