Shalee Wanders started as a Michigan travel blog. I was a young girl attending Lansing Community College with dreams of traveling the world one day. Those dreams began on the shore of the Great Lakes. Thank you for being here, and I hope these blogs inspire your next Michigan escape. ☀️
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Four Romantic Getaways in Michigan for Every Kind of Couple
Four Romantic Getaways in Michigan For Every Kind of Couple From sipping wine on the shores of Lake Michigan to candlelit dinners overlooking the Detroit skyline, there is an abundance of romantic getaway options right here in Michigan. You can forget about jetting off to Paris, they don’t have white-sand beaches anyway. Whether looking to…
Best Things to Do in Traverse City in The Fall
Best Things to Do in Traverse City in The Fall The first thing I noticed when I was deboarding the plane was the smell. A mid-October scent of cool crisp air and pumpkin patches. It smelled like home. I was eager for fall color. Let me rephrase. I NEEDED fall color. I half expected…
The Six Best States To Visit In The Fall
THE SIX BEST STATES TO VISIT IN THE FALL I’m currently in South Carolina. It was 86 today and I attempted to wear a fuzzy sweater. I’ve unapologetically ordered a PSL from Starbucks. It still wasn’t worth $5, but I’ve come to accept the defeat because the spirit of fall has me feelin’ some…
Six Hidden Michigan Secrets
Six Hidden Michigan Secrets Michigan is consistently and vastly underrated, but we like it that way. There are rarely crowds which ruin beauty, and there are still dozens of unexplored and relatively unknown places hidden throughout the Upper and Lower Peninsula. Out of all the things to do in Michigan, sometimes the best…
30 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit Michigan Right Now
30 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit Michigan Right Now From the golden shores of Saugatuck to the rocky cliffs of Lake Superior, Michigan holds some of the most pristine and untouched beauty in the country. Still not sold? Check out these photos: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. …
Stories Behind My Ten Favorite Travel Photos
STORIES BEHIND MY TEN FAVORITE TRAVEL PHOTOS Pictures are worth a thousand words, but sometimes they’re worth much more. Travel or not, we each have photos we cherish that capture a particular moment of happiness. Or perhaps a not-so-happy moment but a story that shaped the way we think or the way we are. I…
Why Traverse City is America’s Best Winter Town
WHY TRAVERSE CITY IS AMERICA’S BEST WINTER TOWN The United States is filled with quaint mountain towns fighting for the prestigious title of “Best Winter Destination.” Sorry Aspen, Boulder, and Park City, you’ve been beaten by a town you’ve probably never heard of. Welcome to Traverse City, Michigan. Far away from any mountain base, this…
Six Things to do in Michigan Before Fall Ends
Plan a fall camping trip A little colder than normal? Yeah. Worth it to wake up under a canopy of brilliant yellow and reds? Also yes. I love waking up on a crisp morning and digging out of the tent only to hear nothing but a crisp crunch under my step. There’s something so simple…
Northern Michigan and Magical Petoskey
As a child going “Up North” was *almost* as good as Christmas. I’d cry every time we came home (way after I was too old to be crying to come home). I still believe there is magic along shores. I have never met a person who was disappointed with Northern Michigan. Except I did hear…
One Year of Travel: A Photographic Journey
ONE YEAR OF TRAVEL: A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY It’s officially been a year since I declined a full-time job after graduation to embark on a life-altering adventure. I could write a book (actually, I am writing a book…eek!) about everything that has happened in the last year alone. From the Cies Islands off the coast of…
Five Must-Camp Places in Michigan This Summer
Five Must-Camp Places in Michigan This Summer Updated: January 25, 2020 Summer months in The Mitten are considered sacred. We patiently wait from November to April for the weather to break, the lakes to become swimmable, and the camping nights comfortable. Each year we each make a list of places to visit, but somehow at the…
Please Don’t Ruin This:
Below is a selection of photographs showing fragile environments affected by our decisions as a country and world.
A Lake Michigan Sunset
A sunset in Greece over the Aegean Sea was beautiful. A sunset in the mountains of Norway was stunning. A beach sunset in Hawaii was breathtaking. Yet a Lake Michigan sunset remains the most magical of them all. People who finds themselves lost, hurt, or broken; often travel to the shores of Lake Michigan for healing. They…
MILLION VIEW GIVEAWAY: A Traverse City Adventure
Want to win a trip to Traverse City? Here’s your chance! As many of you know, I am in love with northern Michigan. It’s the place that inspired me to start a blog and begin this crazy journey. A little over two years later, I’ve just celebrated my MILLIONTH view. MILLIONTH. 999,000 more than what…
An Alternative Graduation: Hot Air Ballooning
AN ALTERNATIVE GRADUATION: HOT AIR BALLOONING I’m a college graduate, guys. I’M A COLLEGE GRADUATE. Whew. What a weekend. Last week my pending graduation was finally beginning to hit me. My Facebook feed was filled with classmates taking pictures around campus in their green & white cap and gowns, each of us anxiously awaiting…
8 Tips for Tight Budget Travel
8 TIPS FOR TIGHT BUDGET TRAVEL Some of us are visual learners (myself included). This week I decided to take a different approach to share some of my tips while traveling on a budget. What is the twist? AN INFOGRAPHIC. Recently, I’ve had a bit of an obsession with infographics and I just created…
8 Small Town Michigan Overnight Getaways
8 SMALL TOWN MICHIGAN OVERNIGHT GETAWAYS 1. Mesick It’s in the middle of nowhere, it’s near the highest point in the Lower Peninsula, and it’s the mushroom capital of the world. If you love hunting for those Morel mushrooms come spring, this is the place for you! I spent countless weekends here as a…
Six Best Lighthouses in Michigan
The Six Best Lighthouses in Michigan January 25, 2020 When I’m old, frail, and slightly senile, I want to be a lighthouse keeper. I want to have a cat named Indiana Jones, a beautiful view of a lake, and most importantly – an ice cream shop within 5 miles. I’ve spent my life around…
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This blog started on the shores of the Great Lakes. I was 20 years old attending Lansing Community College, completely lost, depressed, and struggling to find light in the world. I had always dreamed of traveling, but I knew two people who had ever left the United States. I started this travel blog in 2014, built on more of a dream than actual experience. I had only left North America once and spent most of my time traveling around Michigan and sleeping in my car, often rolling quarters to afford gas. I wouldn't travel far even if I could, as my mother was an addict who consumed most of my time and energy. I was terrified to leave, thinking the moment I left was the moment she would overdose. Sometimes, after a long day, I would drive the 1.5 hours to Lake Michigan to do nothing more than stare at the sunset and sob uncontrollably. I had so many dreams, all of which seemed unattainable. But I found beauty around Michigan, and I soon began writing about all the reasons this state is my favorite place in the world. 20-year-old Shalee would never believe where this little blog would take her, but she'll never forget her home. The place that inspired her to find beauty no matter where she went.
Thank you for being here.
