After a pretty restful night in the tent, we packed up camp and headed south. We cruised back through Leland, stopping for breakfast at a great coffee shop and bakery called Stonehouse Bread. Our next stop was a hike up Pyramid Point, part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Looking back, this was the highlight of the entire vacation. It was a short (just over .5 miles), relatively steep climb from the trailhead up the back side of the Pyramid Point dune. And the view at the top was nothing short of spectacular. I was amazed at the color of the water. It wasn’t a dark, muddy gray-blue, but a brilliant cerulean blue – even turquoise in some places.

Driftwood in the dune

We found a trail down to the beach and it was as though we had all of Lake Michigan to ourselves. The water was cold – but not as cold as I expected – and the “shock” of the fresh water was a pleasant surprise. I couldn’t help but expect a taste of saltwater when I dove in, since everything else about Lake Michigan is so ocean-like. After a long swim we walked along the shoreline before starting the steep climb back up to the top of the dune.

Shore below Pyramid Point

Energized, we finished the hike back to the car and headed just down the road to the town of Glen Arbor. Considered the “hub” of the national park, Glen Arbor is a great little town with nice restaurants, quaint shops, and a couple of beautiful bed and breakfast inns. We had a great time wandering around and had a tasty lunch on the porch at Good Harbor Grill.

Glen Arbor Bed & Breakfast

After lunch, it was time to get back in the car and head to our next stop, Traverse City. We timed the almost 2-hour drive perfectly, rolling into town in the early evening, just in time to check in to our hotel and grab a few beers at the Right Brain Brewery. The Right Brain Brewery is located in the up-and-coming warehouse district of downtown Traverse City. It’s connected to a hair salon and is quirky in a good way (really, when is quirky ever a bad thing?). We sampled just about every beer they had – some were awesome, some were strange, but all were worth experiencing.

Exhausted, we picked up a pizza (a Mexican pizza, no less) from a restaurant across the street from the hotel and ate it in bed. It wasn’t the fanciest meal we’ve ever had, but it did the trick.

Total Driving: 60 miles; 1.5 hours

Lodging:

• Beach Haus Resort, Traverse City – Hotel on the bay with a private beach; big, clean rooms, but hilariously dated decor – the furniture was straight out of my parents’ bedroom circa 1982. Of course, I thought it was charming.

Dining:

• Good Harbor Grill, Glen Arbor – Outdoor dining; great salads made from local produce; good vegetarian options.
• Right Brain Brewery, Traverse City – Very interesting (and tasty) beers. The Scarborough Fair Spiced Ale was particularly interesting – Dave said it reminded him of a soup I sometimes make. Good thing he loves my soup.

Additional Photos
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Sleeping Bear Dunes

Dave at the Dunes

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