WHAT TO DO NEAR TRAVERSE CITY MICHIGAN

by | Travel

WHAT TO DO NEW TRAVERSE CITY MICHIGAN

Heading up to northern Michigan has been one of our family’s favorite places to visit.  In fact, we head up there every summer and find it’s our favorite!

Why do we like visiting northern Michigan and the Traverse City, Michigan area so much?
– Cooler (low humid) weather (beats the southern beaches any day in my book!)
– Vibrant blue clear water. There are so many opportunities to find beautiful water up in northern Michigan to swim, stay and enjoy!

Where to stay in Traverse City, Michigan

We spent one week in summer staying at the Tamarac Lodge.  It was really beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed being right on the beach where we could swim and the kids could play.  We had a 1 bedroom with a pull out couch on the first floor, so we could easily walk out to enjoy the outdoors and the beach area, similar to having a private beach house.

Things we loved about our stay at the Tamarac Lodge:
– Just a few minutes drive to get into Traverse City
– Free movie rentals, hot cocoa + coffee
– Our door was just a few steps away from the beach (perfect for babies who need to nap and we could be outside!)
– Toys were there on the beach for the kids
– Beautiful evening sunsets
– Sandy beach and sandy bottom in under the water
– The boys loved the beach shower to rinse off the sand and we had a 1 bedroom with a couch and small kitchen.  It was pretty cozy, but the four of us fit perfectly and we enjoyed that our door was just steps from the beach, while having a great view of lake Michigan.
– It’s a short drive to our favorite quiet town, Frankfort, and Sleepy Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Cons:
-The traffic.  The font of the hotel is the main strip as traffic passes through.  We felt it wasn’t quite as peaceful as staying on a private lake, but we did enjoy quick access to the uptown Traverse City area.
– Tamarac Lodge does get booked really quickly.  Make sure to plan your trip well in advance!

Other things we love doing nearby:
– Splash park at Clinch Park
– Visiting Stormcloud Brewing Company in a nearby quaint quiet Frankfort, MI
– Taking a day trip to nearby Charlevoix with it’s cute draw bridge and small shops
– Vineyards on the scenic peninsula just north of Traverse City

photo of the tamarac lodge in traverse city michigan

lake michigan sunset and tamarac lodge viewssunset view of sky and dock at tamarac lodge, traverse citytamarac lodge beach with rocks and lavender plans and lake michigan sunsettamarac lodge view with blue and yellow sunset and dock on lake michigantraverse city michigan blue skies with whips clouds over lake michiganlittle boys washing feet and playing at beach rinse off shower
We enjoyed the beach vibes and the rinse off shower… my boys loved it!photo of woman's toes in the sand on lake michigan beachboys playing in beach shower at tamarac lodge on lake michigan tamarac lodge sunset view over lake michigan

Just a short drive away, is Clinch Park.  It’s located right on the water at Traverse City, a short walk from the main uptown strip.  There’s a public beach with rentals and this amazing splash pad our kids love!  We go here every year, pack a picnic and the kids love it every time!

boy running through water play area at clinch park traverse city michiganboys playing at clinch park in traverse city michigantoddler playing at clinch park water in traverse city michiganyoung boys climbing on play area at clinch park traverse city michigan

Stormcloud Brewing Company  On the main strip in Frankfort, Michigan (one of our favorite Michigan small towns)!  We love their popcorn, pizza, brews and amazing patio atmosphere.  It’s a must stop and it never disappoints!

close up of popcorn and drinks at stormcloud brewery in frankfort, ohioboy sitting at table and photo of drinks from stormcloud brewing codad and son smiling sitting at table at stormcloud brewery

We couldn’t pass up donuts at Crescent Bakery in Frankfort either.  We are donut people and we gave these our seal of approval!  It’s a must stop if you’re staying in Frankfort!

closeup of donut from crescent bakery frankfort michiganboys eating donuts at cresent bakery in frankfort michigan

We took a few hours and drove up to Charlevoix, Michigan. It’s fun exploring all the little towns Northern Michigan has to offer.  They each are unique with their own style.  The last time I visited Charlevoix I was a little girl and remembered the magic of the draw bridge.  There are fun restaurants and breweries, shops and a big draw bridge on the channel that goes out to lake Michigan.

boats traveling on charlevoix michigan's canalboys running in grass in charlevoix michigandad and two boys watching charlevoix michigan's draw bridge go upboat going under charlevoix michigan's draw bridge

To wrap up our trip, we attended a wedding at a scenic vineyard up the traverse city peninsula!  The gorgeous vineyards were lush and the perfect place to get a few family pictures.

Jenny is a Columbus, Ohio photographer that loves traveling with her family.  She travels to Michigan every year and enjoys sharing about the best places they visit.  Check out her blog for more travels!