Seniors Enjoy “True North” Traverse City

Traverse City in northwest Michigan has made the news again. It has earned its reputation as a four-season destination thanks to its almost endless offerings of activities. Send for a Free Travel Guide online, senior travelers, and read all about the many activities that go on year-round.

Traverse City is located north of Grand Rapids along US Highway 31 on the banks of the Boardman River near Grand Traverse Bay and Lake Leelanau. Some call Traverse City “True North” others call it “True Michigan.”

 Seniors, Bring Along a Cherry Bucket

Traverse City is the cherry capital of northern Michigan. The Grand Traverse region is well-known for its world-record tart cherry harvest and seniors visiting the festival will find cherries made into all kinds of food products. The area bursts at the seams each summer when the National Cherry Festival occurs.

Named one of America’s Top 10 Beach Towns by Fodor’s Travel Guides, Traverse City is Michigan’s favorite northern travel destination. It has something for everyone, no matter the season or age. At 15,000 people, there is a small town feel with large town advantages.

Miles and miles of white sandy beaches along Lake Michigan (