Last week I wrote about our amazing time at Stafford’s Crooked River Lodge in Alanson. I wanted to take some time to also write about itinerary to help you out with any vacations you may plan to northern Michigan in the future.
Northern Michigan Itinerary
Here is how we spent 3 days and 2 nights in Northern Michigan:
Day 1: Charlevoix and Petoskey
We woke up early and hit the road to make the most of our trip. Our first stop was Charlevoix.
Before heading downtown, we stopped at John Cross Fisheries, where we picked up some smoked fish dip, which was perfect to enjoy while picnicking on the waterfront.
This gorgeous waterfront city is home to cute shops, a beautiful city beach, and an architectural feat — the mushroom houses!
We decided splurge and go on a Mushroom House Tour. The family loaded up in a “Gem Car” and got a private outside tour of the 28 houses designed by Earl Young.
I thought the tour may be boring for the kids, but they really enjoyed it! I loved getting the tour because I didn’t really know the history of the houses, and it was fantastic hearing it from the perspective of a local versus just driving by them.
After, we had fun checking out some of the little shops downtown. The kids loved the Taffy Barrel, since we are a candy-loving family 😉
Petoskey
We stopped in Petoskey on our way through to check out the downtown. We’ve been here before, so didn’t spend as much time here as I would’ve liked. Some of our favorite stores are Grandpa Shorters and McLean & Eakin Booksellers. If we had more time, I would’ve loved to get a hot pretzel from Petoskey Pretzel Co. and walk along the water at Bayfront Park.
The kids LOVE putt putt, so we opted to drive out of town to check out Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf. This course was AMAZING and easy enough with young kids to hold their attention.
From there, we headed to Crooked River Lodge for the night to swim in the pool and enjoy the property’s amenities.
DAY 2: Harbor Springs & Wilderness State Park
This day definitely had a lot of driving, so if that’s not for you, I’d break this day up. I just wanted to cram it ALL in 😉
We started with breakfast at the hotel, which was amazing. If you are a donut lover, a stop at Dutch Oven Bakery is a MUST.
We had hoped to start our day at the Oden State Fish Hatchery, but it was closed. If you are able to go when it’s open, go! It’s free, and who can beat that?! Great way to learn about fishing in Michigan.
Instead, we headed to Harbor Springs to hike at the Thorne Swift Nature Preserve. This also is free, but a $5/car donation is appreciated. At 1.5 miles all the way around, this was the absolute perfect hike for kids! It’s wooded, but has bridges throughout and is well cared for.
The best part was going right down to the beach and checking out rocks {do not take them here though}.
After, we headed back into Harbor Springs to grab some lunch and check out the amazing downtown area. I had never been here, and I was blown away at how quaint it was. Each business had the most beautiful flowers.
You could also walk down the pier and check out the boats, which was fun too. We all picked out which yacht we’d like if we ever win the lottery 😉
We had lunch at Stafford’s Pier because they have amazing outdoor dining on their patio overlooking the water. I cannot recommend this place enough! {I had to snap a picture while passing through inside because it’s neat with all the nautical gear.}
The decor inside was so fun…but the outdoor patio is where it’s at! Not only were the views beautiful, but the food was great too!
After, we grabbed ice cream at Yummies, an adorable and independent business in town. The ice cream flavors were amazing! Just be warned it is cash only.
The Harbor Springs public beach was adorable, but was pretty crowded, so we decided to drive north and hit up Wilderness State Park to a more remote beach.
It was worth the drive — we had plenty of beach to ourselves and the kids had a blast exploring and playing. {Just note there are no restrooms here…We changed in our van!}
The infamous Leggs Inn is super close by in Cross Village, so if you’re going, definitely stop for dinner! It was closed during our visit or else we would’ve stopped in a heartbeat for some Polish food.
Driving back, we opted for the long way through the Tunnel of Trees {M-119}. It was SO fun to drive!
On the way, we stopped at Pond Hill Farm, which was recommended to us many times.
If the kids weren’t so tired, we absolutely would’ve hit up the gnome house trail on the property. Instead we had fun grabbing a cider and walking around the property. This place would be amazing to visit in the fall!
We finally drove back to the lodge, stopping along the way for some carryout pizza.
Day 3: Ocqueoc Falls + Drive Home
We had considered a few stops on our way home, but decided to take a detour to Ocqueoc Falls, which is the lower peninsula’s largest waterfall with a drop of about 5 feet. It was the perfect place for kids since you could get IN the water.
We packed a picnic and had a blast spending a few hours playing in the water and tiring out the kids before the trek home. Just make sure to wear water shoes as it can be slippery and pack a life vest if you don’t have strong swimmers.
Overall, we had a blast exploring northern Michigan and loved having Stafford’s Crooked River Lodge as our home base. We sure missed a lot, so will be excited to go back again and explore more of the beaches and amazing things to do!
The post is not compensated, however, I did receive a gift card for Stafford’s Pier to use during my hosted stay.
Where are your kids’ favorite spots in northern Michigan?
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