Heavens to Benzie: Experience memorable fall getaways

There's no shortage of icons in Benzie County, Mich. They include such diverse attractions as a pristine beach that stretches five miles north from Frankfort; the Cherry Hut, a fixture for good food since 1922; and the studio of internationally known printmaker and watercolorist Gwen Frostic (1906-2001).

Outdoor lovers love Benzie County. It offers boundless opportunities for biking, canoeing, kayaking, golf, fishing and boating (including equipment rental). There also are four hiking trails in and around the county, plus more than a dozen in nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. They cover terrain ranging from high bluffs over Lake Michigan to meadows carpeted with wildflowers and hilly hardwood forest.

Or simply play tourist and visit the boyhood home at Benzonia of Bruce Catton, Pulitzer Prize-winning author/historian, get a bird's-eye view of fall colors via a scenic chair lift ride at Crystal Mountain Resort and watch salmon jumping at the Homestead Dam in Benzonia.

There's even time to catch the second weekend of the Benzie County Fall Festival (Oct. 13 and 14). It brings pumpkin carving, wagon rides and a parade featuring the Scottville Clown Band.

Although summer has melted away, autumn is the season when Benzie County is at its colorful peak and foliage tours along highways M 22, U.S. Route 31 and M 115 are dazzling.

This also is the time when the salmon are running, golf is at its best (at eight local courses) and restaurants feature harvest menus. Scenic locations in the county include the Betsie Valley Trail for walking and biking, the Platte and Betsie rivers that flow into Lake Michigan for kayaking and canoeing, and picturesque Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore and Crystal and Platte lakes with beautiful beaches and trails.

Frankfort: This lively resort community is close to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and terminus for the Betsie Valley trail, one of the most picturesque in the county. Head for Point Betsie, where the red-and-white lighthouse is one of the most photographed on the Great Lakes. Then, follow this unspoiled beach to Frankfort. Discover a 100-acre dune preserve and observe bird life that includes loons, commonly seen offshore, migrating falcons and tiny sandpipers skittering nimbly at water's edge.

Frankfort's Betsie Bay Inn has 17 rooms, some with hot tubs, and a newly remodeled nautical-themed pub with entertainment on weekends. Shops in Frankfort include the Bookstore, independently owned, and Northern Lights & Lifestyles, with mission-style replicated furniture, pottery and period accessories. Another one-of-a-kind shop is Les Sirenes Galerie D'Art, where a best seller is a print of the Point Betsie Lighthouse by owner and batik artist Terri Haugen.

The Coho Cafe has an upscale menu that features hangar steak and seafood, such as pan-seared whitefish and seared tuna with a sesame crust and ginger scallion sauce. Finish with a wedge of strawberry-rhubarb pie. At Dinghy's Restaurant & Bar, slow-cooked ribs and pulled-pork sandwich get the nod, while Crescent Bakery serves fresh-baked bread, rolls, doughnuts, desserts and a selection of coffees.

Elberta: Whimsical Trick Dog Gallery and Cafe is well worth a stop for its Cuban sandwiches and the colorful, folksy artwork of owner Greg Jaris. The cafe/gallery is on a bluff overlooking the harbor and town of Frankfort on the Betsie River.

Thompsonville: This is the home of Crystal Mountain Resort, great for families. Kids enjoy a 32-foot-tall rock-climbing wall supervised by trained staff. Packages include such extras as a round of golf, unlimited mountain bike rental and a kayak trip down the Betsie River.

Beulah and Benzonia: These adjoining communities sit along the easterly shore of Crystal Lake, which displays a palette of colors from deep blue to Caribbean-like aquamarine. The newly built Best Western Scenic Hill Resort has a lovely entrance with a fireplace, indoor pool and salon and day spa. If you enjoy cooking, you might appreciate a suite at Crate & Cargo Suites, located above a superb store specializing in home, kitchen and culinary accessories. Suites feature deluxe kitchen appliances.

Beulah is home to the Cherry Hut, which started life as a fruit stand in 1922 and is known for hearty breakfasts, lunches and dinners, cherry specialties and famous cherry pies. Breakfast features pancakes, not overly sweet, with plump, tart cherries. The diner's retro look features photographs from the 1940s and red vinyl booths and chairs.

Near Benzonia, visit the studio of Gwen Frostic where you can watch 15 Heidelberg presses printing notepaper, place mats, books and postcards using original blocks created by the printmaker. It's a place to pick up unique gifts and also ponder the epitaph she wrote long before her death: "Here lies one doubly blessed. She was happy and she knew it."

If you go

Information: Benzie County Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 882-5801, www.visitbenzie.com; Travel Michigan, (888) 784-7328, www.michigan.org.

Mileage: Frankfort is about 300 miles north of Chicago.

Upcoming events: Benzie County Fall Festival, Oct. 13 and 14; Eighth Annual Crystal Mountain Vintner Food & Wine Celebration, Nov. 8-11, where you can learn the complexities of wines and nuances of gourmet cuisine from leading vintners and talented northern Michigan chefs. Events include a guided wine tour to Leelanau Peninsula vineyards, choice of nine food-and-wine classes (including Chocolate 101) and reception and wine-maker dinner. Discounted lodging packages available to participants.

MikeMichaelson is a travelwriter based in Chicago andthe author of the guidebookChicago's Best-Kept Secrets.