While Michigan might not automatically register at the top of a traveler’s list of best beach destinations, it is a remarkably aquatic place. Home to more lighthouses (129 of them) than any other state and surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie), Michigan has so many places to paddle and swim and otherwise enjoy the water.
The best, at least in my opinion, is Traverse City, which is all about the coast. The largest city in northern Michigan, it still maintains so many small-town charms. Walking past small shops under the spreading trees downtown feels like strolling through a Hallmark movie. Despite a growing cosmopolitanism, people remain friendly and helpful. Fruit stands sell a cornucopia of produce harvested from nearby fields and still operate on the honor system. Traverse City is also proud of being the “Cherry Capital of the World”—they named their airport after the delicious fruit.
Water is everywhere. The heart of town sits between the long eastern and western arms of Grand Traverse Bay, with two super-scenic peninsulas jutting out on each side. Big public beaches sit within walking distance of boutiques and high-end restaurants. Beyond the bay stretches the endless expanse of Lake Michigan, its shores lined by dunes and one of the most spectacular national lakeshores in the United States.
This is a place to come and play, both on land and lake. It’s even better when you know how to explore it all. Based on a number of visits, here’s my guide to Traverse City.
Arrival
Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) just might be one of the most pleasant places in the world to land. Modern, compact, and clean, it even has the convenience of a Costco next door, where you can load up on pre-adventure groceries. Planes have been taking off and landing here since 1936, and it shares operations with a Coast Guard air station.
The only thing is, as you’d expect in a fairly small urban center, international connections are pretty much nonexistent. If you’re arriving from outside the country, you’ll need to connect in a major hub—probably Detroit or Chicago. Still, during the summer, seasonal nonstops make TVC a surprisingly convenient option for those of us in the United States. Direct routes include flights from Boston; Washington, D.C.; Dallas; Houston; and several others.
After landing, I’d definitely recommend renting a car. Not only will it help you get into town, but also to many of Traverse City’s surrounding treasures. Plus, you can fill up the trunk with lots of good stuff from Costco and a few bright baskets of freshness from those fruit stands before you arrive at your hotel.
Do the Dunes
One of the most scenic stretches of shoreline in the country lies just west of the city. Why is it scenic? Dunes. “They’re a gift from the last ice age,” explained park ranger Susan Schmidt on my recent visit. She added that the namesake mini-mountains of sand at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore sit atop a glacial moraine.
Schmidt noted that most people come here to climb the dunes to a viewpoint some 450 feet above Lake Michigan, which was a Caribbean shade of aquamarine on the day I was there. “It’s very popular,” she said. “People think that’s the whole park.” She insisted that visitors need to explore beyond the viewpoints, preferably along a 7.4-mile loop called Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.
Sleeping Bear includes a dozen different trails, which total nearly 100 miles of potential hikes. There’s also a historic village with a general store, cannery, and blacksmith forge, along with a rural historic district with farmsteads dating back to the 19th century. “And,” Schmidt added, “all different kinds of wildlife,” including black bears, foxes, and nesting pairs of bald eagles.
Beautiful Places
In 2011, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was named the “Most Beautiful Place in America” by viewers of the television show “Good Morning America.” When I rolled into the delightful, neighboring village of Glen Arbor, a marine layer of fog had just cleared. Under a now-beaming summer sun, everyone emerged from their cottages and hotel rooms, and from restaurants to stroll the sidewalks and bike along the quaint lanes.
When you’re in town, make sure to visit two rather amazing places. The first is the woodsy, bustling complex of Cherry Republic, which includes (among other things) a beer garden and a huge inventory of everything you could possibly imagine containing cherries. Not just jams and jellies and sodas, but also steak sauce, salsas, licorice bites, and so much more.
The other is the River Club Glen Arbor. Yes, on its face, this is a mini-golf course, but certainly the classiest one I’ve ever played. Perhaps an homage to the world-class golf courses nearby (including layouts designed by famed names like Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf), the River’s 18 holes mimic that full-scale experience.
This isn’t a place where you play and then leave. Mini-golf is offered as an all-day pass. Plus, the facilities are set on a broad bend of a slow-flowing creek lined with comfortable seats, with a couple bars and a Tex-Mex restaurant and nightly live music during the warmer months. This is a very good place to chill.
Wine … and More Wine
Sonoma, Napa, the Willamette Valley—these are the places that resonate when it comes to growing grapes. But the 50-plus wineries around Traverse City definitely create some beautiful wines. Take your pick of nearby peninsulas (Old Mission or Leelanau) for a drive to the many tasting rooms, which pour bright whites like riesling, chardonnay, and pinot gris, and lighter reds like pinot noir.
If you can visit only one, Tasting Table awarded Black Star Farms the designation of the best winery in the entire state. If you’re lucky, head winemaker and managing member Lee Lutes will be there to share his extensive knowledge of the nuances of the surrounding microclimates as he fills your glass with a beautiful blanc de blanc. Black Star Farms is also home to a historic 10-room inn, which offers guests active excursions and culinary packages with cooking classes.
Dining
Pretty much everyone in Traverse City will share the following fact: The agricultural diversity here is truly something special. With so many fresh ingredients at their fingertips, it’s no wonder that the chef culture in town has flourished. It’s led to national recognition that this city has one of the best small-town culinary scenes in the country.
The offerings extend from fields to forests to the fish that swim in local rivers and Lake Michigan. Walking a few blocks downtown, I passed at least half a dozen restaurants that looked like they were worth checking out. So, pro tip, it pays to plan ahead. This will ensure you select spots that cater to your taste.
I’ll make just one recommendation: Umbo. It opened earlier this year when chefs Sarah Welch and Cameron Rolka brought their skills north after making their name in Detroit. Now they cook a fish-forward menu at this small bar-style restaurant with just 23 seats.
This setup ensures that every hungry patron can sip an aperitif and watch the wonderful things happening in the open kitchen. The menu includes an all-Michigan wine list, oysters, and a number of options for tinned fish. Seriously, try it—the Great Lakes smoked whitefish, served with toasted bread made in-house, is particularly lovely.
Uncommon Commons
True, a former mental hospital might seem like an odd choice to visit on your vacation. But here, the former Northern Michigan Asylum—which operated from the 19th century until the 1980s—has been transformed into the Grand Traverse Commons. The rambling complex is now an excellent place to ramble. It was very busy when I visited, despite the fact that it was late on a weekday morning.
Wander the handsome, lovingly restored brick buildings, where the hallways reveal everything from an urban winery to fair-trade coffee, alpaca clothing from a nearby farm, and a restaurant serving perhaps the best brunch in town.
All in a Day’s Work
There’s so much to do in and around Traverse City that it may seem like a stretch to recommend venturing beyond. But if you have the time, head a little north. Charming Charlevoix, about an hour away, has a busy marina and a lovely lighthouse and a walkable downtown. And just past that, you can stride in a young Ernest Hemingway’s footsteps in upscale Petoskey.
There’s always plenty more Michigan shoreline in this beautifully aquatic state.
