Preview: If Northern Michigan had a capital, it would be Traverse City. The city is the largest in the northern part of the state, and among the most popular with visitors. Besides Florida, this is where downstaters dream of retiring or opening an antiques shop or bed-and-breakfast. Purists claim the city’s original charm has been lost to excessive development, but most visitors find Traverse City to be a delightful mix of small-town friendliness and big-city amenities. The area earned its name from the early French fur trappers. Traveling by canoe across the stretch of open water between the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula and Charlevoix, they would call their venture la grande traverse, or “the great crossing. ”Thus the area became known as Grand Traverse Bay. Lumbermen followed the fur traders, tapping the area’s rich resources. Lumbering thrived into the early 1990s, when two other industries—cherry farming and tourism—began to flourish. Both continue to influence the local economy today. Strategically located at the head of Grand Traverse Bay, Traverse City is also known as the Cherry Capital of the World, and a huge, eight-day festival celebrates the harvest each July. Many of those cherries are grown on the Old Mission Peninsula, where a number of the vineyards are also located. The detailed itinerary in this chapter is a driving tour that features extensive recommendations for sightseeing attractions, recreational activities, lodging, restaurants, shopping, and more.
© Copyright Khristi Sigurdson Zimmeth published by The Globe Pequot Press all rights reserved.
Duration: Three nights
Best Time to Go: Year-round
This travel guide comes from:
Quick Escapes: Detroit Guide Book
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