🇺🇸 Summer is Made for Traverse City! 🍒

Traverse City in summer is absolutely stunning. The views at Sleeping Bear Dunes are breathtaking – Lake Michigan never gets old, no matter how many times or from what angle you see it. It feels just like the ocean! Catching a sunset by the lake would’ve been one of those lifetime moments, but unfortunately, the timing didn’t work out for us. 😔 There are plenty of guides online for visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes, so I’ll keep it short. At the entrance, you’ll get a brochure pointing to the best viewpoints – numbers 9 and 10 are must-sees! Photos 2 and 5 were taken at Empire Bluff Trail. It’s a short hike, about 2km round trip – worth checking out if you have time! Note that it’s not in the main area; you’ll need to drive about 10-15 minutes to get there. We stayed at Great Wolf Lodge – highly recommended for families with kids! 🐺💦 It has a huge indoor water park perfect for tiring out the little ones. Our kid played for 5 hours straight without blinking! For kids over 5, it’s like heaven on earth. And the price is a steal – especially since summer hotels in Traverse City can easily cost $300-400 per night. We paid just over $300 for two nights, including breakfast! 🥞🍳 We also wandered around downtown Traverse City – the viral pasta spot Flying Noodle is worth a try! 🍝 Oh, and early July is the National Cherry Festival here! 🍒🎉 There are plenty of farms around for cherry picking. We went toward the end of the season, so the cherries were a bit overripe, and we didn’t get many of the yellow ones we wanted. I’m falling more in love with Michigan lately – winters aren’t too harsh, summers aren’t too hot, surrounded by forests and gorgeous lakes. It really is a “Water Winter Wonderland,” just like the new license plates say! ❄️🌲🏞️ #TravelGuide #SummerGetaway #TraverseCity #PureMichigan #SleepingBearDunes