Working on seeing the world... in my own home state

One of the side-effects of having a traveler's heart, is often we miss what's right under our noses. In an effort to see the world, we ignore what's in our own backyard. That certainly is the case with me.

I live in Michigan, one of the most beautiful states in the country. We have the second longest coastline in the United States, behind only Alaska. Natural beauty abounds on our miles and miles of lakeshore. But being surrounded by so much water, you'd be shocked to discover I haven't seen much of it.

So my husband and I are working to correct that. Last weekend we traveled to one of the most beautiful areas of Michigan, Traverse City and the Leelenau Peninsula. Mario Batali, who has a summer home in the area, says it is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

We explored Sleeping Bear Dunes and experienced the local food scene, but more importantly, we got in touch with the beauty of our state, something we plan to spend more time doing in the near future.

It was my husband's idea to climb a sand dune. #exhausting

Working on seeing the beauty of our own home state. Sleeping Bear Dunes is beautiful!