Michigan Bucket List: Fall Edition
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About the Show
On this episode, Chuck Gaidica is joined by Nick Nerbonne, Media, Digital and Industry Relations Director for Travel Michigan. Together, they discuss Michigan destinations to check out this fall.
In this episode of A Healthier Michigan Podcast, we explore:
- What makes Michigan a great destination for fall travel
- Michigan fall destinations to add to your bucket list
- Best places for leaf-peeping and enjoying fall foliage
Transcript
Chuck Gaidica:
This is a Healthier Michigan Podcast, episode 164, and coming up we'll discuss Michigan destinations to check out in the state this fall. Welcome to a Healthier Michigan Podcast. This is a podcast that's dedicated to navigating how we can improve our health and well-being through small, healthy habits that we can all start implementing right now. I'm your host, Chuck Gaidica. And every other week we sit down with an expert to discuss topics that cover nutrition, fitness, and a lot more. And on this episode, we're taking a little walk, maybe a jog, maybe just a stroll, through the Michigan outdoors. We're going to discover some fall destinations that maybe you want to add to your bucket list. With me today is the media, digital, and industry relations director for Travel Michigan, Nick Nerbonne. Good to see you, Nick.
Nick Nerbonne:
Chuck, great to be back. How are you?
Chuck Gaidica:
I'm doing great. Thank you so much. We've, for the most part, I think enjoyed summer. I haven't heard... I have to say in the past couple of summers, more people just anecdotally saying I'm going up north this weekend. I'm going to Petoskey. I'm going to Charlevoix. It just seems like it's been a banner year for travel this summer, and now we're turning from focusing on heat maybe toward a little crisper air, but there's always warm stuff coming in fall too. Right?
Nick Nerbonne:
One thing that you may agree with, and I'm sure your listeners would agree with as well, is for some reason August seems to be one of the fastest months. Once we get to the beginning of August, the summer seems to speed up a little bit for us. So yeah, just trying to get out and enjoy so much of the beautiful things we have around the state of Michigan while we still can and getting the most out of summer.
Chuck Gaidica:
It's funny you say that. I think it's also the stuff we're surrounded by as you come out of August into September. I mean it seems like in July now they're starting to put out stuff for Halloween and fall stuff. It's like, wait, slow down, kids haven't even gone back to school yet. Right?
Nick Nerbonne:
Yeah, it's true. We're very fortunate here in Michigan where once we have one of the most beautiful summers in the world, which we all know we do have here in Michigan, we also have one of the most beautiful seasons on the planet, which is fall, in Michigan. So we're very fortunate here. It is a little bit of bittersweet sometimes when summer comes to an end, but knowing that fall is right behind it is a great thing to have.
Chuck Gaidica:
Well, we've got that tapestry of colors that hits the reds, the oranges, the yellows. We're known, as you mentioned, for the stunning beauty, diverse landscapes, the Great Lakes water, all these picturesque things, the rolling hills and seeing the lakes kind of coming or going from up north and all around the state and small towns. So there's so much to think about. When you start to look at fall, can you share with the folks that are listening now what makes Michigan a great destination for fall travel? We think we know, but we want to hear from the expert.
Nick Nerbonne:
I think you hit on a few of the key things. When I talk to people around the country about fall in Michigan and what makes it stand out, it's such a unique situation with that full spectrum of colors when you talk about the brilliant oranges, yellows, reds and greens that you see in the natural foliage in the fall, but also with the full spectrum of blues that we see in the Great Lakes and our 11,000 inland lakes across the state. And just picturing some things like along M-22 Leelanau County or US-2 along the Upper Peninsula, that combination of the fall colors of Michigan with the brilliant blues of the Great Lakes, it makes it stand out from everything. And I've often said that I believe Michigan needs to be in the national conversation when it comes to Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and the more quote "traditional" fall color destinations from a national and international perspective. I believe Michigan belongs in that conversation because it is a spectacular and world-class fall destination.
Chuck Gaidica:
Yeah, I agree with you completely and I know that there are millions of other people that do as well because they're looking for these destinations. For some, it really is sightseeing, literally just looking out the window of their car or RV or something, but there are lots of activities too. What would you say are the top destinations? Are they the usual suspects of small towns and cities we would think about, or are there a lot of hidden gems we should put on the list?
