Hello Everyone!I’m
Lisa Orchard the Young Adult Author of the Super Spies Mystery/Thriller Series
and I’m excited because this is the last week of school for my kids! They are
ecstatic to get a break from the structure and to be honest so is Mom!
I’ve got all kinds of ideas for things that we can
do this summer, zoo trips, beach days, and of course there are vacations. As a
family we love the water and enjoy going “Up North.” For us that means going to
the Traverse City area here in Michigan. We’ve vacationed there ever since the
boys were born. They love the area and so do my husband and I.
There’s something to be said for the small towns
that surround the Traverse City area. There are all kinds of unique stores and
a lot of history in these tiny burgs.
One of these small towns is Leelanau. Sitting right
on the shores of Lake Michigan it’s a small fishing community. The wind is
brisk coming off of the lake, so it’s a great place on a warm day when you
can’t get to the beach. It’s fun to go through the tiny stores and galleries in
this town. It’s an old town full of history. And when you go down by the water
there’s a store that sells fresh fish. We went there when I was pregnant with
my first child and needless to say I couldn’t stay in that store very long.
The smell really got to me.
It’d be a great place for the setting of a story.
Hmmm…
Another small town that I love to visit is Sutton’s
Bay. Again they have some great shops to explore and I can wander for quite
some time while my hubby and the boys play in the park. One of the things that
I’ve noticed is that both of these towns have a variety of art galleries and
it’s great to see the shores where you’ve walked in a painting or photograph.
There are other tiny burgs that deserve to be
mentioned like Alden, and Elk Rapids, awesome communities that are right on
either Torch Lake or Lake Michigan that sport cute shops and community events.
Of course we can’t forget about Traverse City itself! It’s a great place to
walk with the kids and see the sights; again, more great stores and art
galleries. If you get a chance to be there during the Cherry Festival by all
means do it. It can get a bit crowded, but they have the Blue Angels come every
other year and they are a sight to see!
If you're a wine drinker you'll love the Traverse
City Area. There are wineries everywhere and they're always open for wine
tasting. A fun adult thing that we have yet to do! :) Wineries are pretty
boring for the kids. :)
If there’s one place you must see it’s Torch Lake.
The water is so clear it looks like you’re on a beach in the tropics. The water
is also cold so it’s quite refreshing. Everyone gathers at a place called the
Sand Bar. People come from all over to park their boats there. And then they
get out in the water and play football or Frisbee or just float. Everyone has a great time. There’s a small
shop on Torch River that will even deliver a pizza to your boat. If pizza isn’t
your style then there’s a pontoon boat out there with a grill on its deck and
they sell burgers and dogs to anyone who wants one.
As you can see Up North is always a great time for
us! I can’t wait until the weather turns hot and muggy and we’ll be on our way!
And if you have a tween/teen who needs some awesome
beach reads! Check out my Super Spies series! Your teen won’t be able to put
the book down! The covers, blurbs, and buylinks are below! And to celebrate my new release the first two books in the series are
on sale for $.99!
Thanks for stopping by and reading my post! Do you
have any special vacation spots that you’d like to share? Leave a comment! I’d
love to hear from you!
Thanks for allowing me to be here today! I enjoyed writing this post! :)
ReplyDeleteWe went to Suttons Bay a couple years ago. It was really cute.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Joselyn! We love Suttons Bay and go there at least once on our vacation. They've got an awesome bookstore there. :)
DeleteSo, little things can be used as back story for your next ms.Thanks also for the geography lesson, Lisa!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Siggy! Thanks for the opportunity! :)
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