Roughly 350 Million years ago, Michigan was located near the equator and was covered by a shallow sea, allowing coral reefs to flourish.

Today, if you’re lucky, you can find remnants of this time period, called Petoskey stones, on the shores of Lake Michigan, in the northwestern lower peninsula.

Petoskey stones are fossilized fragments of the corals that existed many epochs ago and are named after an Ottawa Indian Chief, Pet-O-Sega, which translates to “rays of the rising sun,” or “sunbeams of promise.” The stone is a symbol of good luck for those who are fortunate enough to find one.

I had no idea about these stones, nor of anything about Northern Michigan. The only thing I knew was I had to go; because over the years, encountering people who have lived or traveled to Northern Michigan, they all were unable to express in words the feelings they got from it, sometimes the only advice they could give was, “you just have to go.”

So, I went… based on a prompt from our lead location scout for our on-going Wayfarer Weekends, Jake. Organizing a group of intrepid Wayfarians ahead of time to share in the adventure. 

If you’re picking this trip up I would recommend starting in Traverse City. What was once just a 1850’s sawmill town and Native American settlement, Traverse City has evolved into a resort, culinary and wine destination, and is now known as the Cherry capital of the world. Don’t skip the cherry pies here…

We love group campfires

Polyphemus Moth

Petoskey Stone

The downtown is cute and very walkable, with great amenities ranging from bars and restaurants to a variety of shops. I would recommend stopping in at the M22 store on E Front Street. It’s as if you’re stepping into a surf shop in California and can catch you off guard, as it did me. But of course, there’s tons of water sports on lake Michigan, including surfing… duh! Just goes to show where my expectations were placed. The namesake of the store refers to the M-22 coastal highway, which follows the peninsula along the shore of Lake Michigan, delivering you from Traverse City up through Suttons Bay and Northport, then down to Leland and Glen Harbor. While in the store, check out the large wall displaying cards of the many activities you can do along the M22 corridor. I grabbed several for my trip.

Another stop in Traverse City I would recommend is the Enjoy Michigan store. I’m a sucker for funky, local collectables to add to my van but the most enjoyable part about the store was the operator, Shawn. A very enthusiastic resident who couldn’t get her words out fast enough once she found out it was my first time in the area. She had many recommendations of things to see and do but what I have to thank her for the most is the quest she sent me on, which was to locate a 24/7 goat cheese vending machine in Northport. Before I get to that, one last bit I would recommend for Traverse City is walking around the neighborhoods on State, Washington or Weber street. This gets you out of the tourist mix for a quiet walk and the neighborhoods are quite beautiful!

Now… a 24 hour, 7 days a week goat cheese vending was not something I foresaw myself trying to find in Northern Michigan but that’s the joy of traveling around in a van, you just have to let the scenic routes unfold in front of you. 

I won’t give you the exact location of the vending machine, you’ll just have to go on your own easter egg hunt but Northport is a small town and after an hour or two of just walking around you’ll likely stumble upon it (though it’s not in the most obvious location). What I can tell you is the cheese is made locally by Idyll Farm and according to Shawn, the proprietor has won numerous international cheese competitions with her chevre. 

Once you’ve looted the vending machine for your cheese booty, continue a slow drive up the M22 and take an out and back trip up to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse. It’s quiet and lovely and there are plenty of private picnic tables overlooking lake Michigan – where people won’t see you licking your cheese tub clean. 

From there you can continue down the M22 through Leland and Glen Harbor – two more idyllic coastal Michigan towns. 

For this Wayfarer Weekend we all convened at the Empire Township Campground.  If you decide to drop anchor here for your Michigan discovery I would recommend anywhere in the ‘Hardwoods’ tent camping section. There’s ample shade and the sites are plenty big for any Wayfarer. Showers and restroom facilities are also available on site. From the campground you’re not far from the town of Empire or Glen Harbor for provisions either.

For activities, the beaches along Lake Michigan can’t be beat. The water is a vibrant turquoise and the dunes can rise up hundreds of feet above the lake. For some of the best views overlooking Lake Michigan, walk the Empire Bluff Trail or head over to the Sleeping Bear Dunes Overlook. You won’t get enough of the sights. The pinkish hue of the dunes and the crystal clear water will have you hanging around long enough you’ll be digging sand out of your belly button days after. The lakes speckling the area are equally as beautiful, so grab a spot along Glen Lake and enjoy the fresh water and the smell of pine trees. 

Beyond the lake shores, Michigan is also known for its wonderful farm stands. In fact, not far from the campground you’ll find Fowler and Valley Farms where you can pick up some fresh produce, preserves and meat – the farm fresh breakfast sausages were my favorite and I was fortunate enough to grab enough to share with our Wayfarians the next morning. 

When visiting here I recommend setting your cruise control to chill. It’s not an area abundant with ‘active’ activity but the scenery and a few dips in Lake Michigan will be more than enough to keep you occupied. 

So consider my experience as a “sunbeam of promise” for your time spent in upper Michigan. You’ll discover more than expected, maybe even a Petoskey stone. Take my word for it, you just gotta go.

For a step by step guide for your trip to upper Michigan here’s a short guide for you.

Step 1 

Begin your journey in Traverse city, enjoying the many shops and restaurants with a walk within the old neighborhoods or a kayak rental to cruise the shoreline. 

Step 2

Tether your van to the M22 coastal highway and enjoy 116 miles of blissful scenery as it ushers you along the shores of Lake Michigan and the Leelanau peninsula.

Step 3

Along the M22, stop in at the town of Northport to hunt for the goat cheese vending machine. Hint, it’s located near the marina and accepts debit and credit cards.  Also make sure you take a leisurely out and back detour to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse.  

Step 4

After your trip around the peninsula, drop anchor at Empire Township Campground for a few days of exploration.  My recommendations are the Empire Bluffs Trail, the Sleeping Bear Dunes overlook, the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and rummaging through some of the wonderful local farm stands for fresh fruits and veggies to take to the beach.

Step 5

No trip to this area is complete without searching for your very own Petoskey stone, which can be found on the shores of Lake Michigan.  This will require a slow walk with your toes in the water but this is a special memento worth the sacrifice, if you can find one…