Nick Nerbonne:
Well, I've got some of both. I think for the top destinations, here's one that you may not expect, Chuck, Detroit. Detroit is an amazing fall destination. Think about something, if you want to talk about outdoor recreation and fall beauty and fall foliage, think about the River Walk and Belle Isle, and what those places are like during the fall. But also there's great fall festivals and events, and the fall dining, which is the harvest farmer table type situations. The Metro Detroit area has all kinds of wonderful opportunities, even close by, if you like to go to apple orchards or if you'd like to go to the pumpkin patch, corn mazes, those types of things. Agritourism has become a big driver of tourism in some of these rural communities that are close to our Metro Detroit area, and across the state, frankly.
But other destinations like Petoskey and Harbor Springs, which are scenic and gorgeous in every season of the year including winter, there's the tunnel of trees along M-119, which every year we have a few different national journalists reaching out to ask us about the tunnel of trees. That has become, because it flows off the tongue so well, tunnel of trees, but it is actually very beautiful. And then up in the Upper Peninsula, the Marquette area, and the Keweenaw Peninsula, they're absolutely stunning in the fall because you've got such big hills and mountains up there, actual mountains, along with, again, the colors of the Great Lakes and the rivers and streams and waterfalls. Spectacular places to visit.
Chuck Gaidica:
Yeah, and you can focus on, as you know, you could focus on one sliver of what you're talking about, which I think we've talked about before. We did, my brother and I and one of our sons, just literally focused on the waterfalls in the eastern U.P., the eastern half. And so just that trip alone, we didn't have time to do all the other exploration, but when you pick out those things and if you do it over a number of years or months, you can really see a whole lot of the state.
Nick Nerbonne:
Yeah, the waterfalls, that's another great example. There's 300 waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula. And actually one of the things I have here that I talk about often as a hidden gem is the Eastern U.P. Because lot of folks, when they go across the bridge, they take a left, they go along US-2 or they go toward Tahquamenon Falls up M-113. But if you go a little north of St. Ignace and take a right and go along M-134 over toward the Les Cheneaux Islands and Drummond Island, there's some incredibly beautiful areas up there. And then you can also wind back up to Sault Ste. Marie, which is the crossroads to the Great Lakes with the Soo Locks, and there's some wonderful restaurants and other activities up there. So yeah, there's some hidden gems everywhere you look.
Chuck Gaidica:
And when you're looking at activities, I think we've got to be, I don't know, we've got to allow some elbow room in that travel because you could be driving through a little town and say, "This is the place for lunch. I thought we're going to this other place." But to give yourself a little chance to have a membership in the last minute club like, hey, look what we should stop for... let's just go to that winery now because we're here.
Nick Nerbonne:
And I think that's a great way to travel, especially in the fall, I think it's a very good point. If you think of somewhere like old 27, so old 27 was formerly US-27. It basically starts at the Indiana border, it goes up through Jackson, goes through Lansing, Mount Pleasant, and all the way up through Harrison and Claire and way up to the bridge. And so you can take old 27, the road is still there, and take a nice slow paced drive if you're headed north. And then also US-12, another scenic byway, which goes from downtown Detroit all the way over to New Buffalo. You can wind through some of the scenic Irish Hills and some of those areas where we may not look at them as this is one of the more scenic areas of Michigan if it's in the middle of May or July, but in October, suddenly the farm country, the barns, the antique shops, it's a very beautiful thing to do. So yeah, I think taking the time to take it slow, enjoy the view along the way, that's the way to do it in the fall.
Chuck Gaidica:
I guess it's because of my weather background, this always strikes me interesting, we think that we have to do this when it's sunny, and sometimes we have no control of that idea. But to find that peace and tranquility, even when there's a little bit of rain spritzing. In the state of Michigan you find those spots and you hear the raindrops, there's a bit of calming that goes on regardless of what the weather is like.
Nick Nerbonne:
I think that's a great point too. You talk to a lot of photographers and they'll tell you that my favorite time to photograph fall colors is when it's foggy or when it's cloudy. When it's a nice cloudy day, it really kind of distributes the light in an even manner in which they're able to really focus on the color itself and not the shadows. And so there are different styles. But I agree, if it's sprinkling out there, if it's misting, which it's known to do sometimes in the fall... There's an old saying, someone quoted me that it's Scandinavian, and it said there's no bad weather just bad gear. So you've just got to make sure you're dressed appropriately and get out there and enjoy it, or take a scenic drive where you can enjoy it through the window.
