Caloroga Shark Media
Aug. 9, 2026

211. Traverse City and Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan - Traverse City's cherries and Sleeping Bear's dunes

211. Traverse City and Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan - Traverse City's cherries and Sleeping Bear's dunes

Episode 211 of Travel Is Back takes you to Traverse City and the iconic Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan, where cherries, shoreline views, and small-town charm collide. We explore why Traverse City is called the Cherry Capital, savor local cherry pie and farm-to-table dining, and sip Rieslings at Old Mission Peninsula wineries. Highlights include cherry orchards and the annual Cherry Festival, the sweeping overlooks along Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, the climb and shoreline at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the scenic M-22 coastal drive, and the lively downtown Front Street with breweries and shops. Travel tips cover the best seasons to visit (summer for beaches, fall for colors), arriving through Cherry Capital Airport (TVC), booking summer accommodation early, parking and shuttle advice for dune access, and what to pack for wind and sun on the dunes. We also touch on landmarks like Grand Traverse Bay and nearby lighthouses, plus food recommendations from pie to lakeside seafood. This episode was prepared with the assistance of AI tools, giving us more time to travel and bring you even more destinations. Travel Is Back -- over 200 episodes covering destinations across America and beyond.

Some episodes use AI for research, writing assistance, and occasional voiceover when Johnny Mac is unavailable. His point of view, and his insistence on finding the best local taco remains entirely human.

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Traveler's back is brought to you with the help of AI. Hey,

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you made it to Traverse City and Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan.

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The energy here is easy going and outdoorsy in a

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regular person way, and you can feel it right away.

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Down on the waterfront, You're standing at Clinch Park Beach

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West Grand Traverse Bay, stretching wide in front of you,

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sailboats clipping by, and kids launching off the swim platform.

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The tart Trail runs right behind you, a smooth path

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that lets you pedal or stroll along the water without

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thinking about traffic. Start simple. Grab a coffee at Espresso Bay,

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just off Front Street, then take that cup for a

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slow walk along the open space lawn to the marina.

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The Boardman, also called the Ottaway River winds right through town.

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You'll find footbridges and quiet corners where fly fishers flick

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lines between willow branches. If you want to be on

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the water without committing your whole afternoon, rent a kayak

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from the folks by Clinch Park and float a lazy

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stretch of the river into the bay. Then paddle back,

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hugging the shoreline where the water goes from deep blue

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to that pale, glassy green you only get with sand

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bottoms when you're hungry. Aim yourself down Front Street, the

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main drag, with storefronts tight together and the kind of

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mix you want. An indie bookstore, a gear shop that

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stocks hiking socks you forgot, and restaurants that don't make

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you guess what you're getting. For breakfast, the Omelet Shop

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is a classic, simple plates and cinnamon rolls the size

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of your palm, or tuck into a stool at jns Hamburg.

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If you want a no nonsense diner vibe for lunch,

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head to the Little Fleet, the food truck lot with

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picnic tables, string lights, and a rotation that usually covers tacos, barbecue,

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and a couple of fun outliers like a peda stand

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or wood fired pizza. It's the place you walk up,

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look around and say, yeah, I'm going to want something

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from three different windows. If you want to sit down

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somewhere a bit more buttoned up without any stuffiness. Amical

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has that reliable bestro comfort, and the cook's house goes

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hyper local with a short seasonal men you that's long

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on flavor for beer people. Seven Monks Taproom pours an

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always interesting lineup and rare Bird. Brewpub around the corner

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is a friendly, big table spot. If you're with a crew,

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you can cap it all off with a slice at

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Grand Traverse Pie Company. The fruit on top doesn't really matter,

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It's all about the crust where then grab a bench

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and watch the evening settle over the water. If you

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came to town on a summer weekend, check the schedule

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for a show or festival in the open space. It's

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the kind of spot where you can sit in the grass,

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hear a band, and still be back at your car

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in ten minutes. The nice thing about Traverse City is

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how fast you can switch scenes. Ten minutes and you're inland,

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away from the shoreline and into rolling ground that grows

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things you can taste the same day. If you've got

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a bike, hop onto the Leland Now Trail just northwest

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of town. It's a paved rail trail that drifts through

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meadows and tree lines with easy grades. Even if you

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only ride five miles out and five miles back, you'll

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feel like you snuck in something good. Aim one of

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those miles toward Farm Club that's a working farm, a brewery,

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and a casual restaurant. All in one set back from

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the road, with greenhouses and rows that stretch away behind

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the patio. You order it the counter, sit where you like,

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and then plates start landing vegetables that were in the

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ground that morning, bread with a crackly crust, and a

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beer that likely has hops grown a few hundred feet

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from your table. You won't need a white tablecloth to

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realize you just ate something special. If you're driving instead

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of pedaling, you can still stretch your legs on the

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footpaths around the property and watch the wind move through

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the fields. Another easy inland stop is the Village at

