The most epic summer farewell
Up North
As returning Michigan residents, our first priority after the move was to go Up North. Up North is sacred in Michigan culture: the state is surrounded by the Great Lakes that make up the largest freshwater body of water on Earth. A few hours from busy metropolitan areas like Chicago and Detroit, Up North is another world entirely and is one of my favorite places in the world.
We decided to get married in Leelanau County, planned a honeymoon on Walloon Lake in the Petoskey area (#WalloonHoneymoon), and made sure to spend the week leading up to our wedding exploring Elk Rapids, Traverse City, and Leland.
Grand Traverse Bay
We arrived at Grant’s parents’ cottage in Elk Rapids a little over a week before our wedding. We cruised on the East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay by boat, tried new (to us) restaurants in the Traverse City area (BLK MRKT coffee, Hotel Indigo rooftop bar, Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen, The Filling Station, Short’s Brewing Production Facility, Cellar 152 Wine & Gourmet Market), and visited most of the wineries on Old Mission Peninsula to taste wine and buy bottles for the wedding weekend.
I had final dress fittings (thanks Cathy Ann for being phenomenal!), we bought lavender lemonade from Brys Secret Garden (definitely worth a visit), and headed to my parents’ cottage in Leland for a few days before going to the cottage we rented for both families for the wedding weekend.
We enjoyed breakfast at Trish’s Dishes, lunch at Red Top Pasteria, and dinner at The Bluebird. I got a relaxing massage at Yoga 4 in Lake Leelanau, and we continued wine tasting and bottle purchasing at Leelanau Peninsula wineries.
Little Traverse Bay
We loved every minute of our beautiful wedding weekend and are so grateful for everything working out so perfectly—our families, vendors, and the weather were all wonderful.
We started our honeymoon with dinner and a stay at The Riverside Inn, made a stop at for flights of beer and lunch (the white pepper sandwich is the best!) at Short’s Brewing Company, and checked in to Hotel Walloon for the week.
Walloon Lake Village
Restaurants: Barrel Back, Walloon Lake Inn
Village convenience store, ice cream store, antique store, pop up stores
Hotel Walloon is a gorgeous new hotel in the quaint Walloon Lake Village at ‘the foot’ area of the lake.
This perfect late September summer weather was fabulous, and we loved our time at Hotel Walloon, Barrel Back Restaurant, and Walloon Lake Inn on beautiful Walloon Lake.
Charlevoix & Boyne City
We enjoyed coffee at Harwood Gold Maple Syrup and beers at Bridge Street Tap Room in Charlevoix, more beers at 7 Monks Taproom — Boyne City, $3 margaritas(!) and dinner at Red Mesa Grill, breakfast at Cafe Santé overlooking Lake Charlevoix in Boyne City.
Petoskey
Petoskey is our favorite town in the Little Traverse Bay area — Twisted Olive Cafe and Roast and Toast Cafe for breakfast, Pallet Bistró for dinner, Beards Brewery, Petoskey Brewing, Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery for drinks.
Harbor Springs, M-119 Tunnel of Trees, Wilderness State Park
We stopped at Sam’s Graces Cafe and Bakery for breakfast, grabbed cookies at Tom’s Mom’s Cookies before heading to Pond Hill Farm & the Tunnel of Trees drive on M-119. We tasted wine and beer, bought pumpkins, played with goats, and explored the farm—there is so much to offer for all ages! We continued north to Cross Village, roamed the pristine and rugged beaches of Wilderness State Park, stopped at the eclectic and historic Legs Inn for delicious Polish food.
I’m already scheming to fit a fall trip up north into my schedule, and we’ll spend New Years in Elk Rapids, which is becoming a Hawkins family tradition. No matter where I’ve been in my life, geographically or emotionally, whenever I’m in Northern Michigan, my shoulders relax just a little more, a sense of peace washes over me, and I feel at home.