Chuck Gaidica:
That's a cool phrase and I think we've had at least two other experts in the history of this podcast who have used that phrase, so I'm not sure who started it, but it's being in Michigan, trust me.
Nick Nerbonne:
I think it's very appropriate for all the things that we love to do here in Michigan.
Chuck Gaidica:
Well, we're a hearty people too. Okay, so there's a little snow. We've got boots. It's okay. Best places for leaf peeping, you've talked about a few big ones, tunnel of trees, other places, but give us some others if you're looking specifically to focus on fall foliage.
Nick Nerbonne:
When I want to go see some beautiful fall colors, I like to get out in the car and go on a scenic drive. I may get out and do some hiking and some things along the way, and I've even done fall paddles on the Manistee River out west of Cadillac. It's incredible to see the fall colors from a kayak. But some of these scenic drives, I've mentioned a couple of them, but M-22 from Manistee to Frankfurt along the coast of Lake Michigan, if you're headed north from Manistee you can take US-31 up from the Grand Rapids area and Muskegon, and that's a spectacular route. There's a couple of amazing scenic drives.
There's some great restaurants and breweries to stop at, and you can even all go all the way to Glen Arbor, Leland and Northport on M-22. It's actually an incredible place in the fall. Also, up in the Upper Peninsula, M-28. So this goes from Newberry all the way to Marquette, and it goes beyond, way over into the Western U.P. and M-28 traverses the interior, the northern route of the Upper Peninsula. You won't believe the fall colors you see along that route.
Chuck Gaidica:
Wow, that's good stuff. I mean, I can see how people are going to hear this if they're taking it for a walk, our podcast, they're going to want to make notes on this one, so we'll try to make sure we put some info in the show notes. But there's a lot of great stuff you're talking about that we all need to remember. When you look at other hidden gems of activities that could be associated with a hidden gem of a location, what else is... maybe not something we talk about all the time, but what are some of those?
Nick Nerbonne:
Well, I think aside from talking about going on a fall paddle, which I always definitely recommend listeners to take the appropriate precautions, that during the fall the water can be colder and make sure you're paddling in an area that is safe and for your ability levels. But when you talk about getting outdoors, I think popping up more and more the agritourism destinations, where I remember up in Traverse City there's a Gallagher's Farm Market. They used to sell cider and donuts and they'd sell apples by the bushel and they'd sell pumpkins. Now they've got hay rides, they've got a corn maize, they've got all these different things. So taking the family out and enjoying it, I think, is a great thing.
You look at places where you may not look at it as a vacation destination as often as like Traverse City or Petoskey, but a place like Mount Pleasant and Gaylord. Gaylord is known for its wonderful golf courses, and of course it's got the Pigeon River Country State Forest nearby and the Sturgeon River. But the Gaylord area, if you do a fall golf outing, it's tough to beat Gaylord. But there's so many wonderful trail activities and great resorts like Tree Tops and Otsego Resort to visit there.
And then once again, just look for the trails that you might go on hiking and biking during the year and then revisit them in fall. Those are the true hidden gems. Those places that are hiding in plain sight, that's what I say, our hidden gems hide in plain sight during the fall. So revisit those places you'd visit other times of the year and experience what the fall colors can turn them into.
Chuck Gaidica:
You mentioned the eastern part of the U.P. as you're coming up off the Big Mac, but there's also the eastern side of the Lower Peninsula, which oftentimes people may not be thinking about. It's maybe not as top of mind, or at least they'll say Traverse City, Petoskey. But when you start looking at Port Huron, Lexington, Lakeport, and you go farther north, when you're looking at Lake Huron there's a lot of stuff there that's worthy of looking at. And if you live mid-part of Metro Detroit eastbound, those are easier gets than making an entire trip up to the U.P. or something. Right?
