Tour the Tip of Leelanau
Wind your way up to the end of Leelanau Peninsula, where you can poke around a historic lighthouse, mosey through a Northport gallery and enjoy some of the best eats this side of the bay.
Grand Traverse Lighthouse.
Patrick Wellever
Kick off with a cruise up M-22 for a smooth, windows-down drive along the coiling West Bay coastline. Drink in the views all the way to Northport, where tiny galleries and antique shops are nestled near the beach. You can explore them later; for now, swing through Barb's Bakery (112 North Mill St., 231-386-5851) for fresh coffee and a few of the shop's infamous cinnamon twists.
Savor the last few crumbs stuck to the tips of your fingers while heading up M-201, which ends at Leelanau State Park (15310 N. Lighthouse Point Rd., 231-386-5422). For the daily state park entrance fee, you can spend the day picnicking, playing on swing sets and skipping stones from the shore - but the real attraction is the stately white-brick, red-roofed Grand Traverse Lighthouse (231-386-7195, grandtraverselighthouse.com). Out of operation since 1972, the lighthouse is now a museum featuring rooms refurbished with historical artifacts from the building's past. Take a self-guided tour to explore the kitchen, living room and bedrooms, and then climb the narrow metal steps to the light tower for a spectacular panoramic view of Lake Michigan.
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