In October, I took Cocoa (my pup) to Traverse City, Michigan for a few days. We don’t get to see much of fall’s colorful foliage here in Chicago, so I wanted to go somewhere that really felt like autumn. Everyone I talked to told me to go to Michigan since it was so close (shorter drive with the dog) and so pretty, so I decided to go there for a few days.

I found this cute little farmhouse on Airbnb (you can rent it here), and knew right away that’s where I wanted to stay. It’s in Northport, Michigan, which is about 30-45 minutes north of Traverse City.

I loved all the modern updates and the fact that it’s secluded. I was pretty freaked out being there alone at night, but during the day it was beautiful!

The first night I was there, Northport was hit with a huge storm. I was inside with Cocoa and she was scared of the howling wind and branches hitting the house. We were both feeling pretty uneasy, so I watched Seinfeld really, really, loudly to try and drown out the storm. haha

Between Traverse City and Northport is a cute little town called Sutton’s Bay. One afternoon I grabbed lunch at 9 Bean Rows and walked through the town (which took me approx 10 minutes because it’s so small). Downtown Traverse City was great too, so if you’ve never been there, you need to go. They have a ton of breweries and lunch spots. I had the best tacos, chips, and guac at Mama Lu’s, and yummy tiny doughnuts at Peace Love and Little Donuts! Basically, all I did was eat everything during those three short days.

I took Cocoa on a walk at Lake Leelanau and drove to some local vineyards to stock up on wine before I left. It was a short trip, but it was so pretty – I’m glad I went!