Nick Nerbonne:
It's so true. When you're headed out from Metro Detroit, if you want to go discover something new, Port Huron is right down the road. Even you're talking about Lake St. Clair if you're headed north. And then up into the thumb, again that's another example of an area that may be very agricultural, but as you're traversing it during the fall season it becomes a very beautiful place to visit. But I wanted to mention, you talked about Lake Huron, the US-23 Heritage Route, which heads north from Tawas City all the way up to Alpena, Rogers City, and into the bridge, that's an absolutely amazing scenic drive, and I have done that in the fall. If you stop in Oscoda, to the west of Oscoda is called the River Road Scenic Byway, which heads up to Lumberman's Monument overlooking the AuSable Valley. If there's a more photogenic place than the fall in Michigan, I'd love to see it because that is a gorgeous view.
Chuck Gaidica:
All these places that we have, this terrain, that I think in Michigan when we're traveling we kind of take for granted. I know that there's this "Ooh, look at that." But I was talking to some friends who are from Michigan who now are kind of more than wintering... they're mostly in Florida but they live west of Orlando. And I never knew there were hills and lakes, and they're telling me about this. And I saw it, I went to visit them. And I went and saw them and I said, "We have these all the time in Michigan. This is just something we take for granted. And in a flat state like Florida you guys think this is special stuff, right?"
Nick Nerbonne:
Well, that's one thing we're very lucky here is we've got really amazing places. And yeah, there are some areas where we might be driving along in Michigan and think, "Oh, there aren't huge hills," but I'm telling you, I was just up in Petoskey last weekend, traveling up near Alanson, heading over to Crooked Lake. There's some huge hills out there. Michigan, we're very fortunate to have both the hills, lakes, and we can ski on them in the winter, we can go explore and climb them in the summer. It's a wonderful place to live and be.
Chuck Gaidica:
We're heading up to Petoskey next month for a wedding, and we're going to get a tiny house, and we're taking the two dogs, and we're still going to do the wedding but we're also going to spend an extra night... that's all we can fit in... and we're going to just explore the state at that point. But it's not fancy. It's really nice. It's quaint, but we don't need anymore. It's just us and two dogs so it'll be a perfect little trip. And I can't wait because it just seems like a simpler... my wife and I, the couple dogs and the fire pit, that's really dialing it down.
Nick Nerbonne:
That sounds perfect. And once again, it's all about getting to that place where you can enjoy the time with those that you love and you want to spend time with. It doesn't matter the accommodations and all those things. It's just about getting that time and getting there and doing it.
Chuck Gaidica:
So any other particular places or things we should focus on as we wrap up this episode?
Nick Nerbonne:
Well, I think when you think about fall, really think about what are the things I haven't done in a long time? Think about something that... there's a place I haven't been in a while, and take a little extra time, whether it's pull open Google Maps or however it is, see if there are two different routes to go to that place. That's a thing that I'd like to do all year. But if I'm headed over to Alpena or Oscoda, like we mentioned for example, I might take I-75 all the way north and cut over on the way up and on the way down I take US-23 all the way back down to Bay City. So there's two different routes, and so you're seeing something new the entire length along the drive.
Chuck Gaidica:
Well, and that's a good point because some of these routes are not necessarily right near an expressway, but take a look at 12 that you can traverse from southeast Michigan all the way over to the west side of the state. You could take the expressway, but you're going to get off there anyway. Either you're going to go get your biggie diet drink or you're going to have to give it back, so you're going to be getting off at these places anyway, so consider staying on at them. I think that's great advice.
Nick Nerbonne:
Yeah, I think we want to make sure we're enjoying the actual journey as well as the destination, and the fall is actually one of my favorite times to do just that.
Chuck Gaidica:
So any last takeaways, Nick, as we wrap this one up?
Nick Nerbonne:
Fall in Michigan is one of the most beautiful times of the year. Get outside and enjoy it, even if it's for a scenic drive.
Chuck Gaidica:
Good stuff. Well, thanks so much for your time. It's great to see you as always.
Nick Nerbonne:
Appreciate it, Chuck. Thanks again.
Chuck Gaidica:
Oh, sure thing. Nick Nerbonne has been with us. He is a media, digital, and industry relations director for Travel Michigan. We're glad he was here again with us because there is so much that we need to think about when it comes to fall, and don't give up on having some little bursts of warm weather in the fall. We know about Indian Summer. And that last-minute idea, if it hits and you'd wanted to get out when it was a little warmer, go for it. We're glad you've been listening to a Healthier Michigan Podcast brought to you by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
If you liked the show and you want to know more, you can check us out online at ahealthiermichigan.org/podcast. You can also leave us reviews or ratings on Apple Podcast or Spotify. We're also able to be followed. You hit that follow button on Facebook or Instagram or X, you get new episodes on your smartphone or tablet. Don't forget there's a YouTube channel as well for all of these. And you can subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app. I'm Chuck Gaidica. Be well.
