Summer is the perfect time to visit Traverse City! 🌞

Traverse City in summer is absolutely stunning. The lake views at Sleeping Bear Dunes are breathtaking 🏞️. No matter how many times you see Lake Michigan, or from which angle, it never gets old—it feels just like the ocean 🌊. Watching the sunset by the lake would definitely be one of those core life memories, but unfortunately, the timing didn’t work out for us. There are plenty of guides about Sleeping Bear Dunes, so I’ll keep it short. At the entrance, you’ll get a brochure pointing out the best lookout spots—numbers 9 and 10 are must-sees 👀✅. The photos I took are from Empire Bluff Trail 🥾. This trail isn’t too long—about 2 km round trip—so it’s great if you’re up for a easy walk. It’s not in the main scenic area though; you’ll need to drive about 10-15 minutes to get there. This time, we stayed at Great Wolf Lodge 🐺👨👩👧👦—highly recommended for families with kids! It has a huge indoor water park, perfect for wearing the little ones out. You can literally leave them there for five hours without a blink 😆. For kids over 5, it’s like paradise! And the price is surprisingly reasonable. Summer hotels in Traverse City are usually expensive (easily $300-400 per night), but we got two days here for just over $300, including breakfast 🥞🧇. We also wandered around downtown Traverse City 🏙️. The famous pasta spot Flying Noodle is worth a try 🍝😋. Oh, and early July is the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City! 🍒 There are plenty of farms around where you can pick cherries. 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 like. The more I explore Michigan, the more I love it 💚. Winters haven’t been too cold lately, summers aren’t too hot, there are lush forests everywhere, and the lakes are irresistible. It really lives up to the new license plate slogan: “Water Winter Wonderland” ❄️🌲. #TravelGuide #CityWalk #TraverseCity #Michigan #SleepingBearDunes #GreatWolfLodge #SummerVibes #CherryFestival