I recently embarked on a 3 day mother-daughter road trip in Michigan to chase some of the beautiful changing fall leaves. It turned out to be a wonderful excursion, and we believe that we found some grand destinations for the perfect fall Michigan trip!
It is hard to plan a short road trip to Michigan because there are endless places to see and things to do. We knew we did not have enough time to enjoy the Upper Peninsula, so we focused on some of the small towns along Northern Lake Michigan. In this blog post, I am going to share some of our favorite places from our fall road trip.
- The Tunnel of Trees
- Petoskey
- The Sky Bridge at Boyne Mountain
- Charlevoix
- Traverse City
- Leelanau Peninsula
- Sleeping Bear Dunes
- Where to Stay
The Tunnel of Trees
We started the road trip out with a 5.5 hour drive to the famous Tunnel of Trees, which follows the M-119 route, and just like the name sounds, you will be driving through a “tunnel of trees”.
Unfortunately, the Tunnel of Trees was not yet at peak fall color, and for the most part was still pretty green for us (on October 16th), but it was still a beautiful route! We started in Harbor Springs, a quaint little town with plenty of shopping and restaurants. Then we made a stop at American Spoon to buy some homemade jams and other goods, before heading on our way.
The first noteworthy stop along the Tunnel of Trees is Pond Hill Farm, which just so happened to be hosting a fall festival during our visit. It is the perfect spot to get some food, buy some pumpkins, shop in their gift shop, and even walk the trails on the property!
We had planned to stop at Trillium Woods Coffee and the Good Hart General Store, but they were unfortunately closing for the day by the time we arrived. We continued on driving and enjoying the marvelous views.
At the end of the route, you can stop at the Legs Inn for a drink or a meal. I suggest driving N State Road on your way back south for some different, yet still beautiful views! For us, the fall colors were even better on this road than they were inside the Tunnel of Trees.
Petoskey
We opted to spend our first night in Petoskey after driving the Tunnel of Trees, and it was a great decision! We absolutely loved the little town full of local shops, restaurants, bars, and even a casino if you are feeling like gambling.
Make sure to stop at Kilwins for some delectable homemade chocolates! There are 2 locations in Petoskey, but we opted to stop at the shop in downtown Petoskey.
We enjoyed a delicious dinner at the City Park Grill, which is housed in one of Petoskey’s oldest buildings. It was constructed in 1875 and even frequented by Ernest Hemmingway! I suggest making reservations if you do not want to wait in a line.
In the morning, we ate breakfast at Maple + Batter in Bay Harbor and it was delicious with a great atmosphere!
The Sky Bridge at Boyne Mountain
After filling ourselves up with breakfast, we knew we had to head to the Sky Bridge at Boyne Mountain Resort to get some incredible views of the fall leaves from above! The tickets cost $35 at the window, and this gives access to the chairlift ride as well as entrance to the bridge.
The Sky Bridge definitely offered the best views of the trip, and the colors were simply incredible! The panoramic views along the suspension bridge are unbeatable. To make this stop even cooler, it is the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge!
I do recommend that you visit the Sky Bridge on a weekday. We went on a Monday and it was not too busy, but we heard that there were 2 hour waits just to get on the bridge over the weekend. No thanks.
Charlevoix
We made a stop in Charlevoix on our way to Traverse City, and of course had to check out the infamous Mushroom Houses. These houses were built by artist, Earl Young and have become iconic to Charlevoix. There are over 26 houses and 4 commercial properties. You can take a guided tour, but we opted for a self-guided tour as many of the houses are on one block.
After seeing the sights in Charlevoix, be sure to stop at My Grandmother’s Table to warm up and get a little treat. This bakery, cafe and coffee bar has delicious food and drinks.
On the way to Traverse City, be sure to make a stop at Friske’s Farm Market. We bought some of the best apple cider I have ever had here, and some farm fresh apples that were just as delicious! Their baked goods won our hearts over too.
Traverse City
Traverse City is beautiful and full of fun things to do, especially if you are into visiting wineries! We arrived in Traverse City late, and we were a little tired so we decided to relax for the night.
In the morning, we drove to the Leelanau Peninsula.
Leelanau Peninsula
The Leelanau Peninsula is a short drive from Traverse City (just under an hour), and was full of fall color and fun little towns!
First, we stopped in Suttons Bay and walked around the downtown to do a little shopping. Our favorite store was the Front Porch Gift Shop, but there were lots of chic clothing boutiques that we did not make it to.
We were getting hungry by the time we were done in Suttons Bay, so we headed over to Leland, where we knew we wanted to check out the Historic Fishtown. Fishtown is a collection of weathered fishing shanties and docks along the Leland river.
We found the perfect restaurant called The Cove. We were seated by the window and were able to watch the salmon try to jump up the Leland dam, which only happens in the fall. The food was amazing too. We had the most delicious seafood chowder, fish, and award winning cherry pie!
There are also a few other shops in Fishtown that are worth checking out as well.
Sleeping Bear Dunes
The last big stop on our fall road trip was to Sleeping Bear Dunes. We didn’t end up hiking up the dunes because we did not feel that it would be a good idea for my mother who is still recovering from a recent broken leg.
However, I have been to Sleeping Bear Dunes in the past, and the view is 100% worth the climb up the dunes! Look at that sunset!
Where to Stay
For this trip, we based ourselves in Petoskey and Traverse City.
Good Budget Options
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson- Traverse City
More Options
To find more hotel options for every type of budget, we always use Booking.com.
Our fall Michigan trip may have been short lived, but it was definitely a trip to remember! Let us know in the comments what your must see places in Michigan are!
-Morgan
The Traveling Wellburys 
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