This is a Healthier Michigan Podcast, episode 164, and coming up we'll discuss Michigan destinations to check out in the state this fall. Welcome to a Healthier Michigan Podcast. This is a podcast that's dedicated to navigating how we can improve our health and well-being through small, healthy habits that we can all start implementing right now. I'm your host, Chuck Gaidica. And every other week we sit down with an expert to discuss topics that cover nutrition, fitness, and a lot more. And on this episode, we're taking a little walk, maybe a jog, maybe just a stroll, through the Michigan outdoors. We're going to discover some fall destinations that maybe you want to add to your bucket list. With me today is the media, digital, and industry relations director for Travel Michigan, Nick Nerbonne. Good to see you, Nick.
Nick Nerbonne:
Chuck, great to be back. How are you?
Chuck Gaidica:
I'm doing great. Thank you so much. We've, for the most part, I think enjoyed summer. I haven't heard... I have to say in the past couple of summers, more people just anecdotally saying I'm going up north this weekend. I'm going to Petoskey. I'm going to Charlevoix. It just seems like it's been a banner year for travel this summer, and now we're turning from focusing on heat maybe toward a little crisper air, but there's always warm stuff coming in fall too. Right?
Nick Nerbonne:
One thing that you may agree with, and I'm sure your listeners would agree with as well, is for some reason August seems to be one of the fastest months. Once we get to the beginning of August, the summer seems to speed up a little bit for us. So yeah, just trying to get out and enjoy so much of the beautiful things we have around the state of Michigan while we still can and getting the most out of summer.
Chuck Gaidica:
It's funny you say that. I think it's also the stuff we're surrounded by as you come out of August into September. I mean it seems like in July now they're starting to put out stuff for Halloween and fall stuff. It's like, wait, slow down, kids haven't even gone back to school yet. Right?
Nick Nerbonne:
Yeah, it's true. We're very fortunate here in Michigan where once we have one of the most beautiful summers in the world, which we all know we do have here in Michigan, we also have one of the most beautiful seasons on the planet, which is fall, in Michigan. So we're very fortunate here. It is a little bit of bittersweet sometimes when summer comes to an end, but knowing that fall is right behind it is a great thing to have.
Chuck Gaidica:
Well, we've got that tapestry of colors that hits the reds, the oranges, the yellows. We're known, as you mentioned, for the stunning beauty, diverse landscapes, the Great Lakes water, all these picturesque things, the rolling hills and seeing the lakes kind of coming or going from up north and all around the state and small towns. So there's so much to think about. When you start to look at fall, can you share with the folks that are listening now what makes Michigan a great destination for fall travel? We think we know, but we want to hear from the expert.
Nick Nerbonne:
I think you hit on a few of the key things. When I talk to people around the country about fall in Michigan and what makes it stand out, it's such a unique situation with that full spectrum of colors when you talk about the brilliant oranges, yellows, reds and greens that you see in the natural foliage in the fall, but also with the full spectrum of blues that we see in the Great Lakes and our 11,000 inland lakes across the state. And just picturing some things like along M-22 Leelanau County or US-2 along the Upper Peninsula, that combination of the fall colors of Michigan with the brilliant blues of the Great Lakes, it makes it stand out from everything. And I've often said that I believe Michigan needs to be in the national conversation when it comes to Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and the more quote "traditional" fall color destinations from a national and international perspective. I believe Michigan belongs in that conversation because it is a spectacular and world-class fall destination.
Chuck Gaidica:
Yeah, I agree with you completely and I know that there are millions of other people that do as well because they're looking for these destinations. For some, it really is sightseeing, literally just looking out the window of their car or RV or something, but there are lots of activities too. What would you say are the top destinations? Are they the usual suspects of small towns and cities we would think about, or are there a lot of hidden gems we should put on the list?
