Inspired Life with Estate Planning, Fall 2023

INSPIREDLIFE

LIVING BETTER AFTER 55 IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN

CelebratingConnection

5 Perfect Mother-Daughter Getaways

+ Community Potlucks // Pickleball for All // Reiki for Beginners

INSIDE: Estate& Financial Services

5

photo courtesy of Hotel Walloon

a seat at the table

Neighbors in Leelanau County are finding the link between cultures and generations can be as elemental as sharing a meal.

by EMILY TYRA photos by ALLISON JARRELL

tonight’s community potluck starts on a high note: a buoyant student group gives a preview to the Suttons Bay High School musical, segueing to the jubilant instrumentals of Leelanau County–based North Bay Celtic Band.

The jigs are the potluck soundtrack as volunteers make space on a long table draped in a black-and-white gingham tablecloth for one more dish— deviled eggs in fact—to be dropped off by a late-arriving guest.

The feel-good meal hosted by The Friendship Community Center in Suttons Bay is extra satisfying thanks to tonight’s theme: Home Sweet Home. For some gathered at the long tables that means sharing a taste of their heritage. On good intel, two teens dash over to snag a sliver of homemade boterkoek, a Dutch almond butter cake. The other hit is mov kua dlis, a silken, savory rice and chicken porridge.

The community center space itself (historically a funeral home turned furniture store turned Grange Hall) has been at home in the village of Suttons Bay since 1853.

Parents with wee ones, teen pals, newcomers to the region and active retirees are all here in the historic space to share a smorgasbord of salads and dill pickle rollups, pigs-in-a-blanket, family-recipe empanadas, crumb-topped mac and cheese and two kinds of chicken and dumplings. Bekah TenBrink, executive director of The Friendship Community Center (The Center for short) once dreamed of teens and seniors sitting together at these potlucks. It has truly become an all-ages show—by design.

The beloved community potlucks—always the first Wednesday of the month—are a tradition at The Center, whose mission in part is to create opportunities for developing an intergenerational legacy between youth and adults in the Leelanau area. When the potlucks made their initial comeback post-pandemic, teens served guests, often creating a natural ice breaker to talk to elders in their community. “It gave them a script, in a way,” shares Audrey Sharp, The Center’s associate director.

The Center also added a twist: representing a different theme or culture each month. It’s a conversation starter.

This November, for instance, The Center is collaborating with Native American community members to provide a variety of traditional dishes. All are welcome to join the meal honoring Indigenous culture and to bring a side, dessert or beverage to share. The Center is encouraging attendees to try out recipes from online collections such as “Healthy Cooking the Anishinaabek Way” created by the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, “Native American Recipes: 25 of Our All-Time Favorites” on powwows.com or “Chippewa Native American Food Recipes” curated by Amber Case on Pinterest.

It’s a pressure-free potluck, and “some are just traditionally ‘the roll person,’” Sharp shares, “but this is also an exploration of different cultures that are especially represented in our local population. And that’s a really cool way to get to know that culture, to be able to prepare or try the cuisine.”

TenBrink adds that at a past potluck, one local teen shared their traditional Native American fancy shawl dance.

“Gathering and sharing meals as a collective community offers us the chance to meet our neighbor, form friendships and learn about one another.”

RECIPE FOR A CAREFREE COMMUNITY POTLUCK

Yep, it takes more than a little luck (and amazing volunteers) to gather neighbors around a communal table, but The Center’s potlucks follow a surprisingly straightforward formula. Associate Director Audrey Sharp shares tips for other communities to replicate:

Consis tency. People count on the same time/day each month. Stick to the same set-up/format of tables and chairs each time.

Keep an inventory of plates, silverware, napkins, serving utensils, tablecloths and takeout containers. Slowly accumulate decorations for annually recurring themes.

Pick themes and share them a month in advance. (Facebook events and posts, Instagram posts and stories, in local newspapers’ schedules.)

Inspire home cooks with suggestions for on-theme dishes each month. If being careful about cultural appropriation, we get very specific with recipes. If it’s something a little more general such as summer barbecue, we would suggest a list of classic sides.

Ask t eens in the community to help serve. National Honor Society students at local schools sign up for set-up and clean-up each month.

Recruit key members of the community to extend personal invitations to people who have not joined yet.

