5 Reasons To Visit Traverse City, MI

I’ve been visiting Traverse City, MI for as long as I can remember. My grandparents moved up there when I was pretty young, so I’ve seen my fair share of what the city has to offer. And lemme tell you… it offers a lot! If you’ve always thought about visiting The Mitten, here are a few reasons Traverse City should be on your list!

1. Beautiful Lakes and Beaches – since Michigan is the Great Lake State, there’s no shortage of bodies of water. If you love to swim/paddle board/boat/etc., then Traverse has multiple spots to do that! The beaches are also super clean and perfect for a family getaway. There’s always something so peaceful about sitting in the sand watching the water – definitely one of my happy places!
   
   The most popular and easy to get to beaches are Clinch Park, East Bay Park and Sunset Park. They’re all downtown and border the Grand Traverse Bay (Lake Michigan).
   
   If you want to get away from the crowds that are at the more popular beaches, then check out:
   Lake Michigan Beach Park, Empire
   Van’s Beach, Leland
   Public Access Beaches, Glen Arbor
   Municipal Beach, Suttons Bay
   
   All of the above are just a short drive away and have incredible views!
   

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2. Downtown Traverse City – Enjoy shopping and dining out in Downtown Traverse! Front Street has the cutest shops and a quaint, small-town feel. With Covid, they’ve blocked off traffic on the main road and restaurants are using it for outdoor seating. Every place requires a mask and they do a great job of keeping social distancing a priority. The best part, most of these shops/eateries are small businesses!

Where to eat:
–Pangea’s Pizza
–Red Ginger
–Amical
–The Flying Noodle
–The Towne Plaza
–Traverse City Pie Company (yummm)
–Sorellina
–Mackinaw Brewing Company
–Brew
–Milk and Honey

Where to shop:
–Cherry Republic (for all things cherry.. and I mean allll!)
–Diversions
–Ella’s
–Zany Consignment Boutique
–The Nest
–Cali’s
–Horizon Books (I swear all the books from my childhood were bought here)
–What to Wear (a little hectic inside, but you can find some cute pieces!)

Also, don’t miss the State Theater! It’s a gorgeous movie theater from the early 1900’s. It was revitalized before the first Traverse City Film Festival in 2005. It’s charm and bright lights are mesmerizing on the downtown strip. I have so many great memories of heading to this theater to see a movie with the fam! Hopefully the Film Festival will be back next year – it always has an incredible line up!

3. Scenic Views and Outdoor Activities – I’ve mentioned the gorgeous beaches and lakes, but there are so many outdoor activities in Traverse City! Sleeping Bear Dunes is one of the biggest attractions that comes to mind. Large sand dunes span across 35 miles on Lake Michigan’s shore. The name originates from an Ojibwe legend about a mother bear and her two cubs.

Other nature trails and scenic views to check out:
-Mission Point Light House
-Boardman Lake Trail
-Pyramid Point Trailhead

4. Wineries and Breweries – these have really popped up rapidly within the past 10 years. I would definitely say that stopping by a vineyard or brewery is a must when visiting Traverse City! If you’re looking for an easy and safe way to see multiple vineyards, definitely check out the wine tour with Grand Traverse Tours. Most locations have amazing views and lots of outdoor seating!

–Bowers Harbor Vineyards
–Mari Vineyards
–Bonobo Winery
–Brys Estate (they serve frosé here!)
–Chateau Chantal (amazing view of the peninsula)
–North Peak Brewing
–Silver Spruce Brewing
–Traverse City Whiskey Co (technically not wine or beer… but for all those whiskey lovers out there!)
–Brewery Terra Firma
–Townline Ciderworks (Ciderie)

5. Neighboring Towns – if you want to be adventurous and explore the surrounding towns, you’ll see that they all have something unique to offer! Each town has its own distinct feel and charm. A few favorites that are close by are:
-Leeland
-Empire
-Glen Arbor
-Charlevoix
-Petoskey
-Mackinaw City

There you have it – my top 5 reasons to visit Traverse City, Michigan! This city feels like a second home to me and I bet you’ll have any easy time falling in love as well.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve visited Traverse City and what your favorite part was!

xoxo,
Katelynn Ann

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