GR Girl: Traverse City Weekend Guide

Upon hearing the news that Ricky would be completing a part of his orthotics and prosthetics residency in Traverse City, I was saddened. “Great. The long distance relationship continues,” I thought to myself sulkily. I was not looking forward to him moving away again, nor was I excited about the two and a half-hour drive. Yet, all these bitter thoughts disapated after one weekend in the Northern city.

I hadn’t even been to Traverse City, but I was readily judging it, and when I arrived I knew I had judged it unfairly. I have now been up to Traverse City four times since Ricky moved up in May, and I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite places in Michigan. There is so much to do, see, eat, drink, and this weekend guide will serve you as a starting point to explore your options in the cherry capital.

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Downtown

There is so much to see on Front Street! There are tons of little shops full of cherry products, souvenirs, art, and much more. My favorite shop is the M-22 store, which is named after the old, but famous, scenic highway that follows the Lake Michigan shoreline around the Leelanau Peninsula.

It is also a short walk from Front Street to the waterside. You just cross the Boardman River and Grandview Parkway, and there you are at the Duncan L. Clinch Marina. It was still Spring when I visited Ricky the first time, so the water was too cold for a quick dip, but that’s okay! Together, we admired the view from the pier, and looked down to the rock bed because the water was so clear. If you do travel to Traverse City during a warmer month, there are a ton of places to swim and all you have to do is Google “beaches in traverse city” to find a good spot.

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Unfortunately, it is not always sunny in Traverse City, but that’s okay! Ricky and I are always in a good mood to sit down and watch a movie. Right downtown is the State Theater, which is a beautifully restored historic venue that exudes the small town charm you see in movies. And if the movie you’re looking for is not playing at the State, there’s a good chance that it’s being shown at the Bijou by the Bay.

Eat & Drink

Traverse City is home to a thriving community on and off tourist season. And because of how big of a draw it is for the Cherry Festival, you would think that cherries would be in dishes all over the city, but that is not the case. That doesn’t make the dishes any less delicious, but it does give restaurants more room to play with ingredients and concepts. Both Monkey Fist Brewing Company and The Little Fleet played with a similar concept: gather together various high-quality food stalls/food trucks in one place, add beer, and the people will come. After hanging out at these two places, I agreed with Ricky – they were fun! Where else could you get Parisian-inspired crepes, a pint of cider, and a giant burger under the same roof? Only Monkey Fist. Where else could you get sushi, tacos, BBQ, hand-crafted cocktails, and live music? Only Little Fleet.

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Since we both have a sweet tooth, Ricky and I also had to grab some ice cream. There are ice cream options all over the city, but the downtown area is home to the local AND tourist favorite: Milk & Honey. With a design similar to Coldstone, Milk & Honey is serving up some seriously good ice cream and playful sundaes.

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If you’re not in the mood for ice cream, that is no problem! You can grab a slice of pie at the Grand Traverse Pie Company, or donuts at Peace, Love & Little Donuts. Now, Peace, Love & Little Donuts is not a local business – you can find it elsewhere in the United States, but that does not diminish their charm at all. These bite-sized baked goods come in a variety of flavors and each is as yummy as the next.

What To Do

While there is a TON you can do in Traverse City, if you are 21 or older you surely will be missing out if you do not go on a wine tour. As you can see there are over a dozen wineries in this small area alone. Each produces excellent reds, whites, roses, and even cider.

Now, if you do not have someone who is willing to be the designated driver no biggie. We used The Magic Shuttle Bus for our wine tour to Chateau Chantal, Bowers Harbor Vineyards, Bonobo Winery, Mari Vineyards, and Chateau Grand Traverse. Ricky and I had so much fun hanging out with old friends and making new ones over the five tasting destinations.

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If wine or drinking in general is not your thing, there are still things you can do in the Traverse City area. One particularly beautiful day, Ricky and I just hopped in the care and drove around the Leelanau Peninsula and got lost. We had so much fun just following Bay Shore Drive around the lakeshore and then M-22 to Leland, a.k.a. Fish Town. You can make an entire day of enjoying the passing scenery, getting out to enjoy the sights. If you do end up taking M-22, I highly recommend driving all the way to Sleeping Bear Dunes. You just can’t go to Traverse City and ignore those dunes.

What To See

So, it’s a given that I recommend you see the Leelanau Peninsula and all of its glory, but I also recommend checking out The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Now, the Commons wasn’t always called as such. In fact, the site was home to the Traverse City State Hospital. So? Big deal. Well, this was a psychiatric hospital, or, otherwise known as the Northern Michigan Asylum.

Spooky, right? Not really.

The asylum was established in 1881 and under its superintendent, Dr. James Decker Munson, patients were treated to kindness, comfort, and beautiful flowers from the asylum’s own greenhouses. Straitjackets were forbidden, and patients had the opportunity to gain a sense of purpose through farming, furniture construction, fruit canning, and tending to the on-site farm.

So, if you’re looking for a haunt, this isn’t it.

The Village at Grand Traverse Commons is now a site for apartments, the local farmers market, restaurants, and retail. Ricky and I enjoyed walking around the restored and still in ruin buildings, admiring the architecture and thriving hospital of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

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While there is still so much that I want to see in the Traverse City area, I believe that this is a good starting point to research and plan out a weekend trip to the Northern Michigan city. Have you been to Traverse City before? What has been your favorite thing to do up there? Comment below, so I can plan out my next trip up to Ricky.