Pete Farmer and his wife Kate Farmer Sterken of Cedar are typically in attendance with their three kids (who pitched in to bake tonight’s fabulous Dutch almond butter cake).

Farmer says cultivating both multigenerational and multicultural relationships in the Leelanau community is important to them. “We love the place and space to gather with people we live by but may not already know. We also love that it provides an opportunity to celebrate the diversity in our area—we’ve learned about the history of tamales and witnessed Native traditional dancing with our neighbors.”

The Center was founded as a gathering space more than four decades ago, and events like the potlucks have always been a part of its fabric. But their oldfashioned appeal and sheer longevity is not “the sustaining thing,” TenBrink says. “It’s being truly embedded in the community and finding opportunities to make sure everyone feels welcome and celebrated.

“We personally invite people, saying, ‘Hey, we’re going see you at the potluck, right?’ And they’ll come to one and experience the magic and then next time, they’re bringing somebody.”

Beyond the food and fellowship, the goal is really to see each other as neighboring residents of this peninsula and to keep open to another perspective. “Gathering and sharing meals as a collective community offers us the chance to meet our neighbor, form friendships and learn about one another,” TenBrink shares.

In a big way, she adds, “We need that back and forth of each generation supporting each other.” Happily, that has been a natural outcropping of the potlucks in the form of senior-and-teen pen pal clubs, homework labs and “Tech Tuesdays.”

Leelanau Investing For Teens (LIFT) is The Center’s flagship youth program offering out-of-schooltime programming for 6th through 12th graders. LIFT teens are frequent fliers at the monthly potlucks and are reaping the benefits of the relationships made there.

“At homework lab on Wednesdays, retirees in the community are volunteering to help students with homework,” Sharp explains. “A lot of kids come in and they’ll be kind of stone-faced with us, but that breaks down for someone who’s older and they are willing to accept that help a little better.”

The Center also holds Tech Tuesdays at local libraries. Through ShareCare of Leelanau, seniors can bring their phones or computer and ask tech-savvy teens anything. “The give-and-take here is unbelievable,” TenBrink says.

The remaining dates and themes for this year’s community potlucks are: Sept. 13, Fiesta Latina; Oct. 4, Soups and Chilis; Nov. 1, Native American Heritage. All potlucks start at 6 p.m. at The Friendship Community Center (201 Broadway St., Suttons Bay.) friendshipcommunitycenter.org

Emily Tyra has reported and shared stories for more than two decades in publications such as Taste of Home, Traverse Northern Michigan and Reader’s Digest. She writes from Lake Ann.

Corrie Jo Piersma, Emily Worden, Claire Palmer, Bekah Tenbrink, Darlene Garland and Sue Boss.

unapologeticallytempting

by JAMES OBRYAN

Pickleball is the nation’s fastest-growing sport, and your neighbors won’t shut up about it. Here’s why.

Istarted playing pickleball about a year ago. A visiting friend brought his paddles up to Traverse City. After an hour, I was hooked.

And I’m not alone. In 2022, there were 8.9 million players in the United States, according to a report by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, with participation increasing by 159 percent over three years.

Now, I can’t speak for all 8.9 million, but I can tell you why I’m passionate (read: borderline obsessive) about pickleball:

• It encourages mindfulness, gentle consistent breathing, competition, cooperation and camaraderie all while being disguised as a game. It’s a source of sustained lowimpact cardio and improves your reflexes. The strategic aspects of pickleball provide mental stimulation, enhancing cognitive functions and concentration.

• You’ll see a 15-year-old playing rec ball with their grandparents. And 36-year-olds getting schooled by 80-year-olds.

• The competition is fierce, from beginners to seasoned players, but when one of the main components of the game is called dinking (YouTube it), you can’t yourself too seriously.

• There are no apologies in pickleball. For a point to be scored, a mistake has to be made, so there’s no need to apologize for a bad shot. Games are normally played to 11 points, win by two, and no one wants to hear “Ope, I’m sorry” that many times. Even our Midwest politeness has its limits. (We might apologize for a netter, maybe a body shot … but we don’t really mean it.)

• The sport’s team-oriented nature and the sense of belonging it provides proves beneficial for people from all walks of life, including those who have struggled with interpersonal relationships in the past. It’s a creative game where you compete against yourself and collaborate with others, sometimes a complete stranger.

