By: Mike Norton For some of us, winter sports are a private experience. As soon as those fluffy curtains of snow start drifting down, we step into our Nordic skis or snowshoes and head out on the trail for some solitary exercise in this silent crystalline world. If we see other skiers or hikers, we may exchange a greeting or two, but that’s about it. On the other hand, there are times when the winter...
By MIKE NORTON Traverse City, MI – Most visitors know this Michigan town best as a summer destination of beaches, brewpubs and brilliant sunsets — but some of its best outdoor adventures linger long after the Labor Day weekend. In fact, autumn is often the best season for outdoor recreation in this place of dunes, lakes and forests. The summer crowds have vanished with the heat, the hills are ablaze with crimson, gold and orange, and...
Already famous for its wines, craft brews and distilled spirits, this Lake Michigan resort mecca seems to be carving out a reputation for yet another beverage. Hard cider
Insects aren’t exactly a rarity here in northern Michigan, where summer meadows are filled with butterflies and the orchards murmur with the ceaseless hum of honeybees.
http://www.traversecity.com/tc-escape-package-491/ Traverse City Links Up with “Trail-Blazing” Mapmakers Traverse City Tourism has linked up with BLK MRKT café in late January in the newly renovated Warehouse MRKT on Hall Street. The cafe features coffee, tea and beverage services, in-house baked goods, and an expanded food menu, and will operate seven days a week from 7 am to 3 pm. Next door, the building’s owners — Dan and Meridith Falconer — have opened popular but tiny eatery at the Village at...
This bustling resort town on the Lake Michigan shore prides itself on being a four-season hub for outdoor recreation. Its miles of trails and pathways draw hikers, backpackers and cyclists in spring, summer and fall – and in winter they bring in skiers and snowshoers by the carload.
Every year, millions of Americans travel south on spring break in search of warm weather and sunny beaches.
Adults who want to combine their dogsled riding with a little weekend wine-tasting have been heading up to “Dog Sledding in the Vines” at Bowers Harbor Vineyards, just north of Traverse City. On selected winter Saturdays, a sled dog team from Second Chance Mushers have been giving rides through the nearby vineyards. As it happens, these huskies and malamutes aren’t ordinary sled dogs, either. They’ve been rescued from shelters and dog pounds by their owner,...
Adults who want to combine their dogsled riding with a little weekend wine-tasting have been heading up to “Dog Sledding in the Vines” at Bowers Harbor Vineyards, just north of Traverse City. On selected winter Saturdays, a sled dog team from Second Chance Mushers have been giving rides through the nearby vineyards. As it happens, these huskies and malamutes aren’t ordinary sled dogs, either. They’ve been rescued from shelters and dog pounds by their...
In summertime this Lake Michigan resort community is best known for its miles of sugar-sand beaches. But when winter arrives around, the focus shifts inland – to the heavily wooded highlands that lie to the south. Minutes from the bustle of downtown Traverse City and the glitter of its beachfront resorts, the highlands – which include wide swathes of the Pere Marquette State Forest — evoke an older time of hunting and fishing lodges, wilderness...
www.mt-holiday.org or (231) 938-2500 To learn more about winter activities in the Traverse City area, as well as lodging, dining and entertainment options in Michigan’s “True North,” contact Traverse City Tourism at
Livability.com has it on its list of the nation’s best winter vacation destinations. Traverse City prides itself on the diversity of its winter experiences (both indoors and outdoors) and on the sheer physical beauty of its surroundings. The region presents a wide range of quality winter recreation for a comparatively moderate price – which appeals to people who don’t want to spend an entire vacation doing the same thing over and over. For more details...
TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site, has listed Traverse City as one of 10 U.S. winners of its 2015 Travelers' Choice awards for "Destinations on the Rise." The awards highlight spots in the country and around the world that have shown the greatest increase in positive feedback and interest from TripAdvisor’s online community from one year to the next.
Thanks to its beautiful scenery and moderate climate, this little resort town on the Lake Michigan shore has long been a popular destination for runners, with over 30 races held in the area each year.
As winter snows cover the rolling hills of Northern Michigan’s wine country, several wineries on the scenic Leelanau Peninsula near Traverse City have responded with a new approach to touring and tasting: a vineyard-to-vineyard ski and snowshoe trail.
By midwinter, things can get a little slow in the lakeshore villages of northwestern Michigan. So when residents of Suttons Bay, a small resort community north of Traverse City started encountering characters dressed in furry white Abominable Snowman costumes lounging around their shops, taverns and restaurants last year, they weren’t alarmed. In fact, they created a festival to mark the occasion.
Most people go skiing for pleasure or exercise. For Gustav Eriksson Vasa, it was literally a matter of life and death. Back in 1518, Gustav’s native Sweden was invaded by Denmark. His father and brother were killed by the invaders, and Danish troops were hunting for him, too. Fortunately, the young nobleman knew how to ski – so he fled over the mountains to nearby Norway, rallied a resistance movement, ejected the Danes and became King of Sweden.