such a beautiful drive. I actually live in California so seeing the trees beginning to change…read morecolors was really awesome for me. I was there at the very end of September and they had just started to turn. Peak was going to be in about two weeks however people told me had we waited until peak it would've been bumper-to-bumper. Traffic flowed nicely and it was just a beautiful. Highlights were Legs Inn, a few coffee shops that had some random farmers markets and just the beauty of the trees! I would definitely do this again it didn't matter what time of the year it is!

If you're into scenic drives and you sometimes ignore your GPS and go off-route in order to get to…read morecool spots along the way, Tunnel of Trees is a detour that you should definitely take. It's part of a route that runs along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan around Harbor Springs and it's super calm, has a rural/rustic vibe, and is just generally a really nice drive. It's also in the vicinity of the Good Hart General Store, so if you head this way you'll get a chance to stop there and check out their goods as well. Check it out if you're in the area or passing through. It's worth it!

This place was absolutely amazing--an old asylum from 1885-1989 turned into housing, shopping,…read morerestaurants, and offices while maintaining the original structure. I love what they were able to do instead of letting it sit abandoned and decay. The history of mental asylums is so interesting, and they offer 2 hour tours for $30 for those ages 12+. I definitely recommend the tour if you are into history, psychology or healthcare. The tour guide was great, and obviously a true expert in all things regarding the Traverse City State Hospital. The background and experience he had with it made him very trustworthy. He was also just a very funny and friendly guy. The tour takes you outside plus certain areas inside to showcase the restoration process. It also takes you inside of an abandoned and decayed men's cottage. You can only enter this building through the tour. Inside, the guide will show you around and you'll be able to see all the empty rooms and dining area and learn about the history of how they lived. You'll also go up into the attic to see all the pipes. Before the tour ends, the guide takes you into the old brick steam tunnels (which can also only be accessed during this tour). The tunnels are spooky and our guide even turned off the lights for us to experience it in the dark, plus try to catch some photos of orbs with the flash on our phones lol. Overall, it was a super interesting tour and I would definitely come back to do the one at night.

Huge property about 3 miles from downtown travers. A lot of shops and dining to explore while…read morewaiting for your tour. I came for a twilight asylum tour and heard great things about Trattoria Stella so came early for dinner at their bar. Love the dark vibe. Opens between 4-5 depending on day. The property is rather spread out so may be a bit hard to go back and forth of any difficulties walking. The hallways do seem wheelchair accessible.

Easy to get to. Free parking. We went to the harbor and lighthouse both nights we stayed in town to…read morewatch the sunset. This was a cute town to stay at .. several bars and restaurants. Perfect stop to look for the famous petasky stone. There is a rock beach very close to the lighthouse. They were finding small petasky stones.

The Mercato is a collection of shops in the now repurposed Traverse City State Hospital. I wouldn't…read morereally call it a mall, but I guess by definition it fits? Anyway, the shops are teeny tiny but pack a wallop by being beautifully curated and uniquely configured. I think I purchased more here than I have at any other shopping excursion I've had all year. They've got a shop dedicated to alpaca wool goods, a more gentleman focused shop called the Haberdashery, a pet boutique, a used bookstore, a toy store, and many others including my favorite of them all, Moonstruck Gardens, which is packed full of delightful art, stickers, home decor, and more. They also have dining options and a coffee shop if you're thirsty or a little peckish. The layout can be a little confusing but there's plenty of signage to help you along the way. But the beauty of it is just exploring and finding the fun around every corner.

What a fascinating place. The building and grounds are lovely. First of all the building is a…read morerefurbishment asylum. Some say haunted. They did a lovely job restoring this property. There are lovely specialty shops and a few restaurants. One of the restaurants is one of the most highly rated in town. The shops have some interesting handy craft work .. wood, pottery. Jewelry. Decorative glass. .

Cool lighthouse out on the Peninsula here in Traverse City. Great views of the lake and if you go…read moreinside on the first floor, they have a gift shop as well as a little museum that has a video that tells you about the history of the Traverse City area, he lighthouse and the Peninsula. Beautiful views, you can walk down to the beach and actually walk down into the lake if you want to. You can go up to the top of the lighthouse, there is a small fee of eight dollars for adults. We chose not to do that. Still a cute little house. It also sits on the 45th parallel, which is the halfway point between the North Pole and the equator, there's a sign out front that demonstrates that as well. It is certainly worth a 20 minute drive up the Peninsula, especially if you stop at a winery or two as you are coming or going.

