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. 

“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. 

If you’re seeking a Michigan destination where you can really appreciate and contribute to the conservation of our state’s natural beauty, it’s hard not to think of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The Traverse City-area treasure offers 70,000 glorious acres of trails and beaches spread along 65 miles of spectacular shoreline.  

The morning rains drifted away. On this spring day, it left behind the soft fragrance of blossoms and the sweet smell that follows a northern Michigan rain shower. The clouds gave way to sunshine and a gentle breeze. It was necessary to close your eyes and let other senses take over. I listened to the sound of the birds who embarked on a frantic frenzy while flying between tree limbs. In the distance, you could hear the faint sound of traffic that rushed along US-31 near Grawn.

’Tis the season for fall color! Experience the magic of a fall foliage tour right here in Traverse City. With incredible hues of reds and oranges, the drive is a sight to behold. The orchards, vineyards, forests, and villages create a beautiful landscape that highlights the meaning of fall. 

“Walk a mile in my shoes,” is a common refrain when talking about viewing life from other perspectives. For many, walking a mile can be painful or maybe impossible. Many people in northern Michigan face physical challenges every day and are unable to enjoy life to the fullest due to the barriers they face. But times are changing. Barriers are coming down in northern Michigan that makes taking advantage of the resources of the area accessible to everyone. 

Visitors to Traverse City come for a wide variety of reasons, and visiting anglers agree that fishing is one of the best reasons! Traverse City is located right at the doorstep of the famed Grand Traverse Bay, and this protected waterway is one of the best deep water fisheries in the country. How deep is it? Boaters need not go very far from shore to find 300 feet of water, and the really deep spots reach over 600 feet deep! 

On a slightly overcast but pleasantly warm day in July, I set sail on the Inland Seas 77-foot schooner with the Inland Seas Educational Association. I arrived in Suttons Bay as a mere resident of Northern Michigan but emerged from the boat as a Great Lakes scientist.

August is National Picnic Month! At the crossroads of cuisine and the outdoors, the picnic is the perfect union of two of the best things that Traverse City has to offer. Here is a guide compiled by a local to the finest picnicking spots in the area coupled with suggestions of go-to markets and eateries to fulfill the all-important food element of your idyllic, summer picnic. 

In so many ways, Traverse City is defined by the water. This area was 20,000 years in the making when massive glaciers melted and cut gouges in the earth that became the Great Lakes. It was worth the wait. Today, it doesn’t matter if you are on, in, under, or just sightseeing; enjoying the beauty of the fresh, blue water, is an important part of any Traverse City vacation.