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Did you know that 4 out of the 5 Great Lakes are within Michigan’s borders? I feel like this beautiful state often gets overlooked for other destinations. When in reality, Michigan is absolutely breathtaking.
A day trip to Traverse City is the perfect place to start your Michigan adventure.
Is Traverse City Worth Visiting?
Located on the picturesque shores of Lake Michigan in the northwest edge of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula you will find Lake Michigan’s beach town – Traverse City (or TC as Michiganders like to call it).
Traverse City is a cute and lively town with a very down to earth vibe. There is also a really great beer and vineyard scene (more on that later). What I really love about TC is that it is very family friendly.
I took a day trip out to Traverse City and have put together the perfect day trip itinerary for your family. I could have easily spent a weekend or more here though, so if you have the extra time I definitely recommend staying a bit longer! Three days seems like the ideal amount of time to get to really enjoy everything.
The Best Time to Visit Traverse City
You can really visit Traverse City any time during the year but brace yourself, because they have long, cold winters.
I would say that the best time to visit would be late spring (May) to early fall (October). It just depends on what you are looking to do.
In mid to late May you can witness the gorgeous cherry blossom season. In July you can experience the endless festivities at the cherry festival. TC is the cherry capital of the US after all!
There are also tons of watersport options for the summer time. Or if you prefer, go in October and breathe the crisp, fall air and take in the leaf changes without all of the summer crowds.
Remember, driving “Up North” is a serious thing in Michigan. So if you are headed to TC on a Friday, be prepared for some traffic.
How To Spend A Day in Traverse City
There are a variety of kid-friendly activities that you can do as a family in Traverse City.
Go Sailing on the Grand Traverse Bay
What better way to take in the brilliant blue waters of Lake Michigan than to set sail on them! Since we were only there for the day, we opted not to take the time to do a cruise. However, we were disappointed because we really wanted to!
The company that I was looking into was Nauti-Cat Cruises. They have a couple different cruise options to choose from. The champagne sunset cruise would be a great choice if you are looking for a romantic evening.
They also have a noon cruise where you can relax and sun-bathe.
Or if you are up for something a little more exciting, take the windjammer cruise when the winds are at their highest on the lake.
Check their website for details, some of the cruises are adults only. Prices range from $35-50 per person.
Go to the Beach
You can easily spend your day just lounging on the beach and playing in the water and have a great time. There are a lot of water sport activities available in the summer months in Traverse City.
There are a couple different beach options depending on how far you want to travel or how much time you have in TC. The most popular beach is Clinch Park, located right in town. Obviously since the location is convenient, the crowds will be the heaviest here. They also have a really fun splash area for the kids! It’s also free!!!
Sutton’s Bay Beach is close to town (15 miles north) and they also have a playground and picnic areas.
Van’s beach is about 20 minutes from town, but it offers a pristine white sandy beach. This is also a beach directly on Lake Michigan, as opposed to the Grand Traverse Bay. Or you can head out to Peterson beach in the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes!
No matter which beach you choose, you will find plenty of sand, sun and fun. Oh and the best part, since it is fresh water, NO SHARKS!
Check out the Lighthouses
Mission Point Lighthouse:
Another great free family activity is to hop in the car and take the gorgeous scenic 30 minute drive outside of TC up the Old Mission Peninsula. When you get to the top, you will find the cutest little beach and Mission Point Lighthouse.
The coolest thing about this lighthouse is it is located on the 45th parallel – the halfway point between the Equator and North Pole. Pretty neat right?
This beach is much less crowded, in fact we were the only ones there that day. Unlike the beaches in town, the beach here at Mission Point Lighthouse is located directly on Lake Michigan as opposed to the Grand Traverse Bay.
Grand Traverse Lighthouse:
Michigan is known for its Petoskey stones and this is a great place to take the kids on a hunt to find them. If you aren’t familiar, a Petoskey stone is a pebble shaped stone composed of fossilized coral. It is distinguished by its hexagonal pattern when wet.
