If you know anything about Northern Michigan, you know that the winters are long and harsh and the summers are beautiful. Although the eight months of horribly cold, miserable weather are long and dark, the four months of sunshine and beauty make up for the dark days spent inside by the fireplace. Here are the reasons why a Northern Michigan summer makes up for a Northern Michigan Winter.
Tourists
To be honest, the tourists SUCK. The roads are filled with fudgies who don’t understand the first rule of driving and they take over our hometowns like they own them (and honestly they probably do #richhhhh). But the plus with tourists is that they keep our little Up North towns moving! Tourist season is the best season to bring traffic to our small communities, and more often than not, they LOVE the little place we call home. We should never take our homes for granted because for some people, we live in their ultimate happy place! Not to mention the money they bring in. We all work our butts off all summer and make pretty good money because of the vacationers. Be thankful!
Mackinac Island
I know some people hate Mackinac Island because it’s full of horse crap and tourists, but I personally think it is so much fun to learn about the history and see the sights. The Lilac Festival on Mackinac is a great time to be there for their local parade and to smell the most beautiful smelling flowers in the world (in my opinion). You also can’t beat a slab of fudge from the never ending amounts of fudge shops on the small island.
The Food
There is an enormous amount of fabulous restaurants ranging from food trucks to fancier dine in places. It’s definitely worth taking the time to explore and find what you like. There are also great summer treat places like Moomers ice cream! Since Traverse City is the cherry capital of the world there are many cherry themed food items that are to die for.
Traveling
There are so many little towns to explore Up North and it’s not a long haul to any of them. You can take an hour drive to a brand new place for the day. From Traverse City to Petoskey and all of the small towns in between. It is also cool to take a trek across the Mackinac Bridge to the Upper Peninsula and see all the second half of Michigan has to offer. There are amazing campgrounds, waterfalls, history, and more in the U.P.
The Gitche Gumee Museum in Grand Marais, Michigan.
Randomly discovered lighthouse in the U.P.
The Beauty
Although the winter is long, the second the sun peeks out, there is not a more beautiful sight than Northern Michigan. Whether it be the sunrise and sunset, the view of the lake, or the sand dunes, we sure do live in one gorgeous place. Pyramid Point is a wonderful place to see an incredible view of Lake Michigan after a small hike in the woods.
The Activities
If you’re even thinking about spending a day inside during a NoMich summer day, you’ve got it all backwards. There are endless things to do outside during the summer. If you’re feeling like a relaxing day you can lay out on the beach or go boating on Lake Michigan or one of many inland lakes. If you want to adventure, you can go kayaking or stand up paddleboarding to explore the pure blue waters. You can learn to water ski, wakeboard, or wake surf with your friends and just have a day out on the water if you have access to a boat. You can go fishing or go on hikes with friends. The possibilities are endless!
I hope this article encouraged you to look past the negative temperatures and see the warmth and beauty that is NoMich. Even Kid Rock sings about loving the summertime in Northern Michigan!
