I feel like I’ve been seriously slacking with my blog posts the last few weeks. I can only attribute it to a busy summer month of enjoying time at home with the girls, as well as working on my freelance writing assignments whenever nap time comes around.
We’ve been lucky to spend a lot of time at my family’s lake home this summer, but the thing about Michigan is that there are so many gems around the state to experience.
This past week, I enjoyed a wonderful 48 hours up north at Lake Arrowhead with my in-laws. My husband’s mom and stepdad rented a home on Lake Arrowhead for the week with his aunt Julie and uncle Randy, and the girls and I were invited to spend a few weekdays with them.
Lake Arrowhead is a community of subdivisions that surround Buhl Lake in Gaylord, Michigan. From the Lansing area, the car ride is about three hours. While I was a little intimidated about driving such a long distance on my own with both girls, I was also excited about the potential for exploring different parts of the state on the way up and way back home.
Here’s a recap of our wonderful 48-hour trip around our home state.
We hit the road in the late morning on Wednesday. The car was packed with snacks, but I knew that a fun and tasty spot to stop along the way would be Cops & Doughnuts in Clare. I’ve never been to this famous bakery or Clare itself. Clare ended up being a great midway point for our drive to Gaylord, and of course the girls were excited about doughnuts. We parked near the Post Office and walked past this adorable alleyway with fun murals.
I ordered us a couple of glazed doughnuts and a cinnamon roll doughnut for Stella. We also picked up a blueberry pie to bring to the house for everyone to enjoy.
Stella had fun posing with the jail cell inside:
From Clare, it was only about another hour to get to the house at Lake Arrowhead. It was such a warm and sunny day that the drive was very pleasant. We arrived in the early afternoon and got situated at the house. The girls enjoyed spending time outside right away, going fishing and playing in the sand.
The rental home was situated on a channel area of the lake, so the water was very calm and beautiful. The homeowners had water equipment available for our use, including kayaks. I haven’t gone kayaking in years, so it was really fun to take a kayak out a few different times during our stay.
Our first night, we enjoyed dinner at the house and s’mores down by the water. Stella thought she was pretty cool getting to stay up later than her little sister.
On Thursday morning, the weather was looking a little iffy. I kayaked around the lake with Zack’s stepdad Dan before the rain came through. Julie and Randy told us about a great restaurant up near Charlevoix called The Landing, which is situated right on Lake Charlevoix by the ferry dock.
We arrived just as it started to pour outside, but luckily got a table right away and waited out the rain while we ate. The Landing was such a fun spot and I can only imagine what it’s like on a hot, sunny day. Look at these fun chairs!
Charlevoix was less than an hour away from where we were staying in Gaylord, so it was a very easy destination for a day trip. By the time we were done eating, the clouds parted and the sun was shining.
We strolled along the main drag in town and stopped into a few shops before grabbing ice cream at Kilwin’s.
Stella also snagged these great butterfly wings at this wonderful store called Ga Ga for kids.
We returned to the lake house to enjoy the afternoon playing games and had another lovely dinner on the deck.
Friday morning we spent more time out by the water before we had to hit the road. I did a solo kayak trip around parts of the channel that I had missed the day before, but my arms and shoulders were really feeling it. I snapped this photo from the water:
The girls had such a fun time with their grandparents and great aunt and uncle. It was hard to leave! Also, how does Margot look like such a big girl?
After getting the car packed up and saying our goodbyes, we hit the road to head home. Instead of planning a stop in Clare, I looked at the map and decided to have us take a break in Alma. Knowing it’s a college town, I figured there would be a fun, local coffee shop we could stop into for a treat.
Highland Blush in Alma fit the bill! This coffee shop/event space was very eclectic and fun inside. Stella was pumped that this window booth had checkers, so we had a treat and played a game.
Alma also had some very cute boutiques and antique shops I wanted to check out, but after a whirlwind 48-hour trip, we were ready to head home.
Our time up north was a good reminder about a couple of very important things:
- Spending time with family is special and important. I loved seeing the girls have fun with their grandparents and great aunt and uncle, and it was so fun staying up after the girls went to bed and learning how to play euchre.
- Our state is beautiful and filled with gems of towns that deserve our time and attention. I feel especially lucky that where we live positions us to have easy access to so many parts of Michigan. For how often I drive over an hour to visit family in metro Detroit, it only takes the same amount of time to explore other great places.
Sometimes, being a tourist in your own state is the most fun. I hope this inspires you to hop in a car and see what Michigan (or your home state) has to offer.