Traverse City Travel Blog

Ice wine is a specialty dessert wine made from grapes that have been frozen naturally on the vine. Very few locations can make true ice wine, and the Traverse City area is lucky to be one such spot.

Do you après-ski? Like many skiing destinations around the world, après-ski in northern Michigan is as much a part of the skiing culture as skiing itself. From sipping craft beverages and snacks in igloos or heated tents, to swapping out your skis for a pair of ice skates, here are six activities for those hours when you’re not on the slopes. 

Doubtful you will find a more unique story for the start of a premier family ski destination than you will find at Crystal Mountain. It began as a high school class challenge to find the best location for a ski hill. From that challenge in 1956, Buck Hills opened with a single tow rope powered by an old pickup truck engine. That little engine-run hill morphed into a community ski hill, that later morphed into a full-service family run resort known today as Crystal Mountain.   

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is one of the most beautiful and amazing places in the country. And it’s only a short drive from downtown Traverse City! Here are 10 ways to explore Sleeping Bear. 

Snowshoeing is one of the best ways to see Traverse City in winter: rentals are affordable, you get a great workout, and there are tons of places to explore. It may take a few minutes for newbies to get used to a new stride, but once you’re winding through a forest on top of the snow, pausing to catch a glimpse of an eagle overhead or a deer dashing across your path, you’ll know like you’re in a pretty great place.

It’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together up north! If you’ve never taken a sleigh ride before, it’s everything you see in the movies—prancing horses, falling snowflakes, and cozy blankets. Across northern Michigan, there are plenty of ways to get your sleigh on, whether it’s a romantic ride for two or an adventure for the whole family.

From preserved historical sites to agritourism hotspots to wineries, breweries, and distilleries, Traverse City is blessed with an abundance of out-of-the-ordinary event venues. Only in Traverse City do you get to choose from hosting an event on the grounds of a renovated former asylum or a hilltop overlooking vines and the blue waves of Grand Traverse Bay. The hardest part is choosing which venue to go with! 

We are always a little sad to say goodbye to our gorgeous autumn foliage, but the fun doesn’t end with the falling of the leaves. In fact, November has an incredible line-up of events, activities, and special deals to make the most of the transition season. 

Mural artwork by Bobby MaGee Lopez

Traverse City and the surrounding towns of northern Michigan exist on the lands of the Anishinaabek, also known as the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.