• Game time is always a social hour (… five hours), and I’ve met some incredible people on the courts. I started playing shortly after moving to Traverse City, and I’ve found a home within the pickleball community.

WHERE TO PLAY

Playing pickleball becomes more accessible each year, with the addition of new courts by dedicated groups and organizations. Pickleheads.com helps you easily find a court nearby as well as lets you find games, recruit players and sign up to play.

My pickleball home in Traverse City has a host of ops for players of all levels and abilities:

“The Dog Park” at Slabtown Corner is lovingly maintained by the Friendly Pickleball Group and provides a fun, casual atmosphere. The Boardman River Courts, managed by the Traverse Area Pickleball Association, offer a more competitive setting for players looking to reserve courts, challenge themselves and play hard. On Old Mission Peninsula, six new outdoor courts are being built this summer at Bowers Harbor Park, and about 20 minutes south of town, Grace Macdonald Park is tucked away and scenic. The Grand Traverse County Senior Center Network also hosts games and lessons. In the

winter, head indoors at the South YMCA where courts can be reserved, open play mixes in and beginners can get tips and learn the rules on Wednesday nights. Pickleball U in Acme, opening soon, will also have indoor courts.

WANT TO COMPETE?

The first-ever National Cherry Festival Pickleball Tournament took place this July with participants in men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles in a round-robin format. Watch for it again in 2024.

James OBryan is a Traverse Area Pickleball Association board member. Want to talk pickleball? Email obryanwithawhy@gmail.com.

“It’s a creative game where you compete against yourself and collaborate with others, sometimes a complete stranger.”

The Friendly Pickleball Group at their July tournament fundraiser.

FALLS ARE NOT A NORMAL PART OF AGING

As we grow older, it’s natural to experience concerns about falling. However, it’s important to understand that falls are not an inevitable part of aging. At FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers, we specialize in fall prevention and helping older adults stay steady on their feet.

Senior

On The

We o er the best of both worlds: private senior living apartments nestled on the quiet, picturesque shores of Boardman Lake—with services and amenities to meet your needs—plus all the cultural, educational, and recreational resources that the “Cherry Capital” has to o er.

Estate & Financial Services

YOUR NORTHERN MICHIGAN RESOURCE TO A SECURE FINANCIAL FUTURE

Retirement is personal and can stir up unexpected emotions. It can bring joy and relief, but also stress and grief. Don’t wing it.

—HOLLY GALLAGHER, HORIZON FINANCIAL FOUNDER & LEAD ADVISOR

ARE YOU READY FOR PRE-TIREMENT?

How to know when it’s time to work less and play more.

by LISA BLAKE

Not quite ready to hang up your career hat? But also really feeling that call to slow down? You may be in the pre-tirement zone.

Pre-tirement is the period between your decision to retire and the actual day your hat hits the hook. Rather than stopping work cold turkey at age 65, the pre-tirement path is a more gradual, nontraditional route that’s becoming an increasingly attractive and viable option for those who want to prolong their retired years, dig into some hobbies and spend more time with family while still enjoying a steady stream of carefully plotted income.

“You know the saying ‘practice makes perfect’? That’s especially true for something like living out the rest of your life on a fixed income,” says Horizon Financial founder and lead advisor Holly Gallagher.

Retiring gradually on your own terms takes a particular finesse. As you continue to do what you love for work while embracing more “you” time, travel time and family time, it’s important to ask yourself how your next chapter will read.

EXPERT TIP: Dreaming of a pre- or post-retirement beach or mountain home? Rent short-term in your desired destination before considering buying a second home. You may find that it’s not for you after all.

“Retirement is personal and can stir up unexpected emotions. It can bring joy and relief, but also stress and grief. Don’t wing it,” says Gallagher, who has spent 30 years providing comprehensive wealth management and retirement lifestyle planning. She

serves clients nearing retirement or retired with a minimum of $1 million in investable assets, standing alongside a client’s CPA, banker, attorney and insurance agent to set and meet financial goals.

EXPERT TIP: Before considering a phased retirement approach, talk to your employer about how reduced hours will affect your pension, health insurance and other employee benefits.

To determine when you can afford to retire and gently ease into that pace of life, you need to consider what you want to do in your golden years. Gallagher recommends being as realistic as possible when envisioning your retirement lifestyle. What interests do you want to explore that you may not have had time for while you were working full-time? What additional expenses might you incur? Do you want to travel, relocate or help fund your grandchildren’s education? A clear retirement vision helps financial advisors understand where your accounts should be as you move through your pre and post-retirement years.

