Traverse City

The "Cherry Capital" on Lake Michigan, ringed by peninsula wineries and bayside beaches, with the towering dunes of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore just to the west.

Traverse City lies in the northwest corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, at the southern end of Grand Traverse Bay. The hub of the region, with a population of about 16,000, it's known as the "Cherry Capital of the World." The Old Mission Peninsula juts out north of town and, together with the Leelanau Peninsula to the west, splits the bay into East and West Bays; both peninsulas are dotted with cherry orchards and wineries. About 40 km west is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where soaring sand bluffs, deep-blue water and the Manitou Islands form Michigan's most famous natural landscape. The seasons are distinct: June–August is warm and dry, the season for swimming, boating and cherries, with the National Cherry Festival in early July the liveliest time; September–October brings the grape harvest and fall color, with fewer visitors; winters are cold and snowy, good for cross-country skiing or nearby ski resorts, though some park roads close. The area divides into three parts: downtown (Front Street, the Clinch Park waterfront and the Grand Traverse Commons); the wineries and lighthouses of the two peninsulas (Old Mission Peninsula, Mission Point Lighthouse, Leelanau wine country, Fishtown in Leland and Grand Traverse Lighthouse); and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (the Dune Climb, Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, Empire Bluff Trail, Glen Arbor and South Manitou Island), plus turquoise Torch Lake to the east. Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) has flights to hubs such as Chicago and Detroit, and it's about a 4-hour drive from Detroit. Public transportation in the area is limited, so renting a car is strongly recommended; a national park vehicle pass is required to enter Sleeping Bear Dunes. Plan on 3–4 days: one for the dunes, one for the wineries of the two peninsulas, and one for downtown and the waterfront or Torch Lake. Lodging is tight in summer, so book ahead.

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