Traverse City
Old Town · Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is northern Michigan's busiest summer town, set at the head of Grand Traverse Bay and known as the Cherry Capital because the surrounding orchards produce a large share of the nation's tart cherries. Its downtown runs along Front Street, a few walkable blocks of shops, restaurants, taprooms and theaters, with the bay, a public beach and the TART trail a short walk away. It is a base for the Old Mission and Leelanau wine peninsulas and for Sleeping Bear Dunes, which are separate places on this site. The National Cherry Festival in early July and a film festival in late summer pull large crowds, and July and August bring heavy traffic and high lodging prices. Winter is quieter, with snow and skiing at nearby hills. It suits couples, families and food and wine travelers who like a lively small city, not wilderness or solitude. Allow a day for downtown, or several days if you use it as a base for the region.
101 West Grandview Parkway, Traverse City, Michigan, 49684, United States
Traverse City itself is open all year, and the streets, the waterfront and the beaches have no gate or closing time. Shops and galleries on Front Street usually open mid-morning and close in the early evening, with longer hours in summer and shorter ones, sometimes with Sunday closures, in winter. Restaurants and taprooms commonly run into the evening, and some places in the shoulder seasons close one or two days a week. Festival weeks, especially the Cherry Festival in early July, change traffic and parking, and some streets close, so confirm event dates and closures before you plan. Check individual hours for a winery, museum or ski area, since many have seasonal schedules.