Traverse City sits in the heart of Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay in Northern Michigan. Surrounded by farms, vineyards, and water, the region has beautiful views everywhere you look. The area is known for its wineries, but there’s more to see than just grapevines. Here’s what to do in Traverse City.

My friends and I picked Traverse City because it was the perfect Coronavirus escape. It’s quaint, it’s quiet, and there aren’t many people in the area. In fact, Traverse City’s population is barely 15,000, yet it’s the largest city in Northern Michigan! (Here’s more on visiting Traverse City during Coronavirus.)

Obviously with a city so small, a lot of what to do in Traverse City is, well, outside the city. So you’ll definitely need to rent a car to get around. We also hired a driver one day to visit wineries so all of us could drink. (More on visiting wineries in Northern Michigan.)

What to Do in Traverse City

Go Wine Tasting at a Winery

Northern Michigan is home to more than 40 wineries. And while wine might not be your first Michigan thought, some of the wines made in the region are surprisingly good. Not to mention the wineries themselves are beautiful, with many surrounded by vineyards or views of Lake Michigan.

The region is most famous for white wines, but all styles of wines are made in Michigan. Even cherry wine! There are plenty of wineries to create a wine-tasting day trip, so hire a driver to take you around or join a pre-planned trip. (Here’s a guide to wineries in Northern Michigan.)

Wander Through Historic Fishtown Leland

Fishtown Leland is a historical district about 40 minutes north of Traverse City. Once a flourishing fishing village in the late 1800s, today Fishtown is a tourist hotspot offering a peek into the past. The wooden fishing shanties and smokehouses are now boutiques and specialty food shops selling gifts, cheese, sweets, and more.

Take a break between shopping for wine at the Verterra Winery Tasting Room, an urban outpost serving wines from Verterra Winery (about 10 miles away). Or stop in the Grand Traverse Distillery Tasting Room to taste the spirits made at the Traverse City distillery. They make bourbon, rye, gin, vodka, and flavored vodka using grains grown in Michigan.

Fishtown Leland is small, but still worth visiting. Since you’re already driving north of Traverse City, stop for lunch and shopping in Suttons Bay, another adorable, tiny, colorful town.

Drink Some Local Whiskey

Michigan is well known for its beer — and where there’s good beer, there’s good whiskey. And Traverse City is home to a surprising 12 distilleries! Michigan’s oldest distillery, Grand Traverse Distillery, makes bourbon, rye, gin, and vodka from Michigan-grown grains. The main distillery is near the airport, but tasting rooms are in the heart of Traverse City on Front Street and in Fishtown LeLand.

Not to be confused with Traverse City Whiskey Co., located right in the city and specializing in whiskey. They make bourbon, rye, and a cherry flavored “whiskey,” plus bourbon finished in port barrels. The distillery offers tours (currently on pause due to Covid), tastings, and cocktails.

And my favorite, Mammoth Distilling. The distillery itself is located outside of Traverse City, but luckily the Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge is right downtown. There they offer tastings, cocktails, food, and even a make your own whiskey blending class! Mammoth makes a whole range of spirits, including bourbon, rye, gin, vodka, rum, and liqueurs. I’ve been a fan of their bourbon and rye for years, and definitely recommend tasting them.

Visit a Lighthouse

For an area surrounded by water, it’s no surprise that Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state. In fact, there are five in the Traverse City area alone! Some are the traditional, iconic tower lighthouses nestled against beautiful beaches. And others emphasize the house part of “lighthouse” much more, like Grand Traverse Lighthouse.

Built in 1858, the Grand Traverse Lighthouse is one of the oldest lighthouses in the region. It’s no longer in operation, but now the lighthouse is home to a museum and has views overlooking the lake. It sits in the Leelenau State Park, and the drive there is worth it in itself. (Although the lighthouse was a bit of a letdown.)

Eat Something Local

Even though there’s not exactly a cuisine specific to Michigan, there are some local favorites you have to eat while you’re there. Fresh whitefish from Lake Michigan, like walleye and perch, top the list. It’s served all over Traverse City, from whitefish pâté to perch fish and chips or walleye with creamed corn and chorizo. Add a Vernors Ginger Ale, created in Detroit and a Michigan favorite, to complete the meal.

On the sweeter side, cherries are famously grown around Traverse City and are not hard to find on dessert menus. Apples and peaches also grow in the region, but cherries are Northern Michigan’s specialty! And you can’t miss local beer. Or, better yet, try some hard cider made with locally-grown apples.

Spend Time at the Lake

Of course no what to do in Traverse City list would be complete without something involving the lake. Nestled up against Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay, Traverse City has plenty of water-based things to do. Head to a beach to enjoy the waves, hike to the top of a sand dune to see the view, take a sunset cruise on the lake, or kayak right on the water.

Even though I have a view of Lake Michigan from my apartment (albeit a much different part of the lake in Chicago), I’m forever impressed by the vastness of the lake.

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Related :: Visiting Traverse City During Covid and Guide to Wineries in Traverse City