When we were invited by Chevrolet to take experience the all-new 2018 Traverse by taking a road trip through Michigan, we were excited! #FindNewRoads is the hashtag Chevrolet uses on social media to highlight all the adventures Chevy enthusiasts have with their vehicles. This would be the theme of our adventure!
The road trip destination choices were between Traverse City, MI and Grand Rapids, MI. Thanks to a very informal Facebook friend poll, we chose Traverse City as we were encouraged that it was very close to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. We have a family goal to visit a new National Park each year so, we knew this was the spot for us!
We flew in to Detroit, met the Chevrolet team to learn all about the 2018 Traverse and then got on the road headed north to Traverse City.
Michigan is beautiful, Queridos. I had no idea. We had planned to enjoy an evening strolling through downtown Traverse City since it is known for it’s quaint boutiques, restaurants, and shops. Unfortunately, it rained all evening. We did take a quick stroll but not much was open. However, we did manage to find some tasty chocolate covered cherries!
The next day, we had breakfast at one of the best Mexican food restaurants I’ve ever eaten. I’m not kidding. Splanglish has the most amazing tamales. When I asked where did the recipes come from she could only tell me, “Jefe is from somewhere in Mexico.” If I had had more time, I would have probed a bit more but we had a long day ahead of us.
We drove the 30-something minute drive to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Shoreline. The drive was scenic full of rolling green hills and farmland.
Once we arrived, we stopped to purchase our park pass and headed to the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. There are seven marked stops along this drive for visitors to stop and hike, explore, and take photos.
We hiked through the sand dunes. If you ever want a leg work out, this is it! And, it’s so worth the views.
Even if you don’t stop, the short drive is breathtaking and I would not suggest missing it.
Since we had limited daylight, we didn’t stop at the big sand dune to play. We did drive by to see it for ourselves. Families were definitely having fun sliding down the dunes! If you have time, definitely stop and play.
We drove on out to Glen Harbor to get to the water! There is a small museum located there to learn more about the history.
We spent our afternoon in the water. It was cold! And, it was so refreshing. It wasn’t a sandy beach. But once we past the rocky shoreline, the boys and I had a blast!
Our day wasn’t over yet. We headed back to Traverse City and while my oldest son and my husband relaxed in the hotel, my youngest son and I went down to Clinch Park across the street.
There we found water splash pads for kids (and adults) to enjoy!
We also still had some daylight to enjoy the sandy beach shore. I could not get my son out of the clear water of Lake Michigan.
After about two hours in the water, the two of us dried off, crossed the street to the center of downtown and people-watched the hustle and bustle of Saturday night life.
We wish that we had more time in Traverse City to go on more hikes and trails, maybe even on a boat.
All the thanks to Chevrolet for hosting us and letting us find new roads to make these great memories in Michigan.
