The Top 10 Fall Attractions In Northern Michigan
Traverse City is already famed as one of the most spectacular summer vacation spots in the Midwest. (This year, National Geographic named it one of the world’s Top Summer Trips.) Fortunately, those heart-stopping views of sky, water and shore don’t just disappear after Labor Day – and lower off-season rates make it even more attractive!.
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Cycling on Old Mission
Cycling is one of the most popular fall activities in Traverse City. The Old Mission Peninsula (shown here) was just named Michigan’s best bike ride by Bicycling Magazine.
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Fall Chain of Lakes
Because of its higher altitude, the Chain of Lakes region just east of Traverse City often shows fall color by early September. This view is from the Summit Hotel at Shanty Creek Resorts.
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Fall Kayaking
Fall is the perfect time to explore the many lakes and rivers of the Traverse City area. This is Spider Lake (named for its shape) just south of the city limits.
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Fall Shopping
With over 150 cozy restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and shops, downtown Traverse City is a great destination for a fall shopping adventure.
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October Days
The crowds may have thinned out, but Traverse City’s beaches are every bit as romantic in fall as they are in summer. This is West End Beach, near downtown.
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Old Mission Light Fall
A favorite spot for autumn explorers is the Old Mission Point Lighthouse, one of a half dozen lighthouses in the Traverse City area.
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Sleeping Bear Hikers
The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, voted “most beautiful place in America” by Good Morning America viewers, offers great hiking and color touring in fall. Shown here: the Sleeping Bear Point trail.
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Winery Picnic
Fall is harvest time in the Traverse City wine country. Autumn visitors love to combine their color tours with frequent wine-tasting stops at some of the two dozen wineries of the Old Mission and leelanau peninsulas.
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Bikers in Leelanau
Motorcycle riding is becoming an increasingly popular way to enjoy the colorful backroads of the Traverse City area in fall.
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Blue Tractor
Famous for the variety and tastiness of its cuisine, Traverse City has dozens of wonderful restaurants. And what better time of year to enjoy a delicious meal and a pint of locally brewed beer?
Autumn only sharpens the beauty of Traverse City, adding color to the forests and spice to the air -- perfect weather for a stroll on the beach, a shopping adventure, a round of championship golf, or a tour of the beautiful wine country on the nearby Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas. Fall in Traverse City is a gentle, romantic season… a time of crisp clear mornings, mellow golden afternoons and cool, lingering evenings. The region’s landscape of rolling ridges, lush forests and wide expanses of open water is the perfect canvas for fall color tours, too.
Shoppers are charmed by Traverse City’s picturesque turn-of-the-century downtown, with over 150 boutiques, shops and restaurants. Food-lovers are drawn to its fresh and imaginative regional cuisine and award-winning wines. (Midwest Living, Livability.com and Bon Appetit magazine have all listed among America’s top “foodie” towns, and the Travel Channel calls it one of the country’s emerging microbrew destinations.)
It’s not hard to find adventure here in fall -- whether it’s a long walk along a misty beach, a bicycle ride over brilliantly-colored hills or a paddling trip down a crystal-clear river. There are cherry pies still warm from the oven, sweetly fragrant Old Mission ice wine, rich dark ales, snug comforters, blazing fireplaces and a sky filled with bright Traverse City stars!
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