After Labor Day travel to the upper lower or even upper peninsula of Michigan tends to dwindle. Unless you’re a fall color enthusiast then you tend to head up at the very end of September or even into October when the color hits it peak. However, in my opinion even prior to the leaves changing it is a perfect place to travel in the fall. First and foremost, you have less people to contend with. Second you have a lower out-of-season rate. More importantly if you love to do some outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking, biking or taking long walks the weather is gorgeous. You no longer have to worry about the sweltering humid heat which for me is a win, win and if you love to go shopping and the little shops are still open you can find many a bargain with owners trying to get rid of their inventory prior to shutting down for the winter.
One small town that I might suggest traveling to would be Manistee. It has a perfect location on the coast of Lake Michigan. So, you can take your time driving up along the coast, stopping in some of the lake towns along the way such as Holland, Grand Haven, Silver Lake Sand Dunes and Ludington. Once there you will also be within driving distance of the Leelanau Peninsula, Traverse City, Charlevoix and Petosky. Manistee is a beautiful small town with a gorgeous pier that you can walk along at sunset. If it happens to be salmon season the pier is also a great place to fish.
On my last trip to Manistee, we drove up the Leelanau Peninsula spending part of the day in Leland shopping. The town quaint town has excellent sandwich shops and places that sell smoked whitefish. Prior to going to Leland, I started the day off with a hike up the famous Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. Which is a good challenge for a novice or an experienced hiker. I had fun even though I am nowhere in shape to go up to the top of the first dune let alone go up the even bigger one that you discover is there once you reach the top.
After Leland I took a nice scenic drive into Travers City. The downtown area is walkable and shopper friendly. The town is famous for its cherry trees. If you go in spring, you will see the blossoms. Going in the fall you get cherry preserves. Several of the shops downtown have a variety of just about anything that you could imagine being cherry. They also have some gorgeous clothing boutiques to peruse. I of course had to end the day there with a stop at the Traverse City Pie Company for dessert. It is a pie lovers dream.
Once back in Manistee for the evening I had to enjoy another walk along the pier at sunset. It was a perfect way to end the day and enjoy a nice fall evening. Tourists and locals go out there to watch the sunset or even have a nice bonfire on the beach. It is a great place to enjoy a cool breeze, listen to the lapping of the waves and just think of nothing, but maybe how beautiful it is.
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