One of the surest signs of spring in Northern Michigan (aside from the sudden odors of skunk and field fertilizers, i.e. cow poop) is the emergence of the cherry blossoms in Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties. Each year as the snows melt and the temperatures warm, the rows upon rows of cherry trees in rural areas of these counties turn snow white with mounds of small flowers. It’s an excellent time to take a drive along the Old Mission Peninsula in Grand Traverse County and the Leelanau Peninsula in Leelanau County. Last weekend, I grabbed my camera, filled up my truck, chucked the map and headed out for a day of adventuring.
I started up the east side of the Old Mission Peninsula along M-37 all the way to the Old Mission Lighthouse at the northernmost point. Then I travelled down the western side, through Bowers Harbor, and back into Traverse City. A quick swing around the end of West Bay and I was northbound on M-22 into the Leelanau Peninsula. It was a beautiful day to drive up through historic Suttons Bay and Norhport all the way to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse at the northernmost point. I then swung down the west side of the Leelanau Peninsula to the town of Leland and the Whaleback Nature Preserve (with stellar views of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore). I ended my trip by criss-crossing through the back roads to the town of Cedar and then down to M-72 and back into Traverse City.
Following are some photographs of that trip:
