Summer is in full swing, so we sat down with Compass founder Annie Lang to check in on her summer plans, find out her favorite things about the season, snag her recommendations for your visit to the Leelanau Peninsula, and get the low-down on all her must-haves for summertime adventures!
If you didn’t already know, Annie LOOOOVES summer (and Michigan), so she has tons of great stuff to share with you all. Here’s Part 1 of our interview, and Part 2 will go live tomorrow, so stay tuned!
Q: Describe your perfect summer day!
A: Since I live for summer I legitimately have at least five different perfect summer day scenarios, but after being woken up by Hank and Rufio, I’d head outside and chill in the backyard rocking pjs, drinking our morning hot drinks (in our favorite Compass Paper Co. camp mugs!) and playing fetch with the boys. And of course water all my plants before it gets too hot!
Then I put on my Leelanau Trails Hat, we load up, pick one of those sweet trails, and take off for a hike -- gotta get our miles in before it gets too hot! Since we have to stop every 15 seconds to smell something, it’s slow going… but we are just stoked to be outside. :) From there, we head to the nearest dog-friendly beach so the pups can cool off by standing up to their elbows in Lake Michigan, and we drop them back at home to nap away the hottest part of the day.
Later in the day I’m off to the beach, my favorite tote bag loaded up with my camp towel, snacks, my sammie and a book. I find the perfect spot, plop down. I made sure to get there before my friends and I decided to meet up so I can get a bit of reading time in (love reading on the beach). Once they arrive, the hours fly by as we talk and swim and plow through the pile of snacks we all brought.
When evening hits, it’s time to head back home for dinner, enjoy some backyard time with summery drinks, and watch Rufio fall asleep in the shade while Hanky-panky plays fetch and gets into trouble. We load up into the car again and head for the beach to catch the sunset -- perfect way to wrap up a great day! Once we’re finally back home for the night I fall into bed, covered in bug bites, weird tan lines and sandy feet.
Q: If someone were coming to Leelanau for the first time, what would be your recommendations for activities to do, places to eat, events to attend?
A: Sooooooo many things to do!
And you gotta hit up at least one winery while you are here. My hands down - absolutely no competition favorite is Mawby’s. Who wouldn’t love some bubbly wine, a laid back atmosphere and awesome snacks to enjoy, while overlooking their vineyards?! Be sure to grab a bottle of Detroit to enjoy afterwards - serve it with ice and a huge slice of lime. It’s my go-to summer beverage.
Check back in tomorrow for more from our interview with Annie, where we’ll hear about how her time as a summer camp counselor helped inspire her work at Compass, her craziest camp memories, current favorite products and more!
