Pretty Little Peninsula: Leelanau

By Beth Anne Piehl

The Leelanau Peninsula is like a no-wake zone posted in the expanse of Lake Michigan’s cool, deep waters. You come across it and all signs point to slowing down, breathing it in, and appreciating the majestic natural features that Michigan holds from coast to shining coast.

I’ve lived in Michigan my whole life, but had somehow missed the Leelanau Peninsula the past 36 years. Since I’d never been, a friend who’s a Suttons Bay native shared time and enthusiasm showing me around his home-peninsula, a place that defines the beauty inherent to the state’s water-framed communities.

I couldn’t help but say, as we absorbed the ebb and flow of each town and the scenery along the way, a phrase that I’ve used time and again since then: “Can you believe we actually live here?” (What do you think they say in those land-locked states, anyway?)

A look at Leelanau

It starts with the most breathtaking vistas found anywhere, with cascading currents of teal-blue waters lapping at miles of shoreline alternating between beaches and bounties of cherry, grape and strawberry crops.

On the west coast, there’s Leland, a fish-shanty town so reminiscent of a Maine seaport you almost expect weather-beaten trawlers and hardy salties to be unloading boats full of crab and lobster.

The eastern edge is home to the peninsula’s largest town, Suttons Bay, tucked into a bay and easily walkable from nearby marinas. A short laketrip up, Northport invites as a mini-version of Suttons Bay.

And at the tippy top, there’s the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, a beacon at the pinnacle of this pretty little peninsula ushering boaters into Grand Traverse Bay or out into the big lake.

Whether via wind or horsepower, Leelanau is a boater’s paradise. Nearly everything here is accessible from the water, whether through West Grand Traverse Bay on the east or Lake Michigan on the north and west and beyond.

Within the narrow peninsula — only a few miles wide at some northern sections — are several more bodies of water ideal for a day on the lake. The biggest is Lake Leelanau, encompassing 8,000 acres separated into the north and south sections and slinking through the middle of nearly the whole peninsula. It’s a prime playground for waterskiing, jet skiing, pleasure boating, swimming, kayaking, fishing and anything involving water and fun. In the town of Lake Leelanau, boaters can head landward and find restaurants, quaint shops and local farm stands selling juicy peaches, strawberries and more fresh produce.

Dotting the landscape and accessible both by boat and wheels are 17 wineries, giving rise to Leelanau’s moniker as Michigan’s Wine Coast. Along the Wine Trail (www.lpwines.com), the succulent bouquets aren’t saved only for the landscaping; they’re found in the diverse tastes of award-winning wines such as Bel Lago, Black Star Farms and Chateau De Leelanau.

The same fertile terrain and climate that welcome grape-growing have long supported Leelanau’s nationally known cherry growers for decades. The peninsula boasts the largest number of acres in the state devoted to sweet cherries, 4,304, and the second-most acreage for tart cherries, 9,514.

There are hidden gems to be found here, too, like Peterson Park on the Lake Michigan side. At the top of the 100-some stairs that lead to the beach below is an overlook that wide-angles Lake Michigan with views of North and South Manitou islands.

Taking it all in amidst the smell of evergreen and the sound of silence, once again I’m compelled to gush, “Can you believe we live here?”

And the more I see, the more I keep saying it.

Peninsula Pointers

Lake Leelanau ...
Take a sunset boat ride on the lake. Lick a cone at the Narrows Bait Shop. Watch the boats and walk Narrows Bridge—pretty in all seasons.

Leland ...
Explore the Historical District, known as Fishtown, and watch the salmon try to jump upstream into the Leland River. Break on through to the other side: The Leland River is separated by a dam, so boaters can’t traverse seamlessly through, but there are boat launches on either side.  Shop! The village is only a few blocks, but it’s home to 50 stores, multiple restaurants and art galleries and turn-of-the-century buildings.

Northport ...
A visit to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum offers a peek into the maritime history of this important shipping gateway into Grand Traverse Bay. Quaint streets and parks nestled near the public marina provide boaters with easy access to a simple way of life, whether you’re docking for days or just a dalliance.

Suttons Bay ...
Beach day! Just behind Main Street is a sandy public beach where locals and visitors enjoy sunbathing and swimming in the clear waters of the protected bay. Suttons Bay Marina is just a short walk from downtown, with transient public slips available for docking and spending a day meandering this charming town.  Visit the Inland Seas Education al Association and tour its 77-foot two-masted schooner, the Inland Seas, a specially designed school ship that can accommodate 32 students.

 

MBIA members on the Leelanau Peninsula:

On the Narrows Marina, 8137 S. Glen Lake Road, Glen Arbor, (800) 707-5921
Stander Marine Inc., 111 Boulevard Dr., P.O. Box 381, Leland, (231) 256-9231
Northport Bay Boat Yard, 10824 North Shore Dr., P.O. Box 125, Northport, (231) 386-5151
Bonek Agency Inc., 117 N. St. Joseph St., P.O. Box 278, Suttons Bay, (231) 271-3623

Michigan Boating 2010 » Pretty Little Peninsula: Leelanau