Travel Midwest Magazine Travel Midwest Digital ReplicaSUM17 | Page 84
Sleeping Bear Dunes
National Lakeshore
TRAVERSE CITY, MI
Traverse City, known as the True North, has everything
from wine tastings to what they call “the four-season play-
ground,” where you can bike, hike, and enjoy the Michigan
shores. Take a personal wine tour or a tasting day along
the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail, or visit one of the many
tap rooms in the area. The Man vs. Draft tour is a craft beer
experience, where you can order original local creations,
such as the Concrete Dinosaur, located at the Right Brain
Brewery. Cost effectiveness depends on what and how
much you order, but the tastings and tours are inexpensive
and will easily take up an entire day.
82 | Summer 2017 | Travel Midwest
Take a drive to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore,
which was named the “Most Beautiful Place in America” by
ABC’s Good Morning America. A parking pass for the lakeshore
is $15, and with that you’ll be able to enter the rich world of Michi-
gan’s natural history. The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is a must-
do activity. Nearly 8 miles long, this drive will take you through
the loops and whirls of the Beech Maple Forest, and you’ll get
to view the Glen Lakes and the dunes from several look-out
stops along the drive, feasting your eyes on pillows of sand, gen-
tle waves, and native vegetation. Stop at the store and grab
some essentials. When you reach the end of the drive you can
set up a personal picnic and enjoy, while you take in the all
the natural beauty. Now that’s what we call a weekend road-
trip!