Bridges, Dunes and Beaches Baby. Empire Michigan

Good morning Empire! After a quiet cup of coffee (one of my favorite rituals while camping) I'm off to Anderson’s market for a few local groceries. The adorable town of Glen Arbor is filled with great little shops and café’s and is bustling with vacationers starting their days. The market is a good mix of local fresh baked goods and deli delights. I found the prices pretty high; but hey part of that is the experience and location right? You could seriously waste an afternoon in this adorable little town and be perfectly content with your decision.

After sizzling up a fierce breakfast at the campsite, something that is now a rare occurrence in our daily life, we started the adventure to take in Empire’s loveliness. A quick stop to the visitor’s center for guides, stickers and a tourist magnet for my collection; we were on our way to the Pierce Stocking Scenic drive. Currently the drive is only open on Saturdays due to construction. The first sight you will set your eyes on is a nice covered bridge entrance. I just love covered bridges! Not much of a view around the bridge but if you are like me you scream “STOP! A COVERED BRIDGE!” and your husband obligingly pulls the truck over so you can admire the history and handiwork that goes into these structures. The 7.4 mile drive loops through the Beech-Maple forest and sand dunes and provides insight to the history of the area, a sampling of the vegetative communities found within the park and, best of all, spectacular overlooks of the Glen Lakes, the Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Lake Michigan.

You can take a dune hike along the Cottonwood Trail or stop for a picnic at one of the picnic areas on the drive. There are several stops on the drive that you can pull over to take in the expanding views and snap a few pictures; however, the Lake Michigan overlook is where it’s at! Kick those shoes off and stick your feet in the sand because you are about to work those glutes! Really anyone can make the short hike and when you get to the top sigh at the amazingness of it all. I’ll never forget my son exclaiming “This is amazing!”. Hearing that from a tween we knew it was legit. Enjoy the 180 degree views and chuckle at the brave descending the steep dunes…bravo young adventurers! If you are lucky you will find a local to tell tales of shipwrecks and history. Looping around to the end we headed to our next destination the ever-famous dune climb. Cooper petered out and rested in the truck while Phil and I took on the beast. It was my personal mission to scale this dunes…I mean you have to right? About halfway to dying up the incline I looked around to see who my struggling compadres were. We were all in this together and by golly we couldn’t give up! Phil being full of Texas pride jogged up the last bit while I dug in my cement feet and clawed to the top. I saw stars and pretty sure I hallucinated with each gasping breath but we made it to the top. Victory! We made it! We conquered the beast… but there were more dunes. Ain’t too proud to accept defeat we yelled a big HELL NO and transcended down the steep climb. I found out later there are no water views from this point…only more dunes so I’m glad we stopped before being air lifted out.

Onto Glen Haven beach to cool off! We changed into our swimsuits and took the polar plunge. Cooper and I will brave the iciest of waters to catch a swim and yes it was chilly but after that hike it was unbelievably refreshing! Crystal clear waters, the smoothest round stones on the shore and a nice breeze set the tone for a late afternoon dip. The ambience and historic buildings on this beach give a throwback vibe that can be missed!

Now the hot spot for a great fish dinner is Apache Trout Grill. We arrived around 6pm and we’re told the wait was 3 hours! Just across the street is Harrington’s by the Bay and a fresh trout dinner with perfect portions satiated our pallets. Sunsets are a must when visiting Traverse City so after dinner we cruised M-37 along Old Mission Peninsula through cherry orchards and vineyards. Quick note if there are any Oak Island fans out there, Mari Vineyards is on this drive. Phil is a huge fan and though they were closed we drove through the property. Lots of cool Knights Templar structures on the property and an epic cave built into the hillside are what you can expect. The coastal drive is so worth it and I still kick myself for not having Phil pull over so I could pluck a cherry for a taste! At the very tip of the peninsula stands the historic Mission Point Lighthouse. Constructed in 1870 this quaint lighthouse guided mariners through West Grand Traverse Bay and ran until it was decommissioned in 1933. There are benches and trails to take a nice sunset walk. Or set a blanket down on a dune to watch the last light of the day tuck into the water. Phil and I enjoyed a quiet moment of views while Cooper splashed in the water. I just love this kid’s sense of adventure! Last stop before landing at the campsite was ice cream at Bardon’s. What a beautiful ending to a beautiful day.