We were sad to leave Brighton and our family, but excited to begin our northward journey through Michigan. Next stop would be Interlochen State Park. This was the closest we could get to the Crystal Lake and Leelanau Peninsula.
Interlochen is actually Michigan’s first and oldest state park. It is located adjacent to the Interlochen Arts Camp. Because it is an older campground, the sites are fairly small and close. Large trees shade the campground providing an extra challenge when backing into a campsite. The park was our launching pad for discovery and, as such, it worked just fine.
Our first day, we headed west to see Crystal Lake. Some of my oldest and fondest memories are of family vacations at the Blue Anchor in Crystal Lake. We stayed in cabins and swam in the lake. We had sailing lessons and, for a big treat headed in to Frankfort for olive burgers and root beer floats at the local A&W.
In fifty years or more, much has changed at Crystal Lake, but it remains a beautiful lake. The Blue Anchor must be long gone replaced by vacation homes, but the A&W is still there and they don’t seem to have changed a thing! Sitting outside at a picnic table, we had a delicious lunch of Lake Michigan-caught white fish at the Port City Smokehouse.
Afterwards we intended to take a walk in a dog-friendly part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore but ended up on a long drive around the area including a stop at Point Betsie Light House. We would have to leave Sleeping Bear for another day, but took a walk on a rail to trail in Sutton’s Bay.
Leelanau Cheese Shop was recommended to us by Renee and we followed that with a stop at the Sutton’s Bay Ciderie for a tasting.
It was a long, but thoroughly enjoyable day with more adventures sure to come.
Nomads in Love 
I remember those sailing lessons and how many times we had to hoist ourselves out of the water and back on to the overturned boat! Once you got stuck underneath and that was scary!
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I love that area! I didn’t realize you went there when you were young. 🙂 There was a bunch of the New Years Eve group who had homes on Crystal Lake and several times we all went up there as a group, fun. Brickmans are the only family I know who still have homes there.
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Since we found out you like cider, we can tell you a cider tasting room just opened in downtown Florence.
We can just walk there. We have checked out all the ciders and we have our favorite picked out.
So we can visit again when you return.
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It’s a date!!!!
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Sounds and looks great! Very quiet in the hood here. I hope Dakota is mending well.
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Dakota seems like his old self–except for the shaved patches. So happy he is well.
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