How to Day Trip - Silver Lake Area


My rules for a Day Trip are simple:

  1. Must be able to travel to/from and have fun at the destination within one day. (This is a given.)
  2. One should have a plan, but one must be flexible.
  3. If it peaks your interest, don’t just drive by

 

Photography Credit: Kalon Arts and Yoga Company via Facebook
Our Saturday Day Trip to Silver Lake took place in two parts. In the morning, my mother and I headed up to Little Sable Lighthouse for morning yoga on the beach. I was very excited for this as beach yoga has been on my bucket list forever. It was a little chilly, but the practice was at the very reasonable time of 9 a.m. and the sun was out.

We posed next to the shadow of the lighthouse while the wave lapped on the shore and monarchs flew overhead. We even saw a bald eagle flying over the lake. I recommend the practice; it was a very all level inclusive class sponsored by Kalon Arts and Yoga Company. (Check out their Facebook after practice for photos.)

 

While we were tempted to climb the lighthouse then, we headed back to pick up my stepdad. A quick change and a pit stop for coffee (a road trip requirement in my book) got us back on the road. Our first detour was Woodland Farm Market & Bakery, a cute little shop with gifts, produce and baked goods. How could we not stop with a sign proclaiming award winning pies. I adore places like this to pick up a gift for a friend or a snack. We did both while perusing the whimsical décor.

 

From one market, we drove to another, Cherry Point Farm & Market. I saw the market’s Lavender Labyrinth eons ago on Pinterest and convinced my fellow daytrippers to stop. While the lavender wasn’t at peak color or fragrance, it was still a marvel and the herb garden at the center was fun to explore. They have map booklets so we could figure out which plants were what. When looking at the herb garden from the center, there are placards grouping the plants in charming categories like Shakespearean, Biblical or Medicinal. We took our time exploring the herbs and finding our favorites. Mom searched out the Chocolate Mint.



We had lunch in the barn consisting of fun sandwiches—Not-your-Grandma’s Grill Cheese for me and A Dilly of a Wrap for my Stepdad—and the Mega-veggie-power salad for my mother. (The Mega-veggie-power salad is vegan!) Don’t miss out on the famous cherry turnover for dessert. Everything was delicious and the grilled cheese may be the cheesiest sandwich I've ever had. And being from Wisconsin I have a serious love for grilled cheese.











There's rock garden along the route between the barn and the store with words painted on the stones. We spelled out a sentence about beautiful butterflies. The farm also boasts a quaint shop with lavender gifts (soaps, potpourri), baked goods and more. In the gift shop, there are even puzzles and postcards of  the labyrinth from an aerial view. Mom bought lavender potpourri and cherry merlot jam. We all bought labyrinth postcards. I liked that many of the lavender items were made from the lavender in the labyrinth. It's harvested and dried at the end of the season, making a fun and memorable souvenir.

 

Around the corner from the Cherry Point is Fox Barn Market & Winery. (Are you sensing a pattern with these names?) The winery is housed in a barn: the front half is another adorable shop with gourmet food and wine theme gifts. The back of the barn is tasting area with wines ranging from dry reds to sweet fruity wines. The wines lean most on fruit wines that run the spectrum from semi-dry to sweet.  I highly recommend their popular Harvest Rose, but we tried almost every wine on the list and I wasn’t disappointed. They were surprisingly sold out of the Asparagus Wine. (If anyone tries it, let me know how it goes.) We picked up a couple bottles (10% off, when purchasing 4 or more), including the Harvest Rose.

Taking a break from our shopping, we headed back out to the lighthouse. Petite Sable Lighthouse is hidden at the end of a long dead-end road, but it’s well worth it.  And the drive is lovely. Little Sable Point Light was built in 1874 and painted white in the early 1900s, but I like the exposed brick better. Even though the tower is still under restoration, you can climb the 139 steps to the top for a spectacular, panoramic view for a small fee—$5 adults/$2 children. It’s an easy climb with several landings so opposite directions can pass and a wide parapet balcony to gaze out over Lake Michigan. We even met a bride and groom at the top taking photos on their wedding day.

 

To round off the day, we headed over to Big Hart Brewing Co.. This brewing company has a small, but fun beer list that is strong on the IPAs. I’m not big on IPAs so it makes the choice easy for me. Between the three of us we had Workingman’s, Electric Hart and 5 O’clock Whistle. Besides splitting the Hummus Plate between us, we paired our beers with the Whitefish Sandwich, Big Hart Cheese Burger and Veggie Wrap. For some reason, I’m always chilly when we come here, but I like the quirky décor (seriously, there are tiny disco balls hanging from the ceiling) and we’ve never had a compliant about the beer, food or service. Side Note: They serve beer in 12oz. glasses instead of pint glasses.


Do you have any daytrip rules? Did I miss your favorite Silver Lake spot? Let me know in the comments below.








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