Experience the best of Traverse City

Traverse City sits at the head of Grand Traverse Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan in the north-west of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Sandy beaches and a waterfront park with a marina lie in front of a compact downtown of brick buildings, restaurants and independent shops. The region calls itself the cherry capital of the world, and orchards of tart cherries cover the hills around the bay.

Two long peninsulas, Old Mission and Leelanau, run into Lake Michigan, lined with vineyards, orchards and farm stands, and the wineries produce Riesling and Pinot Gris. Old Mission has a lighthouse at its tip, while Leelanau's village of Leland, called Fishtown, has weathered fishing shanties on the river. West of town, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has dunes towering over the lake and quiet beaches.

Dried cherries, cherry pie, smoked whitefish, craft cider and local wine are the staples, and the National Cherry Festival fills the waterfront each July. Summers are warm, with swimming in the bay, autumn brings colour to the hardwood forests, and winters bring heavy lake-effect snow.