A first visit to one of the Great Lakes redefines ideas of what a lake can be. The deep, cold waters stretch out as far as the eye can see toward a flat and limitless blue horizon. Freighters cross the depths; kayakers and swimmers splash in the shallows; and lighthouses dot the often treacherous shores.
Traveling around the top of the Michigan mitten opens up a wide window into the past and present of life on Lake Michigan, from Native American myths to modern makers.
Traverse City, Northern Michigan’s Leading Light
The tourism capital of Northern Michigan is Traverse City. This small town is truly idyllic, boasting plenty of lakefront access via Grand Traverse Bay, stellar restaurants, and a cheerful downtown that is practically the poster child for Main Street USA. Right in the heart of downtown, Traverse City Pie Company offers a delightful selection of pies. The sweet ones draw from Michigan’s homegrown fruits, with the state being second only to California in fruit production. Be sure to try the ABC pie, featuring crisp local apples, tart blueberries, and juicy cherries. Additionally, the savory pies, known as pasties (rhymes with “nasty”), are hearty, hand-held pies stuffed with meat and potatoes. These originated with the Cornish miners who arrived in the 1800s and remain a regional comfort food in the upper Great Lakes.
More Traverse City history can be explored at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Opened in 1885, this impressive one million square foot complex was once a state-of-the-art mental hospital known as the Northern Michigan Asylum for the Insane. Founder Dr. John Decker Munson was a proponent of the fin-de-siècle “beauty is therapy” movement in psychiatric care, evident in the beautifully manicured grounds of the asylum and the multiple tree species present. After the asylum closed in 1989, most of the complex has been renovated as a mixed commercial and residential space. Stroll through the arcade, visit shops, restaurants, and coffee houses, and consider taking a tour, where knowledgeable guides share stories of the old asylum and allow exploration of the still unrenovated spaces.
Early 20th Century Life on the Leelanau Peninsula
On the quieter side of Grand Traverse Bay lies the Leelanau Peninsula. This picturesque countryside features relaxing hikes, charming small towns, and delightful wineries. A standout experience is at Hillside Homestead in Suttons Bay. This restored 1910 farmhouse offers period-appropriate furniture and appliances, providing insight into life in the early 1900s. Proprietor Susan Odom, a former historical interpreter, runs her B&B the old-fashioned way, preparing meals using recipes from Victorian cookbooks and sourcing ingredients locally. Odom even raises her pigs and chickens on the grounds while the farm operates within a working orchard.
Black Star Farms provides another chance to savor history on the Leelanau Peninsula. This winery and restaurant in Suttons Bay hosts weekly fish boils on Thursdays during summer and fall. Fish boils are a tradition in the upper Great Lakes, akin to the New England clambake or a Southern crawfish boil, where fresh-caught fish, potatoes, onions, and corn are cooked together with a flourish. The cooking process is a spectacle in itself, where kerosene is added to the fire to create a dramatic boil-over, allowing the food to be served while also informing everyone that dinner is ready. Coleslaw and bread usually accompany this delicious feast.
Fishtown, a Great Lakes Fishing Village
In the early 20th century, small fishing villages dotted the shores of the Great Lakes, where fishermen cast their lines or nets while processing their catches in nearby shanties. Though regulation and industrialization diminished many of these villages, the nonprofit Fishtown Preservation Society is dedicated to preserving this history. Today, visitors to Fishtown can stroll the docks and see fishermen at work, especially during the fall when salmon leap upriver to spawn. Many of the former shanties have been repurposed into gift shops and cafes, where you can enjoy freshly caught seafood from Carlson’s Fishery, including piquant fish sausage and delicious smoked whitefish.
Soaring Sleeping Bear Dunes
Native Americans were the first inhabitants of Northern Michigan, and many place names and local lore reflect this heritage. The striking, wild, and often windswept Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore exemplifies this history. The more than 20-mile stretch along the coast of Lake Michigan derives its name from an Ojibwe legend about a mother bear and her cubs, who were driven by desperation to swim to Michigan from Wisconsin. Tragically, while the mother made it, her cubs did not; thus, the Great Spirit Manitou is said to have created the Sleeping Bear Dune to symbolize the mother, with the North and South Manitou islands representing her lost cubs.
Nowadays, visitors flock to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to climb the dunes, camp, hike, visit lighthouses, and enjoy the wide sandy beaches. The fully accessible Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail covers a 20-mile stretch between Empire and Port Oneida Road, closed to car traffic. This scenic corridor passes several trailheads, scenic overlooks, and a few beaches, and it’s packed with runners, walkers, and cyclists in summer, transforming into a snowy retreat for skiers in winter.
Sleeping Bear Dunes also features one of the Great Lakes’ most captivating drives, the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. This 7.4-mile loop bursts with color in fall, with beeches and maples ablaze, while several scenic overlooks offer dramatic views of Lake Michigan and Glen Lake.
Make It Happen
Summer and fall are the peak seasons for travel in Northern Michigan, although the cozy winter has its charm (note that some attractions may operate with limited hours during this time). Traverse City attracts many tourists in summer, particularly during the annual National Cherry Festival in the first week of July.
Driving is the best way to explore Northern Michigan, as roads are typically well-maintained. However, during peak fall foliage and summer weekends, the M-22 can become congested, so it is advisable to allow extra driving time.
Trisha Ping traveled to Northern Michigan with support from Pure Michigan. iBestTravel contributors do not accept freebies in return for positive coverage.