It can be helpful to tag team pre-tirement with your partner—while one of you dips a toe into retirement, the other continues to work full-time for another year or two.

“This gives the first spouse time to get acclimated to their new routine,” Gallagher says. “It gives the couple time to adapt to one paycheck and take withdrawals out of accounts they’ve contributed to all their lives.” Lisa Blake

CURIOUS

FIVE YEARS TO PRE-TIREMENT

• Set your target date.

• Envision your pre-retirement lifestyle.

• Consider purchasing long-term care insurance if you haven’t already.

• Pay off outstanding debt.

THREE YEARS TO PRE-TIREMENT

• Review your retirement benefits, including social security.

• Review your retirement health care benefits and costs.

• Review and adjust your retirement asset allocation.

• Review your life insurance coverage.

• Formulate a realistic budget.

ONE YEAR TO PRE-TIREMENT

• Record important dates and deadlines.

• Contact the Social Security Administration.

• Contact former employer retirement plans.

• Test-drive your pre-tirement budget.

AT PRE-TIREMENT

• Consolidate your retirement accounts.

• Transition your health care coverage.

• Calculate your pre-retirement income paycheck.

• Determine your tax withholding or quarterly tax payment.

• Adjust your budget.

Many people support the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy because they know the best way to ensure our region remains vibrant, healthy and beautiful is to protect the critical places we all love—forever.

Planning for a conservation legacy offers the satisfaction of supporting a vital cause, the excitement of knowing your gift will make a positive impact and–in many cases–substantial financial benefits to you and/ or another beneficiary through tax advantages or life income. Many arrange planned gifts to ensure their vision and annual support can last well into the future.

We can work with your financial advisor to design a gift planning option that will meet your personal, financial and charitable goals, all while safeguarding the region’s most special places for future generations. For more information contact: Barb Heflin,

U N IQ U E

Your one-of-a-kind life, our one-of-a-kind guidance.

At Greenleaf Trust, we are committed to providing exceptional solutions for your one-of-a-kind needs. Our team is exclusively dedicated to providing the highest level of comprehensive wealth management services, trust administration, and retirement plan services. Client relationships begin at $2 million.

BUILD A LIFE THAT YOU DON’T NEED A VACATION FROM.

Estate

Whether you head North for vacation or a day trip. Start planning your next adventure on MyNorth.com

Whether you head North for vacation or a day trip. Start planning your next adventure on MyNorth.com

by

Letting in the Light

EMILY TYRA

A former psychotherapist finds a second path toward healing and enlightenment.

photo by Dave Weidner

It’s a warm Wednesday evening in Traverse City, and Sally Littleton, Ph.D., is headed to her neighborhood’s clubhouse to welcome a handful of her students ready to share reiki energy with each other.

Littleton, or Dr. Sally as her students call her, is a retired psychotherapist experienced in the processes needed to open emotional blocks, re-pattern thoughts and release trauma. But these days she provides a different kind of energetic support to students and clients: reiki.

Through her Enlightenment Reiki workshops, she teaches classes locally and remotely, including one through Northwestern Michigan College, and shares reiki one-on-one with clients in a limited virtual practice. She views reiki—a Japanese healing technique for the self and others—in practical terms: “Helping people to live more calmly, and to attain and retain our balance in all ways.” Tonight, at her workshop-style meetup, a diverse group from across Northern Michigan refresh themselves on the system of reiki and its self-practice benefits—including health, peace of mind and harmony in relationships.

Becoming a reiki master wasn’t a planned second act for the former therapist, though she was first introduced to it as a client decades ago to help heal injuries she experienced early in life. Once she awakened to the benefits, her “goal was to share this with as many people as possible,” she says. Here’s her “why:”

EMILY TYRA: You had a thriving psychotherapy practice in Traverse City. What changed?

SALLY LITTLETON: I did long-term intensive psychotherapy. Consistency was very important when working with people two or three times a week for three to five years. But my health was on the wrong track. I would have these terrible migraines and there were times I just couldn’t go work with patients. I ended up retiring early, which was very, very hard for me. I loved my work, and I had intended to work into my 80s.

ET: You already knew about reiki at this point; did it help you?

