Check out what other travelers say about 25 Ways to Enjoy Yourself In A Traverse City Springtime
25 WAYS TO ENJOY YOURSELF IN TRAVERSE CITY THIS SPRING
1. Witness the annual blossoming of the cherry trees.
Every year around the middle of May, 2.6 million cherry trees suddenly burst into bloom. Climbing the steep glacial ridges like battalions of tidy white clouds above the blue waters of Grand Traverse Bay.
2. Bike or hike the 25 miles of the Tart and Leelanau Trails.
The 10-mile Traverse Area Recreational Trail and the 15-mile Leelanau Trail take hikers and cyclists all the way from Acme to Suttons Bay, passing through a varied landscape of beaches, forests, wetlands and city neighborhoods.
3. Hunt down the elusive morel
Every spring, the forested hills around Traverse City fill up with eager, determined hunters in search of morel mushrooms – the culinary Holy Grail of the northern woodlands. Join them!
4. Run in one of America’s favorite marathons.
The Bayshore Marathon, an annual spring run up the Old Mission Peninsula that attracts more than 3,000 runners each May, and more would come if they could because of its beautiful setting along East Bay.
5. Be enchanted by spring wildflowers
The woods around Traverse City are full of spring flowers: giant white trilliums, tiny pink spring beauties, yellow trout lilies and dainty blue forget-me-nots. Explore the richness of our spring forests!
6. Get wacky at the Asparagus Festival
The lakeshore village of Empire greets the arrival of asparagus season with games, dinners and - of all things - an annual oral poetry contest for the best "Ode to Asparagus."
7. Sample our award-winning wines.
The Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas boast 28 wineries where some of the country’s most exciting and intensely aromatic wines are being made. Stop in at the Spring Sip & Savor, or Old Mission Blossom Days!
8. Go on a Petoskey Stone hunt.
These fossils with their honeycomb patterns, are Michigan’s state stone – and spring is the best time to look for them. Try your stone-hunting skills at the Antrim County Petoskey Stone Festival in Eastport.
9. Enjoy some fine chocolate
Traverse City is one of the chocolate hotspots of the Midwest, and spring is time for the Traverse City Chocolate Festival, where you can sample the finest fare from regional chocolatiers and chefs at the City Opera House.
10. Get in some last-minute skiing ( across a pond)
The skiing can get a little rough by March, but that’s when Shanty Creek Resorts puts on one of its most popular events: the Slush Cup, where contestants see it they can get up the speed to ski across 40 feet of open water.
11. Eat, drink, and go snowshoeing
Traverse City is famous for its splendid microbrews, and for the annual Suds & Snow get-together at Timber Ridge Resort, where you can sample4 great brews, listen to live music and wander the snowshoe trails one last time.
12. Spit a cherry pit.
The world’s record for spitting these slippery little critters is 100 feet and 4 inches. It’s a ritual and the folks at Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor make it easy by selling packets of ready-to-spit chocolate-covered cherry pits!
13. Taste lots of different kinds of pie.
The Grand Traverse Pie Company actually makes 27 varieties of fruit pie – including six kinds of cherry pie. And that’s not counting the seven kinds of cream pie and all the other cookies, scones and other goodies they have on sale every day.
14. Celebrate history at Sleder’s Family Tavern.
Built by Bohemian sawmill workers in 1882, Sleder’s is one of Michigan’s oldest taverns, and a great place to enjoy good fun and good food in an authentic pioneer atmosphere. (Make sure to kiss the moose!)
15. Take a -drive to the 45th Parallel.
The cozy Old Mission Lighthouse stands in a lovely park at the tip of the Old Mission Peninsula -- smack on the 45th Parallel, halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. (Stop in the quaint village of Old Mission for an ice cream.)
16. Try some cherry jam.
Or cherry jelly, preserves, salsa, mustard, barbecue sauce, wine, soda… well, you get the idea. This is the Cherry Capital of the World, and you can find hundreds of cherry products. How about cherry vodka?
17. Huff and Puff to the top of the Dune Climb.
This massive wall of sand near Glen Arbor is part of the magnificent Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and climbing it is harder than you might think – but the view from the top is worth it!
18. Catch a steelhead in Grand Traverse Bay.
Or some perch, salmon and whitefish. Our inland lakes are full of great walleye and panfish action, while streams like the Boardman, the Cedar, and the Jordan provide great fly-fishing. This is America’s top all-around fishing capital!
19. Have a spring fling at Turtle Creek or Leelanau Sands.
Traverse City’s two tribal casinos, Turtle Creek in Williamsburg and Leelanau Sands near Suttons Bay, offer nonstop gaming action from slots and blackjack to poker, roulette, craps and other table games. Try your luck!
20. Do a little beachcombing
So what if the water’s still too cold for swimming? Spring can still be a great time to do a little sunbathing, and it’s the perfect weather to stroll along the shore looking for beach glass and other treasures.
21. Visit our art galleries, studios and boutiques.
Traverse City s one of America’s Top Art Towns. Whether your interest is watercolors, jewelry, weaving, ceramics or sculpture, there’s plenty of art to suit every taste. But pace yourself – you don’t have to see it all in one day!
22. Tickle your palate at our restaurants.
But bring a decent-sized group or a mutant-sized appetite! Traverse City’s cuisine is famous for its freshness and diversity, and this time of year the bargains are everywhere as you migrate from one wonderful restaurant to the next.
23. Have a spring shopping adventure in downtown Traverse City.
Our picturesque and pedestrian-friendly downtown has more than 150 clothing stores, gift shops, cafes and restaurants. And spring shopping means you can check out all the bargains before anybody else, right?
24. Add to your Life List
Thanks to its location along Lake Michigan and its many inland lakes, marshes and ponds, Traverse City is a favorite destination for thousands of migratory birds. And spring is a great time to spot them.
25. Fly a kite at the Open Space.
On Traverse City’s “front porch” you’ll see folks doing all kinds of things: tossing frisbees, walking dogs, pushing strollers, playing football or just gazing into each other’s eyes. But what’s a spring day without some kite-flying?
