Northern Michigan Summer Vacation Ideas

Interested in a family getaway to northern Michigan this summer? Maybe you want to get away with your spouse for a romantic weekend getaway. Whatever you are looking for, Northern Michigan has the answer. There are plenty of things to do in Charlevoix, Leelanau, and Traverse City whether you enjoy biking, boating, swimming, or simply lying on the beach.

Northern Michigan offers a wide array of hotels, homes, and condos throughout the peninsula whether you want to stay inland or directly on the water. A great site I found for renting a vacation home is vrbo.com. You can search by state and then by the specific region you want. The search allows you to choose the number of bedrooms, price range, and available dates. We used this site for our vacation this past summer and were really impressed with the house we rented in Charlevoix.

Charlevoix

Charlevoix offers a quaint downtown with shops selling everything from clothes to fudge. There is a pier and lighthouse that leads out to Lake Michigan. Charlevoix also offers a small harbor containing some very impressive yachts in Round Lake.

If you intend to visit in mid July, be sure to see the Venetian Festival. There is live music, a large carnival, and Elephant Ears (those great fried concoctions that include powdered sugar). Kids can play on the multiple public beaches, all which offer great areas to swim.

Leelanau

Fish town in Leland, Michigan offers something for everyone. You must either be able to handle the smell of fish or like it, because the stench is incredibly strong there. Among the shops selling fish of course, there is also a store that sells candy for all of the kids out there. Historic fish town is an interesting place to visit. Make sure you purchase the white fish dip on your visit, it is both fresh and excellent. You can also take your children and watch fish jump upstream in the narrow channel that goes through fish town.

Traverse City

Traverse City offers a downtown area with various restaurants, shops, and outdoor concerts in the summer. One of the greatest features is the Sleeping Bear Dunes. As long as you are physically able to walk and can handle moderate exercise, they are great place to visit and day hike. The views from the top of the dunes are unbeatable. You can see out across the entire bay. Even if you vacation in a different city in northern Michigan I highly recommend taking a day trip to Traverse City, you won't be disappointed.

I highly recommend that you book your trip early. Families and couples around the entire Midwest book their trips to northern Michigan late in the spring and find that many hotel rooms are already reserved and vacation homes were rented out months ago.