SL: Yes, it helped me accept and deal with the loss. It helped me to come to terms with my health. As things had gotten worse, I had to really recognize that it wasn’t an indictment of who I am.

ET: When did you make the leap to become a reiki master and teacher?

SL: As soon as I started receiving reiki I wanted to know more. I studied with an internationally known master in the Western tradition, but I didn’t learn how to teach reiki at that time. Later I discovered the original Japanese reiki and when I did, it was like a light just lit for me. I got training from two renowned masters and started practicing. I started feeling healthier and healthier. I’m not totally healed, but things changed for me.

ET: Why were you drawn to teaching reiki?

SL: My desire has been to help everyone find their true self.

And that’s the expression of reiki, that we become more and more fully who we truly are. And that benefits everyone.

ET: How so?

SL: The more we’re becoming our true self, we are able to be in balance physically, emotionally and spiritually. As we go through life—as we age—our physical being is diminished, right? And when we’re connected physically, emotionally and spiritually the experience of that is less. Even though it’s still happening, it’s less intense. I think it’s really important to say that reiki is not a religion. There is no dogma. It’s not necessary to believe anything. People can be skeptical of reiki, and most people have some skepticism when they’re first introduced to it. For some it seems like it couldn’t be true. Reiki is not about belief. If we’re open to healing, then the reiki that comes to us assists us in doing that.

ET: When it all boils down, what IS reiki?

SL: The most common definitions are universal life energy, spiritual energy, mysterious atmosphere and the essence of life. Another way to think of reiki: pure being in the physical dimension.

ET: What is it like to experience?

SL: Reiki is the energy that moves through your body. In fact, reiki practitioners understand that reiki is the energy that moves through everything. I would say that reiki training teaches us how to raise our vibration by connecting to the energy—or light—to flow reiki more strongly. It’s like a reintroduction: It’s not that we didn’t have the energy before, but the more and more that we practice, the more we’re able to connect and flow at a higher, deeper, more intense level. And when you share reiki with others, it flows through you.

ET: What are reactions of people having a reiki treatment?

SL: They might sense light or colors. They may feel heat intensely. Some people feel cold. A lot of people feel tremendous relief. If it’s a physical issue, they might feel immediate physical relief. I don’t mean that they’re healed, but they feel relief.

ET: Do most of your clients come initially with a physical problem?

SL: Even with physical problems, generally there’s an emotional or mental component. Reiki brings the scattered mind back into balance. Reiki brings you back into balance. There is commonly a feeling of peace, a feeling of calmness. People will say, ‘I feel lighter.’

ET: Wow. Do you think that the practice of sharing reiki has simultaneously continued to heal you?

SL: Oh, absolutely. That is the beauty of it.

Emily Tyra has reported and shared stories for more than two decades in publications such as Taste of Home, Traverse Northern Michigan and Reader’s Digest. She writes from Lake Ann.

Hotel Walloon

Magical Mother-Daughter Getaways

When daughters are grown, spending time together as adults is one of parenting’s sweet rewards. But carving out the one-on-one time isn’t easy. These five perfect Northern Michigan escapes are just right for catching up, checking in and tuning out the rest of the world.

by KANDACE CHAPPLE

books & beaches

STAY: HOTEL WALLOON, WALLOON LAKE

Write your life story here, or at least live a very delicious scene of it. The stately Hotel Walloon is located on the shores of the same lake that inspired Ernest Hemingway. And yes, there’s a self-guided tour. Find the very spot described in “Wedding Day” where Nick Adams and his new bride began their honeymoon by rowing across the lake just as real-life Hemingway and Hadley Richardson did after their wedding.

The property is built for serenity, and little luxuries abound—a heated outdoor spa, complimentary hors d’oeuvres and desserts each evening, an outdoor lakeside fire pit. Book a room that overlooks the water, slow down and soak in lake life (preferably while lounging with a beach book in those plush robes we all dream about). Hungry? Head next door to Barrel Back, named after “Barrel Back” boats found on inland lakes in the 1920s. The restaurant is known for its wood-fired pizzas, housesmoked brisket with maple bourbon glaze and sunset views over the harbor. hotelwalloon.com

Hotel Walloon’s lakeside fire pit

photos courtesy of Hotel Walloon

yurts & dirt

STAY: PADDLER’S VILLAGE, MUNISING

Not glamping exactly, but a step up from a plain ol’ tent. This camping village, located just minutes from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, offers everything from yurts to cabins to safari tents. You can’t go wrong, every lodging option will leave a little dirt under your nails and a bonding moment over getting that darn campfire started. Try the “deluxe” yurts for a weekend with more comforts of home. These include a mini fridge, microwave and linens already on the bunk beds. Plus, they’ve got bathrooms inside.

