Traverse City eats

I enjoyed one night free of meetings on my recent trip to Traverse City, Michigan. When I learned that Traverse City is one of the foodie havens of the Midwest, I decided to search for the best treats that Michigan has to offer.

I got an early introduction to Michigan's bounty in the "swag bag" I received at the meeting.  How cool is the bottle of honey from Michigan State University! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take it home with me, because I couldn't carry liquids in my carry-on bag.  So I settled for taking this picture so I could remember it.

My first stop was the famous Grand Traverse Pie Company.  These restaurants are all over Michigan, but this is the original.

I ordered a slice of blueberry-cherry crumble pie to go (sorry for the lousy photo under the hotel room lighting) and a sugar cookie with the most amazing icing!

 I also didn't want to leave Michigan without some cherries. I stopped at Cherry Republic in downtown Traverse City and bought a few bags of dried cherries, including a bag of white chocolate covered cherries. This bag didn't last long when I brought it home for my husband! (Thankfully, cherries aren't a liquid and I can pack them in my carry-on. LOL!)

I also bought a bottle of cherry root beer for the road.  Don't you love the label?

As if I didn't get enough sweets, I couldn't resist stopping at this ice cream shop on Traverse Bay for a scoop of cherry-chocolate ice cream.  It was easily the best treat I found in Traverse City.  And I loved the lakeside view!

Oh, and one more treat for the road.  I heard good things about Pop-Kie's Chicago-style popcorn, so I picked up a bag of dill pickle flavor.  Sounds strange, but I loved it!

As you can see, I packed a lot of food-related sightseeing in just a short trip!  But it was all the more memorable for it.

Trip to Traverse City, MI

A few weeks back, I went to a business meeting in Traverse City, MI.  My boss kept telling me that I would love visiting Northern Michigan, but to be honest, I was hesitant to go.  It's never fun to travel by myself.  And work trips are never as much fun as a real vacation.  I had only a few hours free to travel on my own, so I rented a car and drove to the famous sand dunes.

The first stop was the visitor's center to get a map.

The park ranger recommended that I take the scenic loop to see the best views of Lake Michigan.  Let me tell you, this prairie girl felt a little claustrophobic driving in the forest.  But it was gorgeous. 

 There were more than a dozen scenic outlooks to stop and explore and take photos.

I noticed one spot with a dozen cars parked, but I couldn't see what people had stopped for.  I followed the crowd and discovered this amazing view of Lake Michigan.

There was sand, sand everywhere. And it was so windy, the grains of sand were pelting our faces and bare legs!  Little kids were yelping, "Ouch, it hurts!"  Needless to say, I didn't stick around for long.  I got a few good pictures, though, and a good idea of what it would feel like in a sand storm!

I discovered one more (windy) scenic view on my way out of the park.

Then I drove to my destination - the sand climb!  It's a giant hill of sand in the middle of nowhere.  It was like a big sandbox for kids and adults alike.  And the climb was straight up!  Boy, did my calf muscles get a work out!

This guy was smart and brought poles for climbing!

This grandma was determined to climb the sand dunes -- on her hands and knees!

I keep telling all my friends that they have to take their kids to the Michigan sand dunes.  It was such a great family destination, and I hope to return someday -- but not for work :)