Nick Nerbonne:
Well, I've got some of both. I think for the top destinations, here's one that you may not expect, Chuck, Detroit. Detroit is an amazing fall destination. Think about something, if you want to talk about outdoor recreation and fall beauty and fall foliage, think about the River Walk and Belle Isle, and what those places are like during the fall. But also there's great fall festivals and events, and the fall dining, which is the harvest farmer table type situations. The Metro Detroit area has all kinds of wonderful opportunities, even close by, if you like to go to apple orchards or if you'd like to go to the pumpkin patch, corn mazes, those types of things. Agritourism has become a big driver of tourism in some of these rural communities that are close to our Metro Detroit area, and across the state, frankly.
But other destinations like Petoskey and Harbor Springs, which are scenic and gorgeous in every season of the year including winter, there's the tunnel of trees along M-119, which every year we have a few different national journalists reaching out to ask us about the tunnel of trees. That has become, because it flows off the tongue so well, tunnel of trees, but it is actually very beautiful. And then up in the Upper Peninsula, the Marquette area, and the Keweenaw Peninsula, they're absolutely stunning in the fall because you've got such big hills and mountains up there, actual mountains, along with, again, the colors of the Great Lakes and the rivers and streams and waterfalls. Spectacular places to visit.
Chuck Gaidica:
Yeah, and you can focus on, as you know, you could focus on one sliver of what you're talking about, which I think we've talked about before. We did, my brother and I and one of our sons, just literally focused on the waterfalls in the eastern U.P., the eastern half. And so just that trip alone, we didn't have time to do all the other exploration, but when you pick out those things and if you do it over a number of years or months, you can really see a whole lot of the state.
Nick Nerbonne:
Yeah, the waterfalls, that's another great example. There's 300 waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula. And actually one of the things I have here that I talk about often as a hidden gem is the Eastern U.P. Because lot of folks, when they go across the bridge, they take a left, they go along US-2 or they go toward Tahquamenon Falls up M-113. But if you go a little north of St. Ignace and take a right and go along M-134 over toward the Les Cheneaux Islands and Drummond Island, there's some incredibly beautiful areas up there. And then you can also wind back up to Sault Ste. Marie, which is the crossroads to the Great Lakes with the Soo Locks, and there's some wonderful restaurants and other activities up there. So yeah, there's some hidden gems everywhere you look.
Chuck Gaidica:
And when you're looking at activities, I think we've got to be, I don't know, we've got to allow some elbow room in that travel because you could be driving through a little town and say, "This is the place for lunch. I thought we're going to this other place." But to give yourself a little chance to have a membership in the last minute club like, hey, look what we should stop for... let's just go to that winery now because we're here.
Nick Nerbonne:
And I think that's a great way to travel, especially in the fall, I think it's a very good point. If you think of somewhere like old 27, so old 27 was formerly US-27. It basically starts at the Indiana border, it goes up through Jackson, goes through Lansing, Mount Pleasant, and all the way up through Harrison and Claire and way up to the bridge. And so you can take old 27, the road is still there, and take a nice slow paced drive if you're headed north. And then also US-12, another scenic byway, which goes from downtown Detroit all the way over to New Buffalo. You can wind through some of the scenic Irish Hills and some of those areas where we may not look at them as this is one of the more scenic areas of Michigan if it's in the middle of May or July, but in October, suddenly the farm country, the barns, the antique shops, it's a very beautiful thing to do. So yeah, I think taking the time to take it slow, enjoy the view along the way, that's the way to do it in the fall.
Chuck Gaidica:
I guess it's because of my weather background, this always strikes me interesting, we think that we have to do this when it's sunny, and sometimes we have no control of that idea. But to find that peace and tranquility, even when there's a little bit of rain spritzing. In the state of Michigan you find those spots and you hear the raindrops, there's a bit of calming that goes on regardless of what the weather is like.
Nick Nerbonne:
I think that's a great point too. You talk to a lot of photographers and they'll tell you that my favorite time to photograph fall colors is when it's foggy or when it's cloudy. When it's a nice cloudy day, it really kind of distributes the light in an even manner in which they're able to really focus on the color itself and not the shadows. And so there are different styles. But I agree, if it's sprinkling out there, if it's misting, which it's known to do sometimes in the fall... There's an old saying, someone quoted me that it's Scandinavian, and it said there's no bad weather just bad gear. So you've just got to make sure you're dressed appropriately and get out there and enjoy it, or take a scenic drive where you can enjoy it through the window.
Chuck Gaidica:
That's a cool phrase and I think we've had at least two other experts in the history of this podcast who have used that phrase, so I'm not sure who started it, but it's being in Michigan, trust me.
