After the Coronavirus pandemic halted international travel plans and kept us quarantining at home for months, my friends and I were desperate to travel. Since we couldn’t leave the country, we looked at domestic destinations worth visiting where we could spend time outside and still have fun. So we traveled to Traverse City during Covid to spend four days in Northern Michigan visiting wineries.
Traverse City sits at the heart of Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay in Northern Michigan. The population isn’t even 15,000 but it’s still the largest city in the area. Surrounded by farms, vineyards, and water, the region has beautiful views everywhere you look. It’s quaint, it’s quiet, and it’s a perfect escape during Coronavirus.
Visiting Traverse City During Covid
Getting to Traverse City
Even though Traverse City is tiny, it has its own (equally tiny) airport. Direct flights come in from a few cities like Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Dallas, so it’s easy to get to. And while airports are much less crowded than last year, they have picked up since the beginning of the pandemic when I first traveled. There’s plenty of social distancing going on in airports and, depending on your airline, even on flights.
Once you get to Traverse City, renting a car is a must. Everything is spread out and mass transit isn’t really a thing. But there’s no traffic and parking was relatively simple everywhere we went.
Where to Stay in Traverse City
As you can imagine in such a small city, Traverse City doesn’t have a lot of hotels. There are a few, along with some bed and breakfasts, but with four of us traveling together neither were going to work. So we went the AirBNB route, renting a huge house with plenty of space for social distancing.
We stayed in Suttons Bay, about 25 minutes outside of Traverse City. The tiny town has a population of 618 and is as adorable as you can imagine. We were walking distance from the main street, lined with little shops and restaurants. Plus it put us in proximity to most of the wineries in the Leelanau area.
Visiting Wineries During Covid
The main focus of our trip was wine tasting. Of course Covid made things a little different, but still doable. Unfortunately, most wineries aren’t doing tours of vineyards or cellars. A few still are, but only on certain days with advance reservations, which we weren’t able to get. We hired a driver to get us around, which I highly recommend. (Book one here.)
And most wineries aren’t able to do actual wine tastings either. But wines by the glass are available everywhere and some places offer flights. So we were still able to get an idea of each winery’s style of wine, just without a structured tasting. (More on wine tasting in Northern Michigan here.)
Even without tours or tastings, most wineries require reservations in advance. And, like everywhere during Covid, space is limited due to social distancing. So plan ahead and book early. Most places only allow outdoor seating, so it might be weather dependent. And don’t forget your mask! Michigan requires masks in all restaurants, wineries, stores, and public places.
Dining Out During Covid
Restaurants in Traverse City during Covid are similar to wineries. Space is limited, so reservations are your best bet. And of course, masks are required. Take out is another option, and all the restaurants are well equipped for to go orders.
We did a mixture of dine in and take out in both Traverse City and Suttons Bay (where we stayed), with good experiences. In fact, the service in Suttons Bay restaurants was outstanding. (I’m looking at you, Wren!)
A word of warning: restaurant information on Google wasn’t always accurate. So call ahead to check if places are open and what time, and if they’re allowing dine in or take out only.
Was Visiting Traverse City During Covid Worth it?
Spending four days in Traverse City and Northern Michigan was the perfect Covid escape. The area is practically designed for social distancing, so we weren’t around a lot of people. We spent most of our time outside, and enjoying fresh air and beautiful scenery was a perfect remedy for my quarantine cabin fever. (Traverse City’s official Covid information is here.)
Sure, I’m a little disappointed we weren’t able to tour some wineries. (And even more disappointed I couldn’t tour any whiskey distilleries!) But we visited all the wineries we hoped to see and tasted plenty of wine. I even found some wine I liked!
Most importantly, Traverse City was a great getaway and I’d definitely go back.
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Up Next :: A Guide to Wine Tasting in Traverse City and What to Do in Traverse City
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