The Grand Traverse Bay Area is a region in Northern Michigan, known for its lakes and lakeshores, for its cherries and grapes and mushrooms, and for its boating and downhill skiing. The name refers to the shoreline bordering the West Arm and East Arm of the Grand Traverse Bay, but more generally the name is used to refer to all of Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties and at least the northern part of Benzie County; western Antrim County, which also borders the bay, may be included as well. Traverse City makes an excellent base for exploring the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas to the north, and the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to the west.
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Its location on Lake Michigan means that several of Michigan's 115 lighthouses are within easy access of the Grand Traverse Bay Area. Five, in particular, are nearby:
Old Mission Point Lighthouse near Traverse City.
Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum in the Leelanau Peninsula.
South Fox Island Lighthouse, near the Leelanau Peninsula.
South Manitou Island Lighthouse on South Manitou Island.
Point Betsie Lighthouse near Frankfort.
During the summer, fresh cherries are abundant and can be found at U-Pick orchards around Traverse City.
With the Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan, and numerous lakes and rivers in the region, water sports are highly popular during the summer.
Crystal Mountain Resort and Spa, 44.5196°, -85.9909°. - in Thompsonville
The Grand Traverse Bay Area has ten golf courses; there are others in Traverse City and the Leelanau Peninsula.
A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort, 627 A-Ga-Ming Drive in Kewadin, +1 231-264-5081 or +1-800-678-0122, . 36 holes. Golf school and lodging packages available. $20-74.
Champion Hill Golf Course, 510 N Marshall Road in Beaulah, +1 231-882-9200. 18 holes, par 72. Cross-country skiing available. $9-45.
Interlochen Golf Club, 10586 US-31 S in Interlochen, +1 231-275-7311 or +1-877-480-7311. 18 holes, par 71. Rated one of the top 100 best value courses in America, with one of the most scenic and lush courses in the region. Complete dining room service, driving range, practice green, complete pro shop. $12-39.
[http://www.mistwoodgolf.com/ Mistwood Golf Course, 7568 Ole White Drive in Lake Ann, +1 231-275-5500. 27 holes of championship golf and 9 holes of par 3. Rated 4 stars by Golf Digest readers in 2004 "Places To Play" and voted "Best Pro Am" by Northern Michigan PGA. Driving range, practice sand trap, and two spacious practice greens. Fully-stocked pro shop, on-site Sunset Bar & Grill and Bogey's Snack Bar. Adjacent rental units. $15-95.
Pinecroft Golf, 8260 Henry Road in Beaulah, +1 231-882-9100. 18 holes, par 72. Rated 4 stars by Golf Digest readers in "Places To Play". $9-45.
Skiing is a popular wintertime activity; there are three main ski areas in the region, one of which is in Traverse City.
Crystal Mountain Ski and Golf, 12500 Crystal Mountain Drive in Thompsonville, +1-800-968-7686. Voted #1 Resort in the Midwest by Ski magazine. Downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating and ice hockey, sleigh rides, snowshoe and moonlight hikes. Two golf courses with 36 holes, and over 90 golf schools, lessons and clinics. Equipment rental and tuning, snowsports school, kids' programs and lessons available. Therapeutic massage, fitness center, indoor pool, hot tub, arcade room. Lift tickets $15-79, golf rates $30-85.
Shanty Creek Resort & Club, 1 Shanty Creek Road in Bellaire, +1 231-533-8621 or +1-800-678-4111. 43 ski runs, sleigh rides, tubing. Four championship golf courses. Fitness center, spa, four on-site restaurants. Skiing and golf clinics and lessons available. Ski lift tickets $12-46, golf rates $12-99.
Swimming is common year-round, with the many pools and water parks in the area.
The Great Wolf Lodge, 3575 U.S. 31 South, +1 866-478-9653. Huge indoor waterpark with 6 water slides and 5 pools and a lazy river, along with 3 restaurants and luxury hotel.
Avalanche Bay (dead link: January 2023), 1 Boyne Mountain Road, +1 855-441-2086. Largest indoor waterpark in Michigan, many water slides and pools, including Big Couloir. Nearby hotels and ski resorts.
There are two casinos in the area, one in Williamsburg just outside Traverse City, and the other in Peshawbestown in the Leelanau Peninsula.
Cherries are, of course, the predominant local specialty; when they're in season, you can find them fresh in the stores, at roadside stands, and at U-Pick farms throughout the area, particularly along the Old Mission Peninsula. If you want to try them, be sure to visit the area during the last two weeks in July or the first two weeks in August. In May, the wild morel mushroom season commences. Locals flock to the woods in search of "the truffles of the North", while restaurants celebrate the harvest with a variety of morel dishes.
The Grand Traverse Bay Area — specifically, the Old Mission and Leelanau Peninsulas — is Michigan's premiere winemaking region, located as it is along the 45th parallel, which is home to other world-famous wine regions like Bordeaux in France, Tuscany in Italy, and Oregon (not to mention New Zealand, in the southern hemisphere). Over 50 varieties of wine grapes are grown in Michigan, including Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Gewurtztraminer, Vignoles, Chambourcin, and Seyval Blanc. Local specialties include cherry wine (of course) and the rare ice wine, in which the grapes are allowed to freeze on the vine and then pressed while still frozen, giving the wine a delicate and very sweet flavor.
This is a generally safe area. While some crime occurs from time to time, tourists are unlikely to become victims.
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