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Grand Treverse Commons, the old state hospital complex that's been

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turned into a neighborhood of shops, cafes and apartments. You

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don't have to love architecture to enjoy this place. You

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just wander the Mercado Hallway, a long arched tunnel lined

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with bakeries, wine shops, and little boutiques. Grab a coffee

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from higher grounds, maybe a loaf of something warm or

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a wedge of local cheese, and walk out onto the

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lawn for a picnic. It's a rainy hour, you can

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duck around the ground floor and get lost in a

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kind of indoor street of small businesses. When the weather breaks,

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there are trails in the woods behind the buildings, not

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technical or long, just enough to make you forget you're

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five minutes from downtown. If you want to keep the

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farm to mug theme going, head south of town to

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brewery Terra Firma, a farm based brewery that uses ingredients

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grown on site. The tasting room looks out overfields, and

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on a summer evening, it's a nice place to catch

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your breath for a simple produce run. Gallagher's Farm Market

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sits just west of town, with baskets of what's ripest,

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little petting area for kids, and the kind of doughnuts

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you meant to buy for later but somehow didn't make

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it out of the parking lot. Right nearby Mooers Ice

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cream scoops, right next to an actual dairy farm. You

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order a cone, lean on the fence and watch the

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source wander around the pasture. At sunset, the light on

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those pastures turns everything into a postcard. Now that you've

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eaten your way through town and inland, head up the

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spine of Old Mission Peninsula. Point your car on M

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thirty seven and it draws a line north between the

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east and west arms of Grand Traverse Bay. It's a

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simple drive that unfolds in stages orchards and fields give

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way to slopes thick with vines, breaks in the trees

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spill views down to the water on both sides. The

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thing to remember up here is that you don't need

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to rush, pick a couple of wineries that match your mood,

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and let the day expand from there. Bryce Estate has

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a big deck and a lawn area where you can

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spread out, and their patio snacks are the kind of

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simple salty things that work with whatever's in your glass.

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Two Lads sits near the tip with a modern allglass

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vibe and a lookout straight down the peninsula, and Mari

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Vineyards pours in a stone clad tasting room that feels

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cool even on a hot day. If you're into what

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happens in old schoolhouses, Peninsula Cellars is literally that chalkboard

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and all, and you'll probably end up buying a bottle

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just because the room is so charming. Make time for

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actual walking early in the peninsula. The pelas Are Natural

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Area has a loop through hardwoods and old farm lanes

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that takes under an hour. It's one of those short

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hikes that earns you your next tasting room and gives

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you a quiet pocket if the wineries are busy. Down

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by Bowers Harbor, the Jolly Pumpkin Restaurant does a casual

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lunch and dinner right across from the water. Grab a

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table outside of their space and you'll catch the breeze

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off the bay. The Old Mission General Store is a

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fun pit stop for a pickle out of a barrel

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or a handful of old school candy. If you keep

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going all the way to the top, there's a little

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park and a lighthouse from the eight and seventies. You'll

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know when you're almost there because the road narrows and

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you roll through a tunnel of trees. It's a pretty scene,

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but treat it as a quick photostop so you can

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shift your attention back to the rest of the day.

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A practical note on the peninsula, put a designated driver

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plan in place before you start pouring. There are local

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tour companies that will drive you between wineries, and on

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a sunny Saturday, that's a smart move. The shoulder of

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M thirty seven can be narrow, and you want to

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enjoy the stretch without any stress from Old mission. Your

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next wing is out to a lake, Michigan town, where

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the shoreline gets the starring roll. Aim for Leland, about

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forty minutes west from downtown Traverse City on m twenty

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two and small enough that you can park once and

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keep yourself busy for a couple of hours. Find a

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spot near Fishtown. You'll see the low slung wood shanties

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and the river channel where small boats duck under a

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little bridge. The whole thing is compact, cedar shingle buildings

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that lean into each other, a boardwalk and a handful

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of doorways with the smell of smoked fish drifting out.

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Step into Carlson's Fishery for smoked whitefish and a tub

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of patai. If you're not taking it home, grab crackers

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and eat it sitting on the dock, feet dangling. For

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something more substantial, the Village Cheese Shanty makes legendary sandwiches

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on pretzel bread. Expect a line, and know it's worth it.

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The trick here is to order, then wander down to

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the end of the boardwalk and peek out toward the

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Manitou passage while your sandwich is put together. If you're

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ready for a sit down, meal. The cove above the

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dam serves lunch with a view right over the falls

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and the harbor. Leland has two waters at once to

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your west, the Big Lake to your east, Lake Leland

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now sliding under the bridge. Once you eat, cross to

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Vans Beach, a quick walk from the shanties, spread a

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towel and let the sound of the waves do its

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thing for a bit. If the water's calm and you're lucky,

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you can see those stripes of turquoise near shore that

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almost make you think of the Caribbean until your ankles

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go numb in thirty seconds. Don't worry you adjust depending

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on how the day's going. You can poke through a

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few galleries and shops along main Street. It's a compact

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run of storefronts, more interesting than fancy. If you've got

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an extra day in your pocket and want something bold.