Nick Nerbonne:
I think it's very appropriate for all the things that we love to do here in Michigan.
Chuck Gaidica:
Well, we're a hearty people too. Okay, so there's a little snow. We've got boots. It's okay. Best places for leaf peeping, you've talked about a few big ones, tunnel of trees, other places, but give us some others if you're looking specifically to focus on fall foliage.
Nick Nerbonne:
When I want to go see some beautiful fall colors, I like to get out in the car and go on a scenic drive. I may get out and do some hiking and some things along the way, and I've even done fall paddles on the Manistee River out west of Cadillac. It's incredible to see the fall colors from a kayak. But some of these scenic drives, I've mentioned a couple of them, but M-22 from Manistee to Frankfurt along the coast of Lake Michigan, if you're headed north from Manistee you can take US-31 up from the Grand Rapids area and Muskegon, and that's a spectacular route. There's a couple of amazing scenic drives.
There's some great restaurants and breweries to stop at, and you can even all go all the way to Glen Arbor, Leland and Northport on M-22. It's actually an incredible place in the fall. Also, up in the Upper Peninsula, M-28. So this goes from Newberry all the way to Marquette, and it goes beyond, way over into the Western U.P. and M-28 traverses the interior, the northern route of the Upper Peninsula. You won't believe the fall colors you see along that route.
Chuck Gaidica:
Wow, that's good stuff. I mean, I can see how people are going to hear this if they're taking it for a walk, our podcast, they're going to want to make notes on this one, so we'll try to make sure we put some info in the show notes. But there's a lot of great stuff you're talking about that we all need to remember. When you look at other hidden gems of activities that could be associated with a hidden gem of a location, what else is... maybe not something we talk about all the time, but what are some of those?
Nick Nerbonne:
Well, I think aside from talking about going on a fall paddle, which I always definitely recommend listeners to take the appropriate precautions, that during the fall the water can be colder and make sure you're paddling in an area that is safe and for your ability levels. But when you talk about getting outdoors, I think popping up more and more the agritourism destinations, where I remember up in Traverse City there's a Gallagher's Farm Market. They used to sell cider and donuts and they'd sell apples by the bushel and they'd sell pumpkins. Now they've got hay rides, they've got a corn maize, they've got all these different things. So taking the family out and enjoying it, I think, is a great thing.
You look at places where you may not look at it as a vacation destination as often as like Traverse City or Petoskey, but a place like Mount Pleasant and Gaylord. Gaylord is known for its wonderful golf courses, and of course it's got the Pigeon River Country State Forest nearby and the Sturgeon River. But the Gaylord area, if you do a fall golf outing, it's tough to beat Gaylord. But there's so many wonderful trail activities and great resorts like Tree Tops and Otsego Resort to visit there.
And then once again, just look for the trails that you might go on hiking and biking during the year and then revisit them in fall. Those are the true hidden gems. Those places that are hiding in plain sight, that's what I say, our hidden gems hide in plain sight during the fall. So revisit those places you'd visit other times of the year and experience what the fall colors can turn them into.
Chuck Gaidica:
You mentioned the eastern part of the U.P. as you're coming up off the Big Mac, but there's also the eastern side of the Lower Peninsula, which oftentimes people may not be thinking about. It's maybe not as top of mind, or at least they'll say Traverse City, Petoskey. But when you start looking at Port Huron, Lexington, Lakeport, and you go farther north, when you're looking at Lake Huron there's a lot of stuff there that's worthy of looking at. And if you live mid-part of Metro Detroit eastbound, those are easier gets than making an entire trip up to the U.P. or something. Right?
Nick Nerbonne:
It's so true. When you're headed out from Metro Detroit, if you want to go discover something new, Port Huron is right down the road. Even you're talking about Lake St. Clair if you're headed north. And then up into the thumb, again that's another example of an area that may be very agricultural, but as you're traversing it during the fall season it becomes a very beautiful place to visit. But I wanted to mention, you talked about Lake Huron, the US-23 Heritage Route, which heads north from Tawas City all the way up to Alpena, Rogers City, and into the bridge, that's an absolutely amazing scenic drive, and I have done that in the fall. If you stop in Oscoda, to the west of Oscoda is called the River Road Scenic Byway, which heads up to Lumberman's Monument overlooking the AuSable Valley. If there's a more photogenic place than the fall in Michigan, I'd love to see it because that is a gorgeous view.
