Get a handcrafted cocktail at Grand Traverse Distillery, one of the best in the state.
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Wintertime activities in Traverse City are as plentiful and varied as snowflakes.
With so many orchards, leaf-peeping drive, and good family fun, we know you’ll fall for fall in Traverse City.
If you’re looking to recuperate after a long hike of the Sleeping Bear Dune, try Empire – a cute small town with a few great stops for lunch … or just chocolate.
There’s a corner of Downtown Traverse City that packs big vibes in a small space. Union Street is home to a tantalizing trifecta of hot spots for dining and drinking.
If Lake Michigan were a giant bathtub, you’d want to soak in it with an ample supply of Great Lakes Bath and Body products.
Located in Leland, Michigan, Fishtown is dedicated to Lake Michigan’s storied fishing history. You’ll wind your way through docks, shanties, tugs and charter boats for a first-hand connection to the maritime community.
Just a 15-minute drive from the hotel is some of the best ice cream you will ever taste. In fact, maybe you should walk so you can eat more of it.
If you could jar the American dream, you would find it here at American Spoon.
It used to be an asylum. Just keep that in mind when you visit The Village at Grand Traverse Commons.
Picturesque small towns dot the shores of Lake Michigan. One of our favorites is Glen Arbor, just north of Glen Lake. It’s a great place to poke around local shops or galleries, or pop in a pub for lunch.
Beer and balance. For the common man, these two words don’t go hand in hand, but for master brewer Kim Kowalski of Mountain Town Brewing Company in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, balance is, quite literally, everything.
Located in the heart of Downtown Traverse City, you’ll find several gems of stage and screen. (The Bijou, in fact, derives its name from the French word meaning “little gem.”)
Michigan is a leader in the production of wine and spirits, so while you’re here, enjoy a spirited tour of Traverse City’s winery and distillery loop.
If you like any of the following things, you need to put the Jolly Pumpkin on your adventure list: scenic drives, homemade pizza, delicious brews and picturesque views.
The popular Jeff Haas Trio featuring saxophonist Laurie Sears has found a new home for the fall, winter and spring at View nightclub.
There was this one time in autumn when we spent 7 hours on a scenic drive down the M-22. You may wonder how we could spend such a long time in the car looking at leaves and lakes. Well, it’s just that beautiful.
Thanksgiving just isn’t Thanksgiving without a great big meal to share with the ones you love. West Bay Beach, a Holiday Inn Resort, hosts an annual Thanksgiving buffet, so you can relax and enjoy a beautiful meal (without having to think about who’s going to do the dishes.)
Wally and Joy Green are lifelong Traverse City restaurateurs who had a dream of opening a successful café on Front Street – one with a convenient location, consistently good food and reasonable prices. Out of that dream grew the Green House Café.
The oldest in town, Mackinaw Brewing Company has been brewing since 1997. The actual brewery is in the basement, so the bartender likes to say, “if we fell through the floor, we would be swimming in the beer kettles.”
Imagine walking into a working barn. Now, picture it clean, where the only animal odor is the awesome aroma of smoked meat wafting through the air. You’re at Blue Tractor Barbeque.
From the moment you set foot into Patisserie Amie on Lake Avenue, you’ll feel as if you’ve jetted off to Paris for the day.
Downtown Traverse City has been acclaimed one of the most walkable, charming places in America, and at its forefront is the bustling Front Street, the main downtown drag that spans the waterfront. Walk it in its entirety. Don’t miss the side streets.
When you visit Michigan, you’ve got to explore our Great Outdoors. One great way to get outside is to hit the trails – the Traverse Area Recreation Trails (TART), that is.
You could spend weeks exploring Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, but if you only have a day, a great place to start is with a dune climb.
When you visit ‘Cherry Country,’ you’ve got to try the cherries. And one of the best places to do it is Cherry Republic – celebrating Michigan’s famous fruit for 25 years.
For a taste out of the ordinary, we suggest you try lunch or dinner on wheels. Located in front of Traverse City’s only open-air bar, The Little Fleet, the food trucks are a perfect place to grab an inexpensive, tasty snack in a cool, funky atmosphere near our hotel.
When we heard there was a brewery located in an old candy factory, we had to try it out. And we weren’t disappointed.
Formerly the site of the Big Daylight Candy Factory, this beautiful historic building on the far west end of Front Street now houses North Peak Brewing Company.
If you chose to stay with us, chances are you like the water and all it has to offer. You don’t have to go far to enjoy the best of the West Bay of Lake Michigan, with boat rentals right here on property.
If you want to get out and get moving, here are our picks for the best routes for walkers, bikers, hikers, joggers and runners in Traverse City, all with beautiful views of the water or the city.
Grand Traverse Pie Company opened almost 20 years ago with a deep love for this part of the country – its bounty and its people – and the desire to become a “connecting point” for the community it serves.
Now a Michigan institution, the store has 14 locations – two in Traverse City.
During the summer and into the fall, the place to be for local produce, from-scratch baked goods and fresh flowers is the Sara Hardy Downtown Farmers Market in Traverse City, Michigan.
When you crave raw adventure from your plate and a buzz from your glass, head to Fire Fly – located on the banks of the Boardman River in Downtown Traverse City.
There are a lot of wonderful things to write home about in Traverse City. There are also a lot of wonderful things to read while you’re here, and you’ll find them at Horizon Books on Front Street.