Hello and happy summer! I wasn’t planning to write this today, but Northern Michigan has been on my mind (again), and I figured why not share a little love letter to one of my favorite places?

I’ve been traveling to Northern Michigan for the last 4 years now and it never gets old. It’s one of those rare places that just slows you down in the best way. Maybe it’s the endless lake views, or the fresh air that actually smells like trees and dirt and summer. Maybe it’s the tiny roadside farm stands, the wine with actual character, or the sleepy little towns where nothing feels urgent. Whatever it is, it’s magic and I keep going back.

Usually, I stay in Northport, a quiet little town tucked into the northernmost point of the Leelanau Peninsula. We stay in a cozy little cottage surrounded by apple orchards that’s walking distance to the lake. It’s so unbelievably quiet and peaceful…my dog literally has nothing to bark at while we’re there. I spend my days hopping between beaches, hikes, wineries and small-town bookstores, my afternoons are spent showering outdoors (literally the best) and hopping into the sauna, and my evenings eating wood-fired pizza under string lights, sipping wine and playing board games on the porch or hunting for Petoskey stones while the sun goes down at the lake (at, like, 10 PM in the summer!).

Some favorite places and moments I always try to repeat:

• A long hike through the Sleeping Bear Dunes, ending in silence at the overlook as Lake Michigan stretches into the sky (I recommend the Empire Bluffs Trail or the Treat Farm Trail…but be sure to keep going into “the wilderness” along the dunes for the best views).
• Grabbing sandwiches from the Cheese Shanty in Fishtown and wandering through the old sea shanties.
• Moomer’s ice cream, always. It’s a rule. Bonus points if you eat it while watching the cows who made it.
• A late post-hike lunch at 9 Bean Rows, where the food is farm-to-table without making a fuss about it. We eat here at least a few times each trip. Such good, casual, homegrown food.
• A spontaneous stop at a roadside flower stand or local farm market (I recently found the dreamiest bouquets and produce at Lakeview Hill Farm).
• Farm Club. Another requirement for any trip to the Leelanau Peninsula.
• And always, always wine at Dune Bird. If you know, you know.

There’s something about Northern Michigan that feels like stepping into a simpler, slower version of the world. It’s also so wildly photogenic. Which brings me to this: I would love to start photographing weddings and engagement sessions in this corner of the world. I’ve built my career photographing beautiful moments for people in Chicago and beyond and I think Northern Michigan is the perfect extension of everything I do paired with my deep love for nature.

If you’re planning a celebration up north (or dreaming one up), consider this your gentle nudge. Imagine an engagement session that begins at your favorite winery (may I suggest Dune Bird?), continues on with a romantic stroll through Sleeping Bear Dunes at golden hour, and maybe ends with a bonfire on the beach while watching the stars. Or a wedding on the beach or in a field of wildflowers, followed by dinner under the stars with a view of the lake. I’ll bring the camera… and the bug spray. 😉

This isn’t a definitive travel guide (though if you need recs, I have plenty more). It’s just a little window into the kind of place that keeps calling me back. Northern Michigan is a reminder that slowing down is good, ice cream is better when cows are watching, and sometimes, the best days are the ones that don’t look that exciting on paper.

If you’re heading up there soon, let me know. I’d love to hear what you find.. and if you happen to fall in love along the way, I’d love to help you document it.

xo,
Ashley