Up North Stories & Travel Tips

What You'll Find on Our Blog

Our blog is where we share the same local knowledge we’d give a friend booking their first Northern Michigan trip. Expect guides to the lakes, trails, and towns near each of our properties, seasonal ideas for what to do before and after your stay, and day trip itineraries built around Traverse City, Gaylord, and everywhere in between. It’s written by the McNeal family, so it comes from people who actually live here and stay in these towns year-round, not a stock travel site. The goal is simple: the more useful this page is before someone books, the easier it is for them to picture their trip and choose one of our properties directly, instead of scrolling through a search engine full of strangers.

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If you’re trying to work out where to take the family next summer, Lake Charlevoix deserves a serious look..

Downtown Harbor Springs, Michigan looking east along M-119
Skip the crowds and explore three of Northern Michigan's most charming small towns, each an easy drive from our.
Boardman River flowing through downtown Traverse City, Michigan
From fresh whitefish to cherry pie, here's where the McNeal family eats when we're in Traverse City..
Forested hiking trail in a Northern Michigan national forest
Lakes, trails, and championship golf — Gaylord is one of the best basecamps for outdoor adventure in Northern Michigan..
Sunset over a Northern Michigan lake dock
A private dock, a fire pit, and crystal-clear Elk Lake right outside the door — see what makes this.
Snow-covered cabin surrounded by pine trees
From downhill runs to groomed snowmobile trails, here's how to make the most of a Northern Michigan winter..