Evening Kayak on the Cedar River

Steps from where the annual polka fest occurs each year in Cedar lies the Cedar River, a

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hidden treasure that couldn’t be more different than the rambuctious, crowd-filled festival we tend to associate with its namesake town.

The kayak from Cedar to Lake Leelanau has been on my bucket list for over a year. I had been on the river once before and had seen first-hand that the spot not only offered serenity for an evening, but hold onto your shorts…BIRD SIGHTINGS. So I was determined to go again and make it all the way to Lake Leelanau this time, a 7-mile kayak round trip that includes a section preserved by the Leelanau Conservancy.

Paddling on this river is different than the better-known Platte or Crystal outings for a couple of reasons. One, the river is deep enough to accommodate motorized boats, so while you won’t see many people at all on this paddle, the folks you do see can vary from fellow paddlers to fishermen who may take out their frustration of an unsuccessful evening by full-throttling it past you, leaving a wake of waves and gasoline fumes. Two, while you may have to avoid some wake, there are significantly fewer obstacles of Dorito-eating tourists and floating, beer-laden coolers. Don’t get us wrong, we love Doritos, beer, and tourists; just not kayaking around the them tied together en masse.

The night we were out, we ran into several herons, cedar waxwings, muskrats, and some nice folks out for a sunset cruise that kindly offered us both a tow back to the boat launch and some adult beverages. Although we decided we preferred the self-propelled route, we did graciously accept a glass of wine and a bottle of beer for the return trip. Thank you pontoon booze fairies!

Our parting tips:

1. This trip can take up to three hours and you will work up an appetite. Bring snacks (Doritos come to mind).

2. Once you have passed the age of twelve, it is no longer acceptable to yell at your companions for scaring off the blue herons before you have a chance to snap a photo. Don’t do it.

3. Watch out for stumps lurking under the water. Stumps are to your kayak what icebergs were to the Titanic…or something a little less dramatic.

4. If this isn’t on your bucket list, ADD IT. Then be sure to make it happen. You will be amazed at the solitude, serenity, and truly unique experience that lies hidden behind the softball fields, polka tent, and meat markets of Cedar, Michigan.

Camping Staycation at D.H. Day

Our group at Northern Swag doesn’t need much convincing to spend a few days chillaxing off the grid at D.H. Day campground in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. So when the annual Dunes Concert was approaching, we decided to set up camp for the weekend right along the shores of Lake Michigan and close enough to the Dune Climb to easily bike our cooler of wine and snacks over for the show.

Life doesn’t get much better than “residing” within walking distance of Sleeping Bear Bay for only $12 a day. Who wouldn’t love waking up in an MSR tent (I had the MSR tent reviewed here if you’re curious), mornings consuming camp stove pancakes and cowboy coffee, afternoons visiting the sites in Leelanau County, and evenings full of laughter and Short’s brew around the fire?

A few tips from our trip:

D.H. Day doesn’t take reservations. Arrive early to scope out the sites and claim your spot in line. We arrived at 6:20 a.m. and were fifth in line. Each site has a reservation slip showing the date the current tenants will check out. Mark down a few that interest you. In addition, a sign in the office window shows how many sites in total of the 88 will be available when they open at 8 a.m. These fill up quickly! If you don’t get a site you love, try again the next day. Moving isn’t hard, especially when you leave the tents intact (see instructional photo below).

Bring your bikes. The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail winds right through the campground and connects you to Glen Arbor, Glen Haven, Empire, the Dune Climb, and the Scenic Drive. You really could access all you’d need to keep you occupied for a weekend via bike.

Bring your bathing suits. The beach is easily accessible. And remember, there are no showers at this campground so a dip in the lake may be a welcome gift to your fellow campers!

Hammocks from the Totem Shop and a few good books kept the young ones in our group very content. For us adults? A few days away from the hustle and bustle of real life was all we needed to make us sigh with regret when the next campers tacked their reservation slip to our sites, marking the end of our staycation.

