M 37 and M 22

Riding south on M 37.  9/17/2019  dwm photo

State Highway 37 runs from just southwest of Battle Creek at I-94 and ends 221.27 miles later outside the Mission Point Lighthouse.

Maybe it starts at Mission Point and ends just southwest of Battle Creek in a large bowl of Rice Krispies.

Judging by the portion I traveled, the last (or first) 20 miles are the best.

It reportedly has the highest concentration of cherry trees in the U. S.  Wineries on the small finger of land create award-winning wines.

Grapes ready for
harvest just out of reach.
9/20/19 (dwm)

Located on the 45th Parallel, the Mission Point Lighthouse is half-way between the Equator and North Pole.  That is not a unique location, the 45th parallel circles the Northern Hemisphere.  Another 45th parallel circles the Southern Hemisphere.

You can find apples too.  But the cherries were first - a crop that thrived because the surrounding water acts as a heat source in the fall which provides insulation, of a sort, that prevent killing frosts.

Roadside stands sell produce, honey,
and syrup with an honor system.
9/20/19 (dwm)

It's a beautiful highway.

M - 22 is less than half the distance of M 37, but is probably the most spectacular stretch of road in all of Michigan.

The road is so famous, the businesses and communities in the area use M - 22 as their brand.

Running down the Dune Climb
off Highway M - 22. 9/23/19 (dwm)

It starts just north of Manistee, then follows the shoreline to the top of the Leelanau Peninsula where it curves south to its end in Traverse City.

Much of its path winds around and over the large sand dunes that mark the state's shoreline.  There is nothing to stop the winds from the west, which pushes waves and particles of sand into place.

Highway M - 22 stretching from Sleeping Bear Dunes
south to the town of Empire. 9/23/19 (dwm)

This is an area of small communities and roads that range from quiet to crowded depending on the season and number of cars with out-of-state plates.

If you are heading to Mackinaw City or returning south from there; a slower drive south along the water will offer sights, sounds, and tastes that create lifetime memories.

If the memories aren't enough - you can buy a hat or t-shirt wearing the block M and numbers screen-printed on them.