Enjoy the shores of Lake Superior here and, of course, book a boat or kayak excursion to see the sandstone cliffs of Pictured Rocks rising from the water. After all that adventure, head into nearby Marquette to grab the best to-go deli sandwiches in town, from a local favorite named, naturally, Togo’s. Their submarine sandwiches are massive, so consider splitting one. Let mom pick her half first. paddlingmichigan.com

horses & wine

STAY: HOTEL IROQUOIS, MACKINAC ISLAND

You can’t go wrong stealing away to an island for a weekend, but a stay at this boutique hotel with its endless Victorian gardens and waterfront perch on the Straits of Mackinac is one you won’t want to leave. Hotel Iroquois’ 45 guest suites and rooms offer a variety of stunning views—Round Island Lighthouse, Fort Mackinac, ferries and freighters. The hotel’s cocktail dock is an absolute must.

Tips to make your island getaway unforgettable:

• Instead of renting bikes by the hour, rent for 24 hours and forget about the clock. Pedal where you want, when you want.

• Get up 30 minutes before dawn and pedal to the sunrise side of the island to take in the serenity of the arriving day. Grab coffee afterward at Mission Point Resort’s Boxwood Coffeeshop & Café.

• To see stunning views from the highest point on the island, leave the bikes at the hotel and treat yourselves to a horse carriage taxi ride up to Fort Holmes (around $9 per person), then meander back down on foot. iroquoishotel.com; missionpoint.com

moose & rocks

STAY: PLEASANT MOOSE LODGE, NEWBERRY

Get ready to get “lit.” This getaway is all about Yooperlites, a recently discovered glow-in-the-dark rock found prominently along the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula. Enjoy a stay at the rustic Pleasant Moose Lodge, which is Yooper charm to a tee—fireplaces to warm your toes, friendly staff to warm your soul. (The name fits; a mama and baby moose have been spotted near the lodge.)

Then, book a night experience you’ll never forget: A Yooperlites tour with Erik Rintamaki, the guy who discovered and named this special rock that only glows under UV light. (Yooperlites have even been featured on the Discovery Channel.) These sell out fast, so book well in advance. Tours begin at 6 p.m. with dinner at Pine Stump Junction, a landmark for miles around, as there’s little else to be found this far north in the Yoop. Then take a ride in a side-by-side with your tour guide, Erik, to the lakeshore. You’ll be out past your bedtime—most tours end around midnight—but it’s unlike any kind of rock hunting you’ve ever done. Watch the sunset over Mother Superior, then wander the soulful, beautiful night beach, using special UV flashlights to look for the tell-tale glowing orange-flecked rocks. Let out a whoop with each one you find, and be the mother-daughter team to beat. pleasantmoose.com; yooperlites.com

The “Powers of the Air” yurt at Paddler’s Village

photo by Allison Jarrell

spa day & dunes

STAY: THE HOMESTEAD, GLEN ARBOR

This resort is like a best-of-the-best of Sleeping Bear Dunes; tucked into the lakeshore, its scenery unforgettable. Make your way to the bluff where Spa Amira is perched, and you’ll find a turquoise pool overlooking Lake Michigan, the dunes and the Manitou Islands. Book a duet Nirvana Stress Relief Massage for both of you or a Manitou Foot Utopia treatment, which can be done outdoors (weather permitting) by that dazzling pool. Later, enjoy lunch at Café Manitou’s deck where the Crystal River meets the Big Lake.

A day trip to nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes is a must. (You’ll need a park pass; $25 for a private vehicle, valid seven days from date of purchase.) Take a serene cruise on Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, traveling through a charming covered bridge and stopping at scenic turnouts along the way. The crown jewel of this 7-mile loop is the Lake Michigan Overlook with one of the most stunning views in Michigan—actually, the entire Midwest. thehomesteadresort.com

Kandace Chapple is a freelance writer and avid Michigan outdoor adventurer. mi-girl.com

The Homestead photo courtesy of The Homesead

photo by Tim Hussey