Chuck Gaidica:
All these places that we have, this terrain, that I think in Michigan when we're traveling we kind of take for granted. I know that there's this "Ooh, look at that." But I was talking to some friends who are from Michigan who now are kind of more than wintering... they're mostly in Florida but they live west of Orlando. And I never knew there were hills and lakes, and they're telling me about this. And I saw it, I went to visit them. And I went and saw them and I said, "We have these all the time in Michigan. This is just something we take for granted. And in a flat state like Florida you guys think this is special stuff, right?"
Nick Nerbonne:
Well, that's one thing we're very lucky here is we've got really amazing places. And yeah, there are some areas where we might be driving along in Michigan and think, "Oh, there aren't huge hills," but I'm telling you, I was just up in Petoskey last weekend, traveling up near Alanson, heading over to Crooked Lake. There's some huge hills out there. Michigan, we're very fortunate to have both the hills, lakes, and we can ski on them in the winter, we can go explore and climb them in the summer. It's a wonderful place to live and be.
Chuck Gaidica:
We're heading up to Petoskey next month for a wedding, and we're going to get a tiny house, and we're taking the two dogs, and we're still going to do the wedding but we're also going to spend an extra night... that's all we can fit in... and we're going to just explore the state at that point. But it's not fancy. It's really nice. It's quaint, but we don't need anymore. It's just us and two dogs so it'll be a perfect little trip. And I can't wait because it just seems like a simpler... my wife and I, the couple dogs and the fire pit, that's really dialing it down.
Nick Nerbonne:
That sounds perfect. And once again, it's all about getting to that place where you can enjoy the time with those that you love and you want to spend time with. It doesn't matter the accommodations and all those things. It's just about getting that time and getting there and doing it.
Chuck Gaidica:
So any other particular places or things we should focus on as we wrap up this episode?
Nick Nerbonne:
Well, I think when you think about fall, really think about what are the things I haven't done in a long time? Think about something that... there's a place I haven't been in a while, and take a little extra time, whether it's pull open Google Maps or however it is, see if there are two different routes to go to that place. That's a thing that I'd like to do all year. But if I'm headed over to Alpena or Oscoda, like we mentioned for example, I might take I-75 all the way north and cut over on the way up and on the way down I take US-23 all the way back down to Bay City. So there's two different routes, and so you're seeing something new the entire length along the drive.
Chuck Gaidica:
Well, and that's a good point because some of these routes are not necessarily right near an expressway, but take a look at 12 that you can traverse from southeast Michigan all the way over to the west side of the state. You could take the expressway, but you're going to get off there anyway. Either you're going to go get your biggie diet drink or you're going to have to give it back, so you're going to be getting off at these places anyway, so consider staying on at them. I think that's great advice.
Nick Nerbonne:
Yeah, I think we want to make sure we're enjoying the actual journey as well as the destination, and the fall is actually one of my favorite times to do just that.
Chuck Gaidica:
So any last takeaways, Nick, as we wrap this one up?
Nick Nerbonne:
Fall in Michigan is one of the most beautiful times of the year. Get outside and enjoy it, even if it's for a scenic drive.
Chuck Gaidica:
Good stuff. Well, thanks so much for your time. It's great to see you as always.
Nick Nerbonne:
Appreciate it, Chuck. Thanks again.
Chuck Gaidica:
Oh, sure thing. Nick Nerbonne has been with us. He is a media, digital, and industry relations director for Travel Michigan. We're glad he was here again with us because there is so much that we need to think about when it comes to fall, and don't give up on having some little bursts of warm weather in the fall. We know about Indian Summer. And that last-minute idea, if it hits and you'd wanted to get out when it was a little warmer, go for it. We're glad you've been listening to a Healthier Michigan Podcast brought to you by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
If you liked the show and you want to know more, you can check us out online at ahealthiermichigan.org/podcast. You can also leave us reviews or ratings on Apple Podcast or Spotify. We're also able to be followed. You hit that follow button on Facebook or Instagram or X, you get new episodes on your smartphone or tablet. Don't forget there's a YouTube channel as well for all of these. And you can subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app. I'm Chuck Gaidica. Be well.