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Manitou Island Transit ferries run from the dock out to

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North and South Manitou Islands for day trips. That's a

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whole other kind of adventure, with sandy trails, old village

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sites and beaches where you'll hear nothing but wind and water.

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If you stick to town, get your car pointed south

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before late afternoon traffic. On two picks up, you'll be

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on the doorstep of Sleeping Bear Dunes before your playlist flips.

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Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore is big enough that

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you want a light plan before you dive in. This

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isn't just one dune. It's a patchwork of perched sand

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hills riding the top of old glacial moraines, mixed with

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hardwood forests and little inland lakes, and then those signature

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bluffs that drop straight to Lake Michigan. Wind off the

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lake lifts sand grain by grain and rolls it uphill.

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That's why the dunes sit high, perched above the water.

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Your first move should be the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive,

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a one way loop of just over seven miles that

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threads through tall woods and pops out at overlooks. Pay

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your park fee before you turn in. You'll need a

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pass to park at most lots in the lake shore.

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At the Big Lake Michigan Overlook, you step out onto

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a boardwalk and then a viewing platform that makes your

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stomach do a little swoop. It's roughly a four f

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one hundred and fifty foot drop to the water. People

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will be towing the edge, looking down at the beach

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and thinking what if. Signs warn you not to run

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down because the climb backup is brutally steep and rescues

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are expensive and slow. Believe the signs, enjoy the view,

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feel the wind, and hold onto your hat. The other

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turnouts along pierced stocking give you different pieces sand drifting

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through jackpines, a look at the inland dunes, rolling toward

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Glen Lake, and a gentle trail that gets your feet

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into the sand without the epic misery of a full climb.

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If you came to run up a dune, the dune

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climb is the obvious classic. It's a long slope of

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sugar fine sand that starts easy and then tilts, and

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you'll be halfway up thinking this is fun, and then

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you'll realize your calves are doing all the work. If

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you're just there for the experience, go halfway up, take

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a few goofy photos, and ride your heels like little

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sleds back down. If you're aiming for the full dune

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hike out to Lake Michigan, you need to plan. The

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posted distance is roughly three point five miles round trip

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on the dunes trail, but the surface is all sand

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and it rolls. The heat off the sand adds up

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and there's no shade. This is the stretch where you

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see kids sprint out like rockets and then hit the

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wall a mile in. The smart play is to bring

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at least a liter of water per person, wear a hat,

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and put on shoes you don't mind filling with grit.

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It's tempting to go barefoot. Do what's comfortable, but remember

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the sand can be very hot by late morning in

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July and August. The payoff at the far end is

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a beach that feels like you reached it under your

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own steam, with waves that sound bigger because you know

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what you had to do to get there. Give yourself

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enough time for the return. The sign of the trailhead

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is not kidding when it calls this strenuous. For a

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hike with a big view that doesn't chew up your

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entire day, try the Empire Bluff Trail near the village

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of Empire. It's about a mile and a half out

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and back through scrub and open patches with boardwalks and

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spots to protect the dune grass. The end lands you

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on a ridge standing above the lake. White sand arcs

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to your left and right, and Glen Lake glows a

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bright blue behind you. The beauty of Empire Bluff is

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how quick and clear the reward is, and you can

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be back at your car and an hour flat, even

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with extra phototime. Pyramid Point is another option, a few

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miles north of Glen Arbor. The main out and back

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to the bluff is a steady climb through woods, and

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even though it's a little farther, it feels cooler under

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the canopy on a hot day if you've got energy

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for something longer. Alligator Hill has a loop that threads

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through hemlocks and hardwoods and past an old kiln site

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before delivering a lookout toward the islands. It's less crowded

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and you'll hear more bird chatter than human voices. For bikers,

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the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail is an easy wind a

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paved multi use path that links Empire, the Dune Climb,

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Glen Haven and Glen Arbor. It's family friendly, but know

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that there are hills coast the downhills, and pump a

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little on the ups and you'll cover a lot of

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park without touching the highway. Parking at trailheads can be

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a pinch by midday. The Empire Bluff lot is small,

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get there early or swing by late afternoon when the

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sun's not as fierce and sunset colors the water. The

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Dune Climb has a large lot, but it can still fill.

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If you see a long line of cars on the

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access road, consider recalibrating and doing pierced stocking first. Pyramid

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Point has shoulder parking along Bash Road. Obey the signs

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and don't block driveways. The park pass is required in

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all these lots as of now, a one week vehicle

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pass for sleeping bear runs in the mid twenties. Sell

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services spotty in places, so download maps before you go.

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Ticks aren't as big a worry on the open dune,

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but on wooded trails they're a thing. Spray socks and

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cuffs