Michigan Road Trip - Magical Little European Towns, Mackinac Island, Sand Dunes & Chicago!

My guest, Leeann (Leeann Marie Photography), is a photographer and mom of four (ages 3–12) from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She and her family piled into their minivan for an epic 14-day family road trip through Michigan and beyond! We're exploring charming Bavarian and Dutch-inspired towns, biking around the car-free Mackinac Island, discovering the unbelievably blue waters of the Great Lakes, climbing the massive Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, enjoying adorable Michigan beach towns, and finishing with a few days of big-city fun in Chicago!Plus, Leeann shares her tried-and-true family road trip tips, including how they organize their luggage, save money on meals, choose vacation rentals, and manage two weeks on the road with four kids!Mentioned in this episode:Window Room Blackout Roll: https://amzlink.to/az0bkgVdeDzVlFamily road trip tips: Packing, organizing luggage, saving money on meals, VRBO rentals, and traveling with four kidsCuyahoga Valley National Park, OhioCleveland, OhioDETROIT: Eastern Market, Detroit Tigers baseball game, The Henry Ford Museum, Belle Isle ParkFRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN: Bavarian-inspired town, Christmas shopping, Bavarian Inn, famous chicken dinnersST. IGNACE, MICHIGAN: Farmhouse VRBO, Shepler's FerryMACKINAC ISLAND: Bike rentals, Arch Rock, Grand Hotel, Pink Pony, fudge shops, horse-drawn carriagesTorch Lake, MichiganTRAVERSE CITY: Cherry picking, downtown shops, Traverse City Pit Spitters baseball gameSleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Empire Bluff TrailHOLLAND, MICHIGAN: Dutch windmills, wooden clogs, tulip gardensSAUGATUCK, MICHIGAN: Saugatuck Dune Rides, Oval Beach, Mount Baldhead, Kalamazoo River, Unsalted Boat ToursIndiana Dunes National ParkCHICAGO: The Bean, Maggie Daley Park, Navy Pier, Centennial Wheel, Chicago River architecture boat tour, Willis Tower Skydeck & The Ledge, Giordano's deep-dish pizzaUniversity of Notre Dame, South Bend, IndianaThis episode is available to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kelseygravesIf you’d like to share about your trip on the podcast, email me at: kelsey@triptalespodcast.comBuy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/kelseygravesFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey_gravesFollow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mskelseygravesJoin us in the Trip Tales Podcast Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1323687329158879Trip Tales is a travel podcast sharing real vacation stories and trip itineraries for family travel, couples getaways, cruises, and all-inclusive resorts. Popular episodes feature destinations like Marco Island Florida, Costa Rica with kids, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Aulani in Hawaii, Beaches Turks & Caicos, Park City ski trips, Aruba, Italy, Ireland, Portugal’s Azores, New York City, Alaska cruises, and National Parks like Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Yosemite. Listeners get real travel tips, itinerary recommendations, hotel reviews, restaurant recommendations, and inspiration for planning their next vacation, especially when traveling with kids.