Traverse City Travel Blog

So, let's talk about Traverse City - the cozy little nook where the Earth likes to kick back and relax. Why? Well, it's like the planet's spa day destination, especially when it's Earth Day. 

Alice Van Zoeren stands to watch on the sands of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. She has come to these shores for 17 years as a guardian. She searches to find, defend and protect the endangered bird known as the Piping Plover. 

March is Women’s History Month, for Traverse City Tourism it seems a perfect time to pay homage to three women who are charged with preserving the rich history of northern Michigan. 

The culinary experience in the area is remarkable all year long, but during Traverse City Restaurant Week (TCRW), the eateries go into hyperdrive. Chefs experiment with different combinations. Items appear on the menu where they’ve never been before and may never show up again. Flavor combinations get ready to dance on your taste buds. There is energy and excitement at nearly 50 participating locations. 

Breathless! That’s the reaction when you watch the dancing colors of the Northern Lights perform across the night sky. Once experienced, they are not forgotten.

For me, there were two memorable experiences. Once camping next to the Mackinac Bridge while watching the night show with my family. The

“Nematoid”  Is probably not the word you would ever expect to start a story about a new winery and restaurant near Traverse City. Yet, there it is. Be patient. Stay with us, and you’ll get the connection.

Gilchrist Farm opened Labor Day in downtown Suttons Bay. What started five years earlier with the purchase of 85 acres of nearby land, culminated with the newest wine tasting room and restaurant that is part of the Traverse Wine Coast. 

The gentle rolling hills around Traverse City, carved by receding glaciers some 10,000 years ago, take on a different feel when the first snows of winter start to fall. Those slopes hug the vines that are responsible for some of the best wines of the Midwest. The Traverse Wine Coast is home to nearly 50 wineries, but the region is known for much more than wine tasting. It’s all about the experience. And in the winter that experience embraces exploration of vineyards along cross-country ski trails, snowshoe hikes, and fat tire biking.

Take a look at some of the Traverse Wine Coast experiences that welcome winter activities. 

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” That statement from the Executive Director of Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) Fred Sitkins marked the community welcome of a new three-masted schooner that will ply the Great Lakes based out of Suttons Bay. 

Increased traffic could be the number-one complaint faced by Traverse City Tourism (TCT) in the summer according to Trevor Tkach, President of TCT. He made the observation during a monthly radio show on WTCM AM called “The Road Best Traveled.” But, he added, there are excellent alternatives to driving for both local residents and visitors that are available during the National Cherry Festival and all summer long.

“This is a big deal for you guys, but it’s a big deal for us as well,” said Major Lauren Schlichting, pilot of the No.4 jet for the Air Force Thunderbirds. She made her remarks having just arrived from Iowa during her 16th stop on a 33-show schedule planned for the year.