Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Weekend Getaway - Traverse City - is it worth it?

We use TC as our base camp for seeing the area. Most places people have listed are 30-60 minutes from there in all different directions.

If you want the name of a clean, cheap hotel with a serviceable breakfast, pm me. We have stayed there for several years in a row, always happy. We then splurge on lunch and dinner.

Also have to try Roses in elk Rapids for Cajun and Creole food. The Jolly Pumpkin for American Pub style food.

The tunnel of trees just North of Petoskey is great that time of year. Beaches are fun to walk looking for Petoskey stones and a few other stones native to Michigan. Sunny days with an east wind are your best bet.

River salmon runs will probably still be happening. The platte River salmon hatchery should be in full swing. Really neat place to visit, near Sleeping Bear.

Hampton Inn is the place to stay

You're a legend in your own mind, but nobody else's.

I lived there for a number of years; still have property up there. It gorgeous up there that time of year. A few tips, many have already been mentioned:

2nd weekend in October is when peak color usually hits - I'm generally duck hunting there at the time. Jordan River pathway, M-119, M-22, or the Chain-of-Lakes all make a great color tour.

Get a place to stay with a view of the water. East and West bay or one of the many inland lakes all have affordable lodging on them. Your past peak season so the rates will be less.

Skip Boones...they've gotten pricey for what they serve - locals go to Mode's Bum Steer downtown. Old school steak house. Been there for decades. Delicious. TC is a foody destination if you're into that sort of thing.

TC, Leland, Glen Arbor, Suttons Bay, Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs can get touristy in the summer. In the fall it's mostly blue hairs. Lots of winerys on Leland Penninsula and Old Mission Peninsula. Try following the Chain of Lakes - lots of cool small towns with neat places to eat and drink. Pearl's in Elk Rapids, Shorts Brewery in Bellaire, Moomer's Ice Cream in Central Lake, Dockside in Alden on Torch Lake - a must see, third clearest lake in the world, Cafe Sante in Boyne City, and so many others. I kinda like the small, outta the way mom & pop places. There's a bunch of them too.

LGS in TC include: Hampels (over 100 years old), Fieldsport for high end stuff, and Cliffs for rifles.

I believe the Mighty Mac is now berthed in Cheboygan. She's a beautiful ship and was a welcome sight I'm sure for many freighters during the winter months before shutdown on the Great Lakes. Her namesake is ported in Mackinaw City last I heard, but both are a couple hours from TC.

The Tunnel of Trees fall color tour on M119 is worth checking out that time of year as is the town of Petoskey, the town Ernest Hemingway spent his summers at. Sleeping Bear Dunes and Lake Michigan are both great sights. Early to mid October is a great time of year to be in northern Michigan, the colors are great the weather is usually excellent.

October is a little late, but I understand they have some really nice white sand beaches in the Traverse City area.
Plus good Walleye fishing.

tag

I live in Alden, (26) miles NE of Traverse City on SE corner of Torch Lake. . Raised in this area & TC has changed immensely in last 20-30 yrs. Tons of imported Libtards, a large gay population, large amount of drug trafficking, etc. Most of Northern Michigan is Conservative, but a lot has changed due to influx of rich retiree's! Michael Moore started the Film Festival in TC, if that tells you anything! Beautiful country in surrounding area & numerous attractions for vacationers. And yes, Boone's Long Lake Inn is a great informal place to ear; great steaks & seafood.

funny not sure if you are joking or not but I just booked the Hampton Inn before I saw this

mostly because of price

sorry didn't acknowledge it sooner, thanks for the offer

I'll go back and visit this thread before my trip to just lock in all the information

The strip from Traverse City on up to Petosky is really beautiful. Bring lots of money - you're going to need it!

Charleveux is nice as well and along the route.

I avoid it from May until the snow flies. As pointed out, way too many Birkenstock wearing, granola eating liberal retirees from big city university towns. That and a large welfare population heavily into spending your tax dollars on drugs.

The current push seems to be in craft beers and local wines, so much so that there seems to be some festival every weekend around the wine and beer. This weekend they have a "blues, brews, and barbeques" festival because the Blue Angels are in town. Apparently that by itself is not a big enough draw for raping the tourists.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the traffic. It's as bad as anyplace in the state because the city fathers appear to believe that to have a beltway or any other facilitation of traffic would reduce their little city charm.

I remember when you could drive through town along the lake... and actually see the water. The "little city" ship sailed many years ago. Still a nice place to visit though I prefer Frankfort, Manistee or Ludington.

Just got back from my trip I talked about earlier on here.

Hit Boones in Traverse City Friday Night. I have mixed reviews on it. On a fall evening as the sun is going down its a cool place to hang out but I wasn't blown away by the food.

The drive from Traverse to Petoskey thru Charlevoix and then into Harbor Springs was great - even hit an apple festival in Charlevoix.

After Harbor Springs, took this road called Pleasant View and then 31 into Mackinaw City.

Had a great time and ended up on Mackinac Island on Sunday.

Just mile after mile of this.



Next year we're going back and I'm bringing a backpack. Enough of seeing it from the car, I want to get in the middle of it. Didn't have enough time to do what I wanted to as it was.

Nortwestern Michigan is great - 45th parallel!

Glad you enjoyed it, You won't get bored on the return visit.

Next time you go to Traverse give me a little notice and if the wife and I are up there I will buy you dinner in Elk Rapids.

I will - sorry I didn't look you up this time but it was non stop.

That apple festival in Charlevoix was a huge traffic jam - they pretty much just blocked off 31 so we stopped - then took some back roads to get around it later on.

My wife was like "figure out a way to move here. I want to spend the rest of my life in this area"


I told her lets come up in February and see if she's still committed to it.

The village idiot has spoken again.

Boy, don't let Steelhead hear that. He might actually drag his knuckles out of the cave and go visit.

I spent two summers up in the UP as a kid and really enjoyed it.

Crawl out of your fuggin' hole and look around a bit. You might think otherwise.