Our resident chefs – Nick and Jack

Heading out on the trail

Hammocks

The camp vehicle

Site Switching

Sunset from the beach path

Light painting under the super moon by Jack Beckwith

Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail Update

If you haven’t checked out the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail there’s even more reason to head out and enjoy a walk or bike ride (or ski in the winter). The trail now runs all the way from Glen Arbor to Empire, with an addition of approximately 5 miles opening last weekend (this new section starts at about mile 4.5 on the route map below). Until this newest section opened, the trail coursed 4.5 miles through the woods & dunes from Glen Arbor to the Dune Climb. The length of the entire trail now is a shade over 9.5 miles (editor’s note: the trail does stop about a mile or so before Empire, but it ends at Lacore Road which runs right into town).

The newly opened trail to Empire feels hillier than the original section (& appears that way based on the elevation profile below), but there were plenty of casual riders out on their cruiser bikes chugging up the hills. Maybe my legs were constricted by all the spandex I was sporting. Next time out I’m going with tube socks and cargo shorts. The trail also crosses North Bar Road so you can bike to North Bar Lake without having to deal with the tiny parking lot full of tourist type folks.

Additionally, BATA is again offering their Bike and Ride program this summer. For the normal fare of $3 you can pack your bike on the bus and take it up to Empire and Glen Arbor, ride the trail one way (or both), and then hop back on the bus afterwards (stay tuned to this blog for more info on that program soon).

I can’t say enough about how beautiful it is along the trail. It changes between the backwoods of the National Lakeshore; grassy, flower-covered hills; and sandy, rolling dunes. And to be able to get a solid cycle in (19 miles for an out and back) without putting your wheels on a road is pretty sweet. For our ride last weekend we started in Glen Arbor and rode the entire length to Empire before turning back. On the return we hopped off the trail at the Dune Climb (at mile 15 on the route map above) and hugged Little and Big Glen Lakes before cruising into Glen Arbor. Post ride chow at Joe’s Friendly Tavern in Empire and then a bonfire at Empire Beach made for a pretty great northern Michigan day.

Empire Beach Sunset by Bonfire

Cycling OMP

Unfortunately it took me a couple decades to learn that I live in an area that has amazing cycling routes to explore. I spent my youth running around and banging heads with other helmeted individuals instead of enjoying the blissful feel of the wind on my face as I cruised along on my bike with my drive-train humming beneath me. It wasn’t until I’d accumulated a number of injuries & could barely walk until I looked to the bicycle, the world’s greatest invention, as an activity. And now I’m obsessed. Granted, I spend more of my time on the wooded trails, but it’s tough to beat a nice ride along one of our beautiful lakeside roads.

There’s always going to be a debate as to which peninsula is the better ride, Old Mission or Leelanau, not to mention the roads around Torch Lake in Antrim County and countless other routes. All of these areas are worth your time to head out and explore. Bluff Road in particular on the east side of Old Mission Peninsula has some amazing views of East Bay that are tough to beat. Rides on OMP are as easy or difficult as you want to make them. An out and back cruise along either bay is relatively flat or criss-cross back and forth between bays to add some challenging elevation changes. If you’re up for a longer ride, the roads towards the north end of OMP are more remote and offer some great scenery.

After a long winter the weather has finally turned the corner so I definitely recommend taking advantage of it with a cruise out OMP. It’ll be 20 degrees and snowing before you know it!

Roll out along East Bay to Bluff Rd, cross on Gray, then back on Peninsula Dr.

East Bay along Bluff Road

Pyramid Point

We recently found ourselves discussing with a friend what we should do to commemorate the anniversary of his birth. Head to the bar or a nice restaurant as per usual? Well, spring is meekly poking its head out so why not try and get outside? And bring beer with us to celebrate? Sounds like a great birthday!

We rolled out to the County to hike up to Pyramid Point, unprepared for the slushy, snow-covered trail. Well, except for the beer we had with us. That made it a party. The primary parking lot near the trailhead and the dirt road up to it are still closed for the season. This adds maybe a quarter mile to the hike. But our effort was rewarded with an inspiring view of the ice breaking up out on Lake Michigan underneath clear blue skies. There were even moments it felt like the sun was warming us up from the stinging breeze coming off the lake.

We had an additional bonus for our efforts; the Point to ourselves. This’ll change drastically in the months to come so I recommend getting out now if you have a chance.

Cheers to time spent with friends outside under the blue skies of northern Michigan!