Sharing the simplicity of the small things

Summertime in Northern Michigan

In summer 2024, my boyfriend Mike and I took a trip through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the northern tip of the Lower Peninsula. It had the great outdoors written all over it. We made stops in St. Ignace, Mackinac Island, Tahquamenon Falls, Charlevoix, and wrapped up in Traverse City.

St. Ignace and Mackinac Island

We started our adventure with a day trip to Mackinac Island and spent the night in St. Ignace. When we arrived, the town was packed! To our surprise, we had stumbled into the St. Ignace Car Show! It was buzzing with energy, but we had a ferry to catch.

The weather on Mackinac Island was absolutely perfect. We wandered around downtown, picked out a few spots to revisit later, and made our way to Arch Rock, one of the island’s scenic hikes. After climbing what felt like a million stairs (it was only 207), we looked at one of the bluest views ever.

On our walk back, we stopped at Mary’s Bistro Draught House for drinks. I ordered my favorite, an Aperol Spritz. Mike went for an Old Fashioned, which the bartender referred to as a “HOT DRINK!” That thing was strong AF. Naturally, we couldn’t leave the island without grabbing some fudge and ice cream. I went all in on Mackinac Island fudge ice cream at Kilwins.

Back in St. Ignace, the rain started just as we were getting ready to set up our tent. Thankfully, we caught a break in the downpour and managed to get everything up in time. We had booked our spot through Hipcamp, which like Airbnb for camping. Our site was nestled right on the edge of the Hiawatha National Forest.

My brother lent us his mini camping stove, but when we went to cook dinner, we realized we had brought propane—and it needed butane. Classic. The night ended with a hangry run to Taco Bell. Let me add: this was both of our first times tent camping.

The next morning, we grabbed breakfast at Clyde’s Diner, where we inhaled their breakfast special in about ten seconds. After, we headed out to our next stop: Tehquamenon Falls.

Tahquamenon Falls

Before setting up camp, we decided to hike from the Upper Falls to the Lower Falls. It’s the longest trail in the park, and while we didn’t make it all the way (hunger strikes again), it was peaceful and quiet for most of the walk. At one point, a chipmunk even came up and stole some of our Goldfish crackers.

On the way back, we hit up the Camp 33 gift shop at the Upper Falls and picked up a few souvenirs—including a fun Bigfoot puzzle to work on later at camp.

That night, we grilled burgers, explored some nearby trails, and enjoyed out little spot we set up. But when the sun went down… yikes bikes. The temp dropped into the low 50s, and we were not as prepared as we thought. Even bundled in sweatshirts and sleeping bags, we were snug as a bug and made the most of it.

The next morning was golden—literally. We made eggs and bacon as the sun rose over the trees and finished our Bigfoot puzzle before packing up for the next leg of our trip.

Charlevoix + Boyne

Neither of us had ever been to Charlevoix before, and it did not disappoint. The whole area was super cute, full of unique little shops and pretty homes. We also made a sunset stop in Boyne and walked across the SkyBridge.

At the other end of the bridge was a small overlook with drinks, yard games, and great views. Of course, I beat Mike in a 1v1 game of cornhole.

After taking the ski lift back down, we had dinner at Forty Acre’s Tavern right in the resort, starting with some incredible bruschetta before diving into our main dishes. Everything was delicious.

Our Airbnb that night was a little spot on a farm, quiet and cozy. We meant for it to be a wine night, but we took about two sips before we crashed for the night.

The next day, we grabbed lunch at a sandwich shop in town (still thinking about that sandwich…), then made our way to the final stop: Traverse City.

Traverse City

We stayed with one of my college roommates who lives in Traverse City. It was so fun catching up with her and her family, and watching her brand-new puppy zoom around the yard getting lost in the grass.

That night, we found ourselves at the Traverse City Cherry Festival. We mostly stayed in the beer tent, sipping on local wines and trying out the festival’s signature cocktails.

Before heading home the next day, we squeezed in one last adventure: a hike up to Pyramid Point at the Sleeping Bear Dunes. The trail had tons of photo-worthy spots and a couple of steep edges keeping us on edge. It was the perfect field trip to wrap up our Traverse City visit and our entire Up North adventure.

This trip was packed with firsts, spontaneous stops, and plenty of unforgettable views. Northern Michigan has so much to offer, from peaceful forests and scenic hikes to small-town charm and cherry wine. It was the kind of trip that leaves you tired in the best way, with a couple mistakes, a half-empty cooler, and memories that have us saying “We should do that again!”