We're planning a trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes and Makinaw Island in a few weeks. Does anyone have any good restaurant suggestions or things to do? Thanks!
When visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes several years ago we took the family to The Bluebird in Leland, MI. Their specialty is Lake Michigan Whitefish. It was excellent. We enjoyed our evening there. Also picked up some of the cinnamon rolls for breakfast the next morning. Here is a link to their website:
As for things to do: there is a scenic drive you could explore, definitely climb the dunes, and check out the sunsets from Leelanau Peninsula. Here is the link for SBD "Things to Do:"
There are several decent places to eat in Glen Arbor. Across from the grocery store on the M-22/M-109 corner has very good food. Large place! The white building Bar a block northeast has burgers, brats, and chicken on the outside grill with seating area every weekend and on some special weekdays too. There are no "fast food" places near the S.B. Dunes. Demmings in Empire used to be good but it has changed hands and we had eaten there last fall and certianly can't recommend them now. Nothing like it used to be! All you had asked for was restaurants and that could mean any menu or price etc so all we can tell you is where there are "restaurants". BTW, the Bluebird Restaurant is very good but it is in Leland which is 25+ miles from Sleeping Bear. Leland is a neat fishing village to visit and Carlson's Fisheries near the Marina has excellent smoked fish and "smoked white fish sausage" they make right there. Sounds wierd but it's actually very good. Lots of gift shops to help slim your wallet along with wineries you can taste at (hic) and buy from. Real cherry wine, not flavored grape wine! You can take the ferry boat over to South Manitou Island and swim, hike to the valley of the giants (hude cedar trees that were there before Columbus crossed the salty pond on the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria), tour the lighthouse, etc or just relax. It also goes to North Manitou Island. Only transportation on the Islands is your two feet. Fortunately, the Islands aren't that big and you can get a taste. We've hiked all over each one over the years. You are almost always the only people on a stretch of beach meaning you really feel you're alone, the beach is yours, and the water is totally safe and so clean to play in. S.B.D.N.L. area is absolutely beautiful and has so much to do that you can spend 2 weeks and only see a small part of it making you want to return again and again! Pierce Stocking Dune Drive off M-109 is great. Take a picnic lunch and spent the day. We've been going to S.B.D.N.L. a couple time every year since 1960's (long before it was a National Park) and still are finding new things. It's a huge and very diverse area. An excellent campground is the very large wooded Platte River N.P C.G. about 8 miles south of Empire on M-22. Several hundred beautiful campsites. Rent canoes, fish, swim in Lake Michigan, the very clean Platte River, hike dunes and trails, deer are everywhere. You can go down the dune to Lake Michigan but beware the climb back up is easily the most strenous thing you've probably ever done. steep Soft sugar like sand means you climb 3 steps up and slide back down two up the entire 450 foot dune. I know, I've done it half a dozen times when I was younger. Now, I'd be lucky to make it 20 feet back up on a good day!
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When visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes several years ago we took the family to The Bluebird in Leland, MI. Their specialty is Lake Michigan Whitefish. It was excellent. We enjoyed our evening there. Also picked up some of the cinnamon rolls for breakfast the next morning. Here is a link to their website:
As for things to do: there is a scenic drive you could explore, definitely climb the dunes, and check out the sunsets from Leelanau Peninsula. Here is the link for SBD "Things to Do:"
Thanks Twomed! Couldn't remember the name of his tavern. "Art's Tavern", and forgot about their "whitefish in a bag" too. Yes, good food! Must be getting old! I think we've eaten in every place in the Leelanau Peninsula area and the Traverse City area over the last 45+ years and it's so hard to remember them all. It's only 150 miles north of our home and it's a must area for us to camp and scrounge around in a couple times/weeks a year min. So many restaurants have sold or changed names over the years also as is normal. We usually take a boat with us behind the 5'er or camper and catch lots of fish and fry them the same day, SOOOO GOOOOD! Not die-hard fishing people like some are but it's sure fun! We often frequent local restaurants for their different specialties too. South of the Platte River CG is another small place that's been there for many years named "Manitou Inn" on M-22 but we haven't been there for a couple years now. Several good places in Frankfort, Honor, and the Beulah/Benzonia areas also.
Boone Docks is the name of the large good restaurant on the corner of M-22 and M-109 in Glen Arbor I had mentioned. There's an excellent very large restaurant a couple miles west of Traverse City called "Boone's Long Lake Inn" on Secor Rd by Long Lake. Think it seats over 500 people. Huge prime ribs, like 26 oz, and huge very thick (about 2 1/2"-3") New York Strips also. Their specialties! We've eaten there so many times and they usually had to use a fork lift truck to get us back to the vehicle. Couldn't even waddle! Still one of our favorite places. The fork truck wounds heal! Very large paved parking lot with plenty of room for RV's. Another Boone's in Sutton's Bay north of Traverse City. A couple good places to eat in Northport too. M-22. M-109, M-201, and M-204 are very scenic roads.
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