It will take you approximately 50 minutes to get there from TC. If you happen to be in Sutton’s Bay Beach though, you aren’t too far away!
Go Wine Tasting
Traverse City has a really great up and coming vineyard scene. Because it is located on the 45th parallel (sharing that section of land with Italy and France) it makes for some of the best grape growing in the world.
You can easily make a day of wine tasting alone. In fact, there are several tours that you can take in TC that incorporate wineries, breweries and the city or any combination of those. Fun fact: TC is supposedly super haunted so you can even do ghost tours of the city.
However, since we were only spending the day we didn’t have time to check out all of the wineries. We did stop at two wineries on the Old Mission Peninsula Wine Trail on our way to check out Mission Point Lighthouse.
The two we chose were two of the local favorites: Brys Estates and Chateau Chantal. Both offered stunning views of the vineyards and delicious wine selections. I was happy with the fact that they were kid-friendly as well, considering Jake and Raelyn were with us.
You can stop in for a quick tasting or grab a seat on the deck and soak in the gorgeous views of Lake Michigan or the vineyards as far as the eye can see with your favorite glass of wine.
The Village at Grand Traverse Commons
This is the reason why I say you should spend more than just one day on your trip to Traverse City. Our schedule simply didn’t allow for us to see and do everything we wanted, so we had to forgo this .. until next time at least!
If I had to guess, I would say this is probably the reason TC has the reputation for being haunted. The VIllage at Grand Traverse Commons is an old state hospital and insane asylum that has been transformed into an area filled with breweries, restaurants and shops. If you are more of a thrill seeker, you can take a tour of the buildings after dark!
Go Shopping on Front St.
You can’t visit a new place and not do a little shopping, am I right girls?! Front St is a great place to grab some souvenirs or a cute t-shirt to take home with you. There are also a bunch of restaurants to choose from.
This is also where you will find some really beautiful street art / wall murals. Instagram anyone?!
Address: We are Your Wings TC – 346 Front St (on the side of Coin Slot)
Address: Greetings from Traverse City – 129 E Front St (on the side of Kilwin’s)
Best Places to Eat in Traverse City
Since Traverse City is located right on the water, there is no shortage of seafood.
Taproot Cider House:
We had lunch at Taproot Cider House on Front St. They have indoor and outdoor seating and the decor was so cute!! They’re best known for their cherry cider and let me tell you, it was pretty delicious! They have an extensive cider list, but the best part is you can choose as many as you want and make your own flight. Why pick one when you can try a few (or them all)!!
Grab an ice cream at Moomer’s:
We grabbed an ice cream cone to have on our ride up to Mission Point Lighthouse.
Or if you are sticking around town, grab one and head down to Clinch Park.
So since I was only in Traverse City for the day, I cannot attest to all of the delicious dining options it offers although I wish I could. However, I did do some research and have compiled this list of what seems to be the most popular places in TC and all the places that I would dine myself:
- Boathouse Restaurant (seafood and a little more upscale – their reservation list does fill up quickly so make reservations well in advance)
- Poppycocks
- Sorellina (Italian)
- Trattoria Stella (Italian)
- Mama Lu’s Taco Shop
- The Filling Station (a microbrewery serving flatbreads. We tried to go here but they happened to be closed the day we were in TC)
- The Little Fleet Food Truck Park (an open air bar with food trucks)
- Crepes & Co (a great place for breakfast/brunch)
- Grand Traverse Pie Company (it’s said that they have the best cherry pie in TC)
- Peace love and little donuts
Wrap Up: Traverse City Day Trip
Well there we have it! The perfect day trip to Traverse City Michigan! I hope you found this guide to be helpful. I loved TC and already can’t wait to go back and do some more exploring .. and eating!!
Leave me a comment and let me know if you have ever been to Traverse City and what your favorite part was!
If you are continuing your Michigan exploration, Frankenmuth – Michigan’s “Little Bavaria” is definitely worth a visit.
