Kicking off the adventure with a mimosa and a photo shoot outside the “Skool Buzz,” as our tour bus was named, we made a quick stop at Inspiration Point, a scenic lookout in Glen Arbor and a drive-through at Old Settler’s Park.

There was an educational element included in this team-building experience as we visited places we could then share with our guests at the RV Resort! Our first extended stop was Bel Lago Winery, where they offer five complimentary tastings. I tasted two whites and three reds, all of which were very good. Bill and I particularly enjoyed the Bouquetti, a semi-dry red, so we bought a bottle! They also have a nice gift area and seemed very knowledgeable about their product.

From here we traveled to Northern Latitudes Distillery, a unique deviation from the multitude of wineries on the Leelanau Peninsula! Selecting from a long line-up of spirits, we were able to choose four fora complimentary tasting. Their products included vodkas, gins, rums, bourbon, moonshine, limoncello, and several liqueurs. I tasted their horseradish vodka, rum, lemincello and Mackinac Island Fudge Liqueur!

They were distilling rum today, which was interesting to watch and the store is an experience in itself! Several of us opted for a cocktail here as well! I tried a Bloody Mary made with the horseradiah vodka and took a bottle home with me! Bill imbibed the “Drink of the Day” which boasted the distillery’s personal moonshine.

Our third stop, Suttons Bay Ciders, yielded the most beautiful view of LakeLeelanau and the surrounding area that I have seen. It was a gorgeous day and this was the perfect place to continue our tastings and have some lunch! There was a beautiful deck that became ours as we shared sandwiches and snacks, along with our cider, of course.

Moving on, Brengman Brothers Vineyard was our next stop. Rather then belly up to the bar here, an employee set us up in two high-tops , which was fine, but rather than let us learn and choose our tastes, she presented bascially a sweet and/or dry choice of several varieties and served with limited, if any background. It seemed to be a very nice venue, however, with a large tented area for events.

Our final stop of the day was Lake Ann Brewing Company, now in its second year of operation. This is perhaps the closest place to Indigo Bluffs so it is a place that we will surely recommend to our camping guests. Most of us had beer here, but they also have wine from local establishments. They have  a casual outdoor patio and  music on a regular schedule. We sat outside and enjoyed our drinks and each other.

Speaking of each other, the beauty of such a trip is not only the various stops, but also the bus ride where we continued to interact and learn more and more about our colleagues. Having been an educational administrator in my real life, I was always looking for unique methods of team-building along with empowerment activities.

Wouldn’t it have been nice to have taken my entire school district on such a trip? Nice? Yes! Practical? No! But with our smaller community of Workampers, not only did we learn more about the surrounding area of the Leelanau Peninsula to share with our guests, but we also enjoyed each other outside of the workplace. All in all, a magnificent day!