Traverse City Travel Blog

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. 

There is one bear where hibernation is not part of an annual hibernation ritual: the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Many people don’t realize that the National Lakeshore is open year-round. Word to the wise: if you miss a visit in winter, you are missing out on a remarkable experience. 

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is the most popular single attraction in the Traverse City area, and it’s a rare visitor who won’t trudge up the Dune Climb, motor along the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive or frolic on the beach at Good Harbor sometime during their stay. 

(All photos courtesy of Lake Michigan Whale Migration Station. No claims are made for their accuracy.)

The volunteers at the Traverse City Visitor Center can almost always come up with advice for baffled tourists who need directions. However, one question consistently leaves them speechless.

It’s the one about whale-watching tours.

Photo Credit Ed Ketterer

While I have long been aware that Leelanau County is a great place to bird, that message was strongly reinforced when my pal Dave Barrons and I organized (and ran) a birding festival here for five years. A number of Leelanau Conservancy properties were included in our field

As the weather starts to heat up, so do the trails. The paved Leelanau Trail spans a full 19 miles, flowing through orchards, wooded wildlife sanctuaries, wineries and open meadows – offering miles and miles worth of biking paradise. Every mile has something new to offer for both experienced cyclists and beginners alike. Ready to explore? 

It’s easy to get overwhelmed on vacation, and even easier to spend more money than you have. Luckily, northern Michigan has plenty of options for visitors on a budget. Here you'll find our list of free and almost free activities around the region.

By MIKE NORTON

Spring is on the way -- you know it is! The days are getting a little longer, the nights are getting a little shorter, the sap is starting to run in the sugar maples and the birds are beginning to make cheerful noises in the yard. So just to help you keep your spirits up and help you

It’s sticky-hot, one of the final days of summer, and my feet have a mind of their own -- they’re taking me past my parked car and toward the sparkling waters of West Bay. Water. Cold, refreshing water.

I come to the end of Maple Street, the sweet bakery smells greeting me as I run past Bay Bread

I heard my first loon last night. Far out on the harbor, that strange wild, half-crazy laugh came out of the evening mist.  Back from the warm places where they spend their winters, back to join us in the uncertain Northern springtime. I love those big birds.