The views are great here. The wooded area is nice to walk through. We didnt get a chance to tour…read morethe lighthouse but the whole scenery is so worth it.

I was on my way up Michigans west side coast on my way to Petosky and came accross this Big Rock…read morePoint scenic park. As I pulled in I realized just how picturesque all the views of Lake Michigans shoreline is ( Breathtaking ). They're is parking spots for 8 cars and then extra parking along the rocks down by the picnic tables and benches. I loved the old style functioning water pump. The water from the well was Ice cold and tasted so good. I noticed 5 charcoal grills as well. nice touch I thought. The bathrooms were kept clean as well. The park has lots of trash cans and the area is well kept. Fresh are from the trees and the breeze from Lake Michigan makes this place something special and I look forward to coming back. Give Big Rock Point a look and you'll be glad you did.

Smallest swing bridge in USA hometown proud…read more Alanson is a small town and it's our claim to fame

Beautiful piece of history wonderful fishing spot great staff always opens on time wonderful view…read morebeautiful river what can you ask for more

Stopped here on a whim to checkout lighthouses during our mini getaway. This beach did not…read moredisappoint! It was so calm and peaceful. Beautiful water. Hardly any people. The people who did visit didn't stay for long so we had the whole beach to ourselves. We had camping chairs in the car so we just put them in the water and sat right in the water and enjoyed the view. They have a gift shop and the only restrooms I noticed were portajohns. We built some rock towers but put the rocks back when we were done because some of the rocks had snail eggs on them.

Gorgeous park at the tip of the Mitten's pinkie finger. I got there shortly before a spectacular…read moresunset where the sky was all lit up with pinks and oranges and purples. I took a short walk where my friends who had camped there the previous night as well showed my the historic lighthouse and some message in a bottle painted sign that was very reminiscent of Steve "ESPO" Powers. I set up my trusty old dome tent and camped on the same site as my friends and nobody said peep about doubling up like that. I left out around 10:30 or so and didn't hit any trails as I had packed some snacks for late but no breakfast. Not much in the way of restaurants or groceries around here so I hit the road. Can't speak to the trails or day use part of the park but the campground and adjacent beach was beautiful.

You're Half-Way to the North Pole and the Equator!…read more I've always remembered this spot on I-75, on the several trips I've taken with the family on the way to the U.P. Dad would always say to me," hey look were half-way to Santa's House." Now several years later, I still remember this spot when I travel up to the Bridge. I haven't found anything else other than the highway sign depicting this location. I heard one story of a rock with a plaque on it off "Old 131" about a half-mile to the west of this spot. But after looking for it myself, I was unable to locate it. I'd also not advise stopping on I-75 as there isn't a safe place to do so. It would be cool if MDOT created a small landmark sign somewhere around this location. **Overall; if interested or not, this is a cool location to tell someone, "hey I've been there" otherwise you will most likely pass by without even knowing it was there.

Yay, I was here. Actually, I've passed right on by this "landmark" of sorts a million times now- or…read moreat least, it feels like it. Seriously, who hasn't managed to pass by the landmark known as the 45th Parallel North on a road trip to Northern Michigan? Is is even possible to bypass this spot, also known as the midway point between the North Pole and the Equator? Who knows. What I do know, however, is that I've passed it more than a time or two on road trips, vacations, etc, and you probably have, too, if you've ever driven to Northern Michigan from downstate or elsewhere. It's odd that the only thing marking the fact that you've traveled to the exact midway point between the Equator and North Pole is a sign that whirs by you as you drive past it. Strange, but I would assume that something more befitting the marking of the spot would be in place, but sadly, there is not. Other than that, I only notice that I'm at the midway point by spying the signage on the side of the expressway as I travel up north or by checking into this spot on Yelp, as I did this fall because I was bored or something while riding in the passenger seat of my car. Other than that, the experience falls a bit flat. It's fun to acknowledge that you've made it to precisely the midway mark of both the Equator and the North Pole, but for an adult who's done it more than a few times, the whole experience is kind of meh, but it sure is novel to say, "I've been to the halfway point of the Equator and the North Pole," isn't it? At any rate, it is an interesting spot to be able to say, "I've been here." After all, when you really think about it, how many people have never been here even once? Probably quite a few when you actually calculate it. PS trying to snap a photo on my phone of the sign while traveling 80 mph on the expressway was pretty impossible. Don't bother. It'll probably just be a big old blur.