August 08, 2018
What to Do, Where to Stay and What to Eat Near Charlevoix, Michigan
I was so excited when we booked our trip to the Torch
Lake and Charlevoix, MI area because we had never been. I read that Torch Lake
is comparable to visiting the Caribbean in terms of blue clear waters and I
couldn’t wait to check it out ourselves. Charlevoix is about 4 ½ hours from the
Detroit area which we traveled early one Monday morning.
We visited Charlevoix, Eastport, Central Lake, Torch Lake and Lake Michigan. I definitely want to be able to explore more there another time.
Our first stop was Hotdoggers- a hotdog and sandwich
shop right in downtown Charlevoix. I loved their house salad and veggie dog
which was a unique homemade veggie burger with pickled asparagus and a mustard
sauce. At first, I ordered a BLT and switched my order after seeing the veggie
dog which sounded so unique. I was glad with my choice!
The kids split a hotdog and fries and Troy got a
Chicago dog and chili fries. Everyone loved their lunch. I was excited to see
that the mascot was a long haired dachshund like my mom’s dog. The inside was
decorated really cute and had purple sparkly seats which Adalyn was all about.
We checked into where we were staying Torch Bay Inn and Cottages located in Eastport, MI. We had our own cottage and I was so
pleasantly surprised! The cottage was extremely clean and updated very modern.
I don’t have a single complaint about where we stayed! We had an outdoor patio
which Troy and I relaxed at each evening when the kids were trying to fall
asleep.
The bathroom had a wonderful stone shower and the
bathroom was very large. FYI for parents of young kids- the perfect place for a
pack and play! Also, the inn is just across the street from a great restaurant
and super close to a park with trails and beaches to Lake Michigan and Torch
Lake and only 20 minutes from Charlevoix.
We had a king sized bed and pull out couch which was
perfect for Adalyn. There was a kitchenette with a microwave, sink, silverware,
plates, a mini fridge and more. The cottage also had a table with chairs in
case you want to dine in your room.
The cottage was super spacious. A family of 5 could
easily fit in there. We had never stayed in our own cottage together so this
was super special.
The grounds were well maintained with cute touches such as
flowers all over and wine bottle décor. I would highly recommend staying at
Torch Bay Inn and Cottages if you want to visit the Torch Lake area.
That night, we went back to Charlevoix for dinner at
Scovie’s. Must-haves are the jalapeno popper dip and super fresh marinara
sauce. We also ordered a delicious cherry chicken and chicken marsala. The
green beans were cooked perfectly and I loved the toasted almonds. The
atmosphere was super family friendly which was perfect for us with kids.
Don’t forget to grab dessert to go from the case in
the front. They serve lunch all day in the front of the restaurant if you just want
to grab food to go.
Along with the shops in Charlevoix, we enjoyed
watching the bridge raise up at each ½ hour and hour. It was so exciting for
the kids to see the bridge and road raise so that boats could go by. We also
enjoyed walking the canal walkway to the lighthouse for beautiful views of the
water.
The next morning, we went to breakfast at Torch Lake Café
which was literally right across the street from our hotel. It is the cutest
light yellow building with a covered porch that you can dine at. We enjoyed
eggs, home fries, bacon, eggs and more. Everything was delicious!
We went to Barnes Park which I highly recommend for a
beautiful beach, Petoskey stone findings and swimming in Lake Michigan. It is
super close to the hotel we stayed at and we could have even walked there. Jumping off the sand dunes was a favorite for everyone!
We
were walking on the beach when a huge downpour occurred!!! We ran back and had
to change up our plans a bit due to the pouring rain.
We drove over to Traverse City which was about a 40
minute drive and hit up our favorite mall Grand Traverse Mall. We always find
good deals there and the kids love to play at the indoor playground.
For lunch, we ate delicious sandwiches from Harwood Gold in Charlevoix which we picked up the day before.
It is a grab and go café
with sandwiches, salads, baked goods, coffee, drinks and more. They also have a
ton of products to sample and purchase which are made with maple syrup from a
nearby farm. I recommend their raspberry maple coulis! I can’t wait to enjoy it
on waffles and pancakes.
The kids napped back at the inn and afterwards, we hit
up Friske’s Orchard which was about 6 minutes down the road. They had an
awesome store with fresh produce, baked goods, souvenirs and more. Troy and I
can’t pass up apple fritters so we grabbed one to split along with a cherry
cake donut and enjoyed them outdoors.
They had a cute maze for the kids along with farm
animals which was a highlight. It was Oliver’s first time seeing goats and we
loved petting them and Oliver gave them a kiss! We love animals so much!! They
also had an incredible playground for the kids including a huge Noah’s Ark
playground. If you are in the area, I highly recommend stopping by if you have
kids. They will absolutely love it like my kids did.
After, we visited William K. Good Day Park beach which
was about 2 miles away. We finally got to see what everyone was talking about
when they talked about how gorgeous Torch Lake was! The water even where it was
6 feet deep was clear to the bottom. They have a nice swimming area that is
marked. We had a ton of fun playing in the water.
We brought along a boogie board which was fun for the kids to float on and we walked the little boardwalk.
We enjoyed dinner at Torch Lake Café which was our
favorite meal of the trip. I can’t recommend the spinach salad with bacon,
strawberries and pecans enough as well as the tomato basil pasta. The pasta was
super creamy and the warm bacon vinaigrette was amazing. Need to recreate both
of these ASAP! I couldn’t have enjoyed my meal more. Troy loved his wedge
salad, French onion soup and chicken parmesan. We shared everything with the
kids. The best part was that we ate outside on the patio which was so nice.
After dinner, we went back to Barnes Park beach and I
am so happy that we did! It was a bit late when we arrived and we weren’t sure
how the kids would be but they had SO much fun and played in the water, played
in the sand, Troy made Adalyn a mermaid tail out of sand, we walked on the
beach and more. It was one of those evenings you never want to end and that
you’ll always remember. The sunset was gorgeous! I highly recommend stopping
here!!
The next morning, we packed up and headed 30 minutes
south to my favorite part of the trip, Grass River Natural Area where they had
an amazing hiking trail. We did about 1 ½ miles and it was just so special.
Adalyn walked most of the way and Troy wore Oliver. They have a boardwalk trail
for part of it and a well-groomed trail for the rest. I love hiking and seeing
the river, walking through the woods and being with my family is my favorite
thing in the world. Just don’t forget the bug spray…
On our trip, we got to drive a Mitsubishi Outlander GT
S-AWC. It had so many amazing features that we couldn’t stop telling people
about them. The side mirrors went in on their own when you turn the car off. If
you start to get out of your lane, it beeps so you know to pay better
attention. When a car is driving by you, the side mirror lights up.
When it starts to rain, the wipers turn on
automatically. When you have cruise control on, if the car senses another car
coming up, it will slow down automatically. The safety features really blew us
away and I couldn’t recommend it more for a safe vehicle. I do like my minivan
for space but besides that, the car was complete luxury and drove really safe
and smooth.
Our trip to the Torch Lake/ Charlevoix area was like a
dream! Everything went perfectly aside from a couple of overtired kiddo
tantrums. I can’t wait to visit again and check out more.
Thank
you to Torch Bay Inn, some of the restaurants and Mazda for providing
accommodations, meals and vehicle to test out.
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