Touristic activities around Traverse City
Events
List of events in Traverse City: www.traversecity.com/events/
Art in town
Dennos Museum Center: art museum with rotating exhibitions and a permanent collection renowned for its Inuit art collection. www.dennosmuseum.org/
Downtown Art Walk: local artists, live music, businesses open late: www.traversecity.com/event-detail/downtown-traverse-city-art-walk-series/12126/
Michigan waterways: kayaks and canoes
Rent a kayak or canoe for a trip through lakes or rivers. There are option both in town or farther afield; a few options below.
Paddle TC: by the lake in downtown Traverse City, kayak rental starting at $30/hr, also bike rentals. paddletc.com
The River Outfitters: south end of Boardman lake in Traverse City, hourly kayak rental ($30/hr) or river trip (with rapids) for $55. Also bike rentals. therivertc.com/kayak-rental-traverse-city-the-river-outfitters/
Wilderness Canoe trips: Manistee river, 30 minutes south of Traverse City. 2 hours++ trip along the river, in canoe ($55) or kayak ($45). wildernesscanoetrips.org/
Hiking
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park: Sand dunes by Lake Michigan in one of the most popular parks in the state. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_Bear_Dunes_National_Lakeshore
These are two relatively short hikes in the park:
Pyramid Point trail: www.nps.gov/places/000/pyramid-point-trail.htm
Empire Bluff trail: www.nps.gov/places/000/empire-bluff-trail.htm
North Country Trail: this is a long-distance trail that passes through 8 US states. If you prefer forests, a section of the NCT passes near Traverse City (still requires driving). northcountrytrail.org/trail/michigan/gtc/
Old Mission peninsula
Wineries and many other attractions a short drive north from Traverse City. Some of the wineries suggested by our local contacts are Brys Estate (brysestate.com), Mari Vineyards (www.marivineyards.com/), Chateau Grand Traverse (cgtwines.com/), and Jolly Pumpkin for a brewery (traversecity.jollypumpkin.com/). Mission Point lighthouse is the natural end-point for such trip.
Similar attractions can be found in a trip on the Leelanau peninsula, no the west side of Grand Traverse Bay: lpwines.com/
Breweries in town
There are several breweries (and distilleries) in Traverse City:
In no particular order: the Filling Station, North Peak Brewing, Right Brain Brewery (live music Friday), Little Fleet (live music Friday), Silver Spruce Brewing, and more.