Clockwise from top left:
Weathered shanties are
still in use in Leland's
Fishtown.

Hikers are rewarded with
a view of Sleeping Bear
Dunes National Lakeshore
from the Lookout.

The Grand Traverse Resort
and Spa's 17-story glass
tower soars above Lake
Michigan's East Grand
Traverse Bay; relax with a
Vichy Shower at the Spa
Grand Traverse.

Let kids explore Otter
Creek, a leafy inlet to
Lake Michigan at Esch
Road Beach, just south of
Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Fiddler's Pond, one of the
lodging options, is tucked
inside a pine forest along-
side a shimmering pond.

wife, Susi Cahn, loves the glazed
doughnuts.)
Among the most photographed
of Michigan's lighthouses is POINT
BETSIE LIGHTHOUSE (pointbet
sie.org), just south of the Sleeping
Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Built in 1858 for $3,000, Point Betsie
marks the southern entrance to the
MANITOU PASSAGE and became
the last manned light station on the
eastern shore of Lake Michigan. In
1898, the Point Betsie Life Saving
Crew rescued all but one of the crew
of a steamer stranded amidst a blind-
ing blizzard (the one life lost was a
man who tried to make it to shore
himself).

WHERE TO STAY

• Spanning 900 acres in the North-
woods of Michigan's Lower Peninsula
on the shores of Lake Michigan's East
Grand Traverse Bay, the GRAND

TRAVERSE RESORT AND SPA

(grandtraverseresort.com ), owned by
the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa
and Chippewa Indians, is perfectly
situated at the base of the Leelanau
Peninsula on the east side (and just
10 minutes from Traverse City's
Cherry Capital Airport) for a base
point for exploration.
Choose from nearly 600 com-
fortably appointed hotel rooms

www.redthreadmagazine.com

and suites equipped with Jacuzzi
Unwind from the strenuous activ-
whirlpool tubs and Nintendo and
ity at the SPA GRAND TRAVERSE,
condominiums (some with their own 7,000-square-feet of serene retreat
private beach on the sandy shores of
(try the Cherry Honey Glow, 45
East Grand Traverse Bay with a dock minutes of full-body exfoliation and
and watersports rentals). Check out
polishing, followed by a relaxing rinse
the health club, which offers a rainy-
under the Vichy shower), plus a salon
day respite with a 15,000 square-
and boutique.
foot indoor water playground with a
Drive 6 miles southwest into down-
waterslide, zero-depth spray-ground,
town Traverse City for down-to-earth
video arcade and
gourmet burgers,
more. Tennis, yoga,
burritos and sal-
zumba and, of
ads at BUBBA'S
course, world-class
(tcbubbas.com ;
golf, including three
kids eat free on
distinguished 18-
Mondays) and
hole championship
homemade jams,
courses surrounded
tarts, pickles, pas-
by the lush greens of
trami omelets and
the Northwoods and
fabulous coffee
the shimmering blue
at FRENCHIES
FAMOUS
Bay exhilarate.
The Gallery of
(231-944-1228),
Tour the Grand Traverse Lighthouse
another
Batali fa-
Shops, a destina-
Museum, including the Light Sta-
tion in itself, includes
vorite
—
maximum
tion and the keeper's quarters, in
DYLAN'S CANDY
Northport.
occupancy: 10.
BAR and CANDY
CAFE (as in Dylan Lauren, daugh-
• Starting at Grand Traverse Resort,
meander along the Leelanau Penin-
ter of Ralph, who founded the
New York-based flagship store), an
sula's magical coast to THE HOME-
emporium of more than 5,000 kinds STEAD: AMERICA'S FRESHWA-
of candy plus gifts, chocolates and
TER RESORT (thehomesteadresort.
homemade ice cream (try the Red
corn) as your next ultimate destina-
Velvet Cake).
tion. Sprawling across 500 acres of

-

bliss surrounded by the Sleeping Bear
Dunes National Lakeshore in charm-
ing Glen Arbor, the Homestead can
give visitors whatever they want out
of their vacation: tranquil relaxation,
thrilling land and water sports, fun
with the kids and more. With four
separate hotels, plus condos and
homes within five distinct neighbor-
hoods, many offering lake and riv-
erfront views, the Homestead works
hard to make its expansiveness and
amenities easy to access and enjoy,
including four pools, the luxurious
Spa Amira and top-notch golf (plus
Dave Pelz Scoring Game Schools, the
only one in the Midwest).
Built on land purchased in the
1920s by a St. Louis couple searching
for the region's most beautiful beach,
the Homestead began as a camp of-
fering wholesome outdoor experienc-
es before it evolved into a boarding
school (still running nearby). But in
the 1970s, a Michigan family trans-
formed the beautiful beach property
into a casually luxurious four-season
resort surrounded by nothing but
views of Lake Michigan, the Sleep-
ing Bear Dunes and the Crystal River
Valley, and nothing to do but laze by
the pool or swim, kayak, hang glide,
kite surf, scuba dive, hike, bird watch
and more. RT

RED MEAD I July 2013 39

