The beach in Frankfort, MI is probably the best way to spend a day. Our beach has it all. Sugar sand with no stones. A walkable pier kids love to jump off and that culminates with a picturesque historic lighthouse. People gather in the evening to watch the sun set and then applaud. Beautiful vistas of the Frankfort Bluffs to the north and Elberta/Arcadia bluffs to the South. A very inviting shoreline for those who love long walks on the beach. Very short walk to town with all the shops and restaurants. Pro tip: pre order donuts and pastries from the Crescent Bakery online in the morning to avoid the long line. If you like beer and good food, go to the Stormcloud Brewery. Vita Bella has excellent pizza hand crafted in a wood burning oven. Mexican? Dos Arboles is in town and the Roadhouse is in nearby Benzonia. Seafood? Check out Goody's seafood shack and the Port City Smokehouse. Want a sandwich? Crescent Bakery, L'Chayim Deli, or Goody's Market. Good ol' fashioned american cuisine? Birch and Maple(upscale) or The Villa Marine (pub style). For seafood we have a great food truck called Goody's. They have Lobster rolls, Po' Boys and more. The Port City Smokehouse has fresh and smoked fish, and they serve a mean fish sandwich. Check out our Farmers Market on Saturdays! Off the hook food truck has tasty mexican street style tacos.
Frankfort Places:
Stormcloud Brewing Roadhouse (Benzonia) Vita Bella Kitchen Old Town Grill and Tap Birch and Maple Dos Arboles Off the hook taco food truck Cabbage Shed Mayfair Burger Bar Furnace Street Distillery St. Ambrose Cellars Goody's Port City Smokehouse
Breakfast/Coffee: Crescent Bakery L'Chayim Deli Petals and Perks Lighthouse Cafe
Visit the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. There are so many ways to enjoy this. This picture was taken from the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive in the Dunes. It is a picturesque tour that is accessible for everyone, even the handicapped. Pictured here is a view of the actual "sleeping bear" with the South Manitou passage lighthouse in the background. There is also a fun little hike you can do on this trail and culminates in a view of an incredibly steep drop off bluff. Some venture down the bluff but it is not recommended. The climb back up is taxing and you will pay big money if you need to be rescued. There is a designated dune climb just down the road from the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and many designated hiking trails within the dunes. We like The Empire Bluffs Trail, Pyramid Point, Old Indian Trail, and Alligator Hill. If you have littles who want to swim, try North Bar Lake. It has a shallow area that is warmer than Lake Michigan and a mini river that connects to Lake Michigan that is also very shallow and fun for the kids!
Empire Bluff Trail Pyramid Point Trail Old Indian Trail Alligator Hill Trail Platte Plains Trail North Bar Lake Pierce Stocking Drive/Overlook Manitou Islands
Pro tip: If you wish to do the climb at Pierce Stocking, we like to hike or kayak to the bottom. Make your way to North Bar Lake then down the shoreline. Make the climb up first, then descend. This leaves plenty of opportunity to change your mind
TRAVERSE CITY - Go here if you want to see people. Its busy but there is lots to do. The beach is top notch and they have a couple of smaller more private beaches you can find if you look for them. Go check out the Traverse City State Hospital, also known as the Traverse City Commons. Pro tip: Schedule a tour of the commons in advance. It was a turn of the century asylum with a great history. Take a drive up through the mission peninsula and see the rolling hills loaded with cherry orchards, grape vineyards, and even a hops farm. Stop in at any of the vineyards. They'd love to have you come in and taste their wines. Mission Point Lighthouse is at the tip of this peninsula and is open to the public. Downtown is full of unique bars, shops, microbreweries and restaurants.
The Commons TC Wineries TC Wine and Brew Tours TC Microbreweries
LELAND - Also known as Fishtown. A really cool quaint destination that features a damn/waterfall that cascades into a very still, very crystal clear channel with restaurants and shops on stilts with a boardwalk. It is a really neat thing to see. Go to the Cove or sit out on the deck beneath and enjoy a burger and a beer or some famous seafood chowder next to the hum and the mist of the waterfall. Walk around and explore. There is a very nice swimming beach that has deep blue crystal clear water. If you want to hike a little, there is a public trail nearby called Whaleback. Half the fun of this daytrip is the drive up M-22 North. It winds through so many destinations and is very scenic.
Drive a few miles on North M-22 and check out Point Betsie Lighthouse! She's very old, very historic and very photogenic so bring your camera. There are some rocks here so you can walk the shore and find some fossils or beachglass.
The Little River Casino in Manistee, MI. - Want to try your luck? Or maybe just enjoy the buffet? Take a little trip South down M-22 to Manistee and hit up the Little River Casino. Manistee itself is another very nice destination to visit
GOLF! - Some of the best courses in the nation are here. Arcadia bluffs is only 7 miles to our south. Crystal Mountain Resort about 10 miles. Some local suggestions are Champion Hill (my fave!) and Pinecroft
Go and hike the Empire Bluffs Trail. Just click on the pick for directions. This is a short hike that ascends the bluffs through the woods with more than a couple of breathtaking views. Its pretty easy so most everyone can enjoy this. Pro tip: don't stop when you get to the overlook. Keep going. Some people (I won't mention who) like to park another vehicle in Empire at Empire beach so when they get to the top of the bluff, they run down to the beach and hike to Empire. Another pro tip: Hit the Grocer's Daughter. They make all kinds of things out of chocolate. Try the fudgsicles!
Go see the crystal clear waters of Crystal Lake. The beach in Beulah is located 7 miles from our properties in Frankfort. There is a beach there with flush toilets and changing rooms, a cute little playground, a pavilion area, pickleball courts and a tennis court. Pro tip: bring your bikes up and ride there. The Betsie Valley Trail picks up in Elberta and winds through the forest and it will deposit you right at the beach in Beulah. While your there go to the Cherry Hut. We love their hot turkey sandwich and they have good burgers. Also, their cherry pies are nationally renowned. L'chaihim is a Jewish style deli that has tasty breakfast and lunch sandwiches. Ursa Major is a cute coffee house. The Lucky Dog has fabulous wings. The Cold Creek Inn is a very good sit down restaurant as well. They even have their own microbrewery called the Five Shores.
The Cherry Hut L'chayim Deli Ursa Major Coffee Shop The Lucky Dog Cold Creek Inn Five Shores Brewing
Another Pro Tip: The City of Frankfort owns and maintains a piece of property on Crystal Lake called Bellows beach. The water is shallow and there are swings, porta potty facilities, parking, a pavilion, and a boat launch. Not alot of people know about Bellows and this is not at all far from our properties. Bellows ave. picks up in the market square area of Frankfort and it ends at Bellows beach.