We signed the kids and their friends up for camp at Lake Ann!! Briton and I both attended that camp when we were little, so I was excited to see that they were still open! Since it was near Traverse City, the moms decided to spend the week there while the kids were at camp! We had such a great time and are already planning our trip for next year! Here is my guide for some of the best things that we did!

Where to Eat

Let’s get down to my favorite thing – food! I love good food! We ate at a pretty wide range of restaurants, and they were all delicious! My best advice would be to use Open Table to book your reservations ahead of time so that you don’t have to wait! This is especially important if you visit during the summer months.

Reflect Bistro

Now, let me tell you! You are going to drive up to this restaurant located inside of a hotel and think, “Why in the world would Candace tell me this place is so good?” We had the same thought even though this restaurant appeared on three different websites as the best place to eat in Traverse City! And let me tell you, it was delicious! It was so good that we even grabbed a salad there the following day!

Poppycocks

We also enjoyed eating at Poppycocks! This was an American take on some great dishes! Was a fun atmosphere with delicious foods!

The Flying Noodle

We loved our food at the Italian restaurant, The Flying Noodle! This is a very small restaurant, so if you do not make reservations ahead of time, you may not get in without a very long wait.

The Boathouse

Not only is the view phenomenal here, but the food is also incredibly good! The picture above is a view from our outdoor table! This is another restaurant that is hard to get into! So make your reservations ahead of time!

Things to Do

Shopping

Front Street is where the action is at! There are tons of great boutiques and shops for you to explore! We were there when they had the street blocked off for the weekend during sidewalk sales! We also enjoyed visiting Cherry Republic to get cherry salsa, cherry pie, and pretty much anything else cherry-related you can think of!

Rent a Bike

I think my favorite thing we did during the week was renting eBikes! We rented them from Brick Wheels in Traverse City! The cost was $50 for the entire day and included a bike, helmet, and lock. We cruised around most of the city, enjoyed time by the water, and even got ride to several wineries! In all, we rode about 36 miles! We were also able to scan a QR code at the bike shop! From that scan, we could choose brewery tours, winery tours, food tours, or coffee shop tours to hit from our bike ride!

Wineries

We went to a few different wineries during the week we were there! Some we visited on on bike tour, and others we drove to. They were all unique with great wine choices! The views from most of them were just beautiful too!

Black Star Farms – Old Mission Tasting Room

Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery

Mari Vineyards

Bowers Harbor Vineyards

Bonobos Winery

Chateau Grand Traverse

Lighthouses

There are six historical lighthouses in Traverse City that you can visit – Mission Point, Grand Traverse, South Manitou, North Manitou, Point Betsie and Frankfort North Breakwater.

Where to Stay

There are tons of hotels and AirBNBs to stay at! We stayed at this cute AirBNB off of Garfield Ave! It was a great place to stay for us with two bedrooms and two full baths! It also had a full kitchen and washer and dryer! While it would have been a big trek to walk downtown, it was no big deal to drive down and park!

We had a wonderful time in Traverse City, Michigan and are already looking forward to next year!!

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