Traverse City Travel Blog

What if, on your next vacation, you not only left Traverse City with vibrant memories of splashing in the refreshing, blue waters of Grand Traverse Bay? What if, you left with a new skill in your back pocket? What if you learned how to do leatherwork? What if you learned to be a beekeeper?

What do you do when you are searching for Michigan-grown, organic, heirloom grain and there’s none to be found? The answer to that question was easy for Gary Jonas and Nic Theisen, owners of Farm Club restaurant near Traverse City. You work directly with hand-picked farmers and grow your own. Then you add a new building to support the 48-inch stone flour mill and a store to sell the bakery products that the wheel creates.

The numbers aren’t clear. We do know that in 1929, Ransom Field opened as the first airport in Traverse City. But we don’t know how many passengers they carried. They flew a Boeing 80A aircraft that could handle up to 18 passengers. There was only a direct flight to Grand Rapids. They not only took passengers but also carried airmail. The cost of that airmail stamp was five cents per ounce, quite a lot more than the standard two cents per ounce for regular postage. But you gladly paid the extra if it was urgent to get that letter up north, there was no UPS at that time.

“He stands like a statue, becomes part of the machine. Feelin’ all the bumpers, always playin’ clean” – The Who, Pinball Wizard.

He stands in his bedazzled, shiny shirt, not like the stoic pinball wizard from the song, but instead, he shows an animated display of emotion, intent on connecting to his machine. Brock Nummerdor from Reed City came to Traverse City earlier this year, hoping to make his mark on the Michigan Pinball Championship at Right Brain Brewery. “It’s just a physical connection. We’ll call it visceral. It’s the bells, the chimes, the bleeps, the bloops, the thuds. It’s a very intense game,” said Nummerdor. 

The pace changes. When the first flakes of snow begin to coat the barren tree branches, it’s time to hit the “slow down” button. It’s time to breathe in the crisp air and relax just a bit. Winter in the Traverse City region is a different experience. It may mean you linger a little longer at one of the award-winning wineries and listen to the winemaker speak with pride of the craftsmanship that goes into their creations. It could mean walking the snow-covered streets of downtown while you seek out the treasured memento of your vacation up north. 

The beauty is in the little things. The single fall amber leaf is surrounded by the summer green leaves. The red crabapples are so ripe that they’re straining to stay on the tree for one more day. The sunflower spreads its golden petals to welcome a single industrious bee collecting its nectar and

As days slip into years, and years slip into decades, it can be difficult to separate folklore from reality. But if you embrace the tale, Jim Richards of Old Mission is following in the footsteps of giants. His steps take the same path as Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, Teddy Roosevelt,

America seems to be waking up to the beauty of northern Michigan’s fall colors. This short season sets the hillsides around Grand Traverse Bay ablaze with vibrant colors. Shades of red, orange, and yellow combine with mild temperatures to create a mad dash to capture one more hike in the forest, one more outdoor wine tasting, and one more walk along the beach before winter sets in. 

There is a moment when the sun sets through whisps of clouds over Grand Traverse Bay, when you have a realization that you never knew the color red had so many shades. Sitting on the hilltop at Chateau Chantal, you see those colors emblazoned in the sky in front of you. It’s a moment that can never be captured through the lens of a camera. The colors will never be that vibrant. The panoramic scope will never be fully appreciated. It’s a moment that will only play out in your mind. There it will replay again, and again, and again. Those vibrant colors may lose some of their vibrancy, but the memory will leave a constant glow in your heart.

It’s become iconic. A bushy and somewhat unruly mustache that curls up with a handlebar swoosh at the ends. That’s how you recognize the front-facing owner of the northern Michigan brewer, Joe Short, from Short’s Brewing. 

This small-town brewery is based in Bellaire. But don’t think this little brewery doesn’t leave a big footprint. And don’t for a moment think that the mustachioed man goes it alone. Joe’s wife, Leah, is the grounding force that makes the brewery hum.