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Lake Michigan's Homestead Resort
Sunbathers and swimmers arrive early at the broad swath of sand near Glen Arbor, stretching between the dunes and frothy whitecaps, and they spend the day.
As parents lounge nearby, kids make elaborate sand castles. After you have lunch at the restaurant beside the beach, let the lapping waves lull you into a nap.
Plenty of other activities keep you as busy as you like at this retreat, which sprawls across wooded hills on the west shore of the Leelanau Peninsula, about 25 miles west of Traverse City. You can swim in three pools and rent kayaks or canoes. Teachers are on hand for sailing lessons, as well as golf and tennis instruction. Tennis players volley on five courts, and golfers head for the nine-hole course.
The Crystal River meanders through the complex, which resembles a friendly small town. Flower-lined paths lead to shops in The Village, as well as to three restaurants, two small hotels, a lodge, an inn and more than 175 vacation homes and condos. Reserve at least one evening for dinner at Cafe Manitou, a fine-dining establishment beside Lake Michigan.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a federal preserve that extends for 37 miles along Lake Michigan, borders two sides of the resort. You can follow trails that lead to towering sand hills and more beaches.
Other facilities/activities: children's program, exercise trails, fitness center, playground.
