May 2024 | Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 11 hours north of Nashville

For this trip I stayed at The Homestead in Glen Arbor. The property has condos and single family homes for rent directly on Lake Michigan. Glen Arbor is within walking distance (about 1 mile). There are two pools and a beach club accessible to renters. 

Hiking trails are highly accessible and within a few short miles. There are also paved bike trails within The Homestead property. 

A parking pass is required to access the park. Be sure you purchase this online in advance or at the ranger station.

Additional information for staying in the Glen Arbor area:

• Stay - The Homestead Resort

• Caffeinate - The Mill

• Eat - Firefly 

• Ice Cream - The Pine Cone

May 2024 | Pyramid Point Loop at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 11 hours north of Nashville

This 2.5 mile, moderate loop is located near Maple City, Michigan. I highly recommend bug spray for this trail. The trail is very narrow and a good area to pick up ticks. 

The trail features views of Lake Michigan and meadows. We did see bear tracks in the sand so I highly recommend being bear aware and having bear spray on hand, just in case.

A parking pass is required to access the park. Be sure you purchase this online in advance or at the ranger station.

Additional information for staying in the Glen Arbor area:

• Stay - The Homestead Resort

• Caffeinate - The Mill

• Eat - Firefly 

• Ice Cream - The Pine Cone

May 2024 | Cottonwood Trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 11 hours north of Nashville

This 1.6 mile, moderate loop is located right outside of Glen Arbor, Michigan. The trail features meadow and Lake Michigan views.

A parking pass is required to access the park. Be sure you purchase this online in advance or at the ranger station.

Additional information for staying in the Glen Arbor area:

• Stay - The Homestead Resort

• Caffeinate - The Mill

• Eat - Firefly 

• Ice Cream - The Pine Cone

May 2024 | Traverse City State Hospital, 11 hours north of Nashville

Located in the heart of Traverse City, Michigan, the Traverse City State Hospital (or North Michigan Asylum) was built in 1882 and is now used as a hub for living and shopping space.

The asylum is unique in design and philosophy. The main structure boasts windows in each room, allowing lots of natural light into the building to aid in healing. This asylum housed patients with a spectrum of disorders - depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar, dementia, learning disabilities, and even a variety of injuries (including TBIs). 

Dr. Munson, the founding superintendent of the hospital held central beliefs about psychiatric treatment - including the core tenant that “beauty is therapy”. He believed that if the space around the patients was beautiful and peaceful, their emotional and mental state would reflect this as well. 

The hospital closed in the late 80’s and was converted into housing (including low, medium, and high cost offerings), restaurants, and shops. It’s a true testament of evolving physical spaces as community needs change. 

Today, tours of the asylum are available. They include a look at the outside of the asylum, the interior of one building not in use, the attic of the same building, and the underground tunnels used for traversing between buildings in the winter.

Additional information for staying in the Glen Arbor area:

• Stay - The Homestead Resort

• Caffeinate - The Mill

• Eat - Firefly 

• Ice Cream - The Pine Cone

September 2023 | New Buffalo, MI, 7 hours north of Nashville, TN

I recently took a trip to New Buffalo, Michigan to hike and enjoy the beaches of Lake Michigan. The area is filled with dunes to hike, water to swim in, and sunsets to watch. It’s an easy seven hour drive from Nashville. 

I stayed at the Harbor Grand Hotel in New Buffalo. The hotel is absolutely spectacular - harbor views, indoor pool and spa, in-room soaking tub, breakfast in bed daily, and Ben and Jerry’s on speed dial. The hotel restaurant, The Terrace Room (reservations highly recommended), is also not to be missed. It features house made pasta with local ingredients.

I hiked three parks - Warren Dunes State Park, Indiana Dunes National Park, and Galien River County Park. All hiking details can be found in their individual posts (scroll down and see Indiana Treks). My favorite was Warren Dunes which featured 800’ dunes and beach front hiking.

In addition to hiking, there are lots of local restaurants, shops, and antique stores along the west coast in Michigan’s townships. I highly recommend - 

• Pizza at Brewster’s in New Buffalo

• Ice cream at Oinks in New Buffalo

• A scenic drive from New Buffalo to St. Joseph via the Red Arrow Highway

• Poppy Hill Antiques in Three Oaks (antiques)

• Alapash Mercantile in Three Oaks (unique home goods)

• Shore, Lakeside Goods, Eastern Standard Time, and Michigan Mercantile in New Buffalo (clothing, gifts, etc.)

September 2023 | Warren Dunes Trail at Warren Dunes State Park, 4.8 miles, moderate, 8 hours north of Nashville, TN

I recently took a trip to New Buffalo, Michigan to hike and enjoy the beaches of Lake Michigan. The area is filled with dunes to hike, water to swim in, and sunsets to watch. It’s an easy seven hour drive from Nashville. 

The Warren Dunes Trail at Warren Dunes State Park is located in Bridgman, MI and offers great views of the dunes surrounding Lake Michigan. 

The trail begins in the forest, where I saw several deer, then progresses into the sandy dune. The dunes in this park are about 800’ high and covered in tall beach grass. They are absolutely breathtaking. 

Once you’re down the dunes, the hike takes you about a mile up the beach, and then back up and down the dune, through the forest, and back to the parking lot.

Climbing such steep areas in sand was tough for me so I highly recommend snacks and plenty of water. This was a highlight of the trip and I can’t recommend the trail enough. 

Restrooms are only available at the beach parking lot which is about halfway through this hike. You will also need a parking pass to access this park so be sure you purchase in advance online or by visiting the welcome center in the park.

September 2023 | Canopy Walkway at Galien River County Park, 1.2 miles, easy, 7 hours north of Nashville, TN

I recently took a trip to New Buffalo, Michigan to hike and enjoy the beaches of Lake Michigan. The area is filled with dunes to hike, water to swim, and sunsets to watch. It’s an easy seven hour drive from Nashville. 

The Canopy Walkway at Galien River County Park is located in New Buffalo and offers great views of the marsh created by the high tides of Lake Michigan. 

The trail is great for fishing, birding, and hiking. The county has built a truly extraordinary boardwalk that’s situated at the top of the trees, making bird watching easy and fascinating. 

This trail is great for kids but be sure you leave pets at home, as they aren’t allowed on the trail.