More good press about the area we’re visiting in northern Michigan in August! Budget Travel named the town of Leland as one of the 10 best summer lake towns. We’ll be staying nearby in Glen Arbor, Mi – which I picked in part because it’s near Leland (and the Leelanau Pennisula) and cheaper to stay than Leland.

Here’s the blurb:

Leland, Mich., on Lake Michigan and Lake Leelanau
Leland rests on a peninsula between Lake Michigan and petite Lake Leelanau. Families who’ve been spending the summer here for generations often arrive by boat and never set foot in a car during their stay. The town’s roots as a fishing village aren’t hard to spot — the main attraction here is Fishtown, a cluster of old shanties converted into shops and restaurants, now a lakeside historic district. Locals love the pretzel-bread sandwiches at the Village Cheese Shanty (199 E. River Rd., villagecheeseshanty.com), and kids never let parents walk by the Dam Candy Store without stopping for an ice cream cone or chocolate-covered cherries (197 W. River Rd.). The 107-year-old Riverside Inn and Restaurant, one block from downtown, has a homey feel but is classy enough to offer an extensive international wine list and dining on the deck with views of the Leland River (302 River St., theriverside-inn.com, 231-256-9971, from $100). If you do bring a car, make time to explore the wineries of northern Michigan. The pinot noir from Chateau Fontaine, just three miles outside Leland, has a vibrant berry flavor — it’s the perfect summer wine (2290 S. French Rd., 231-256-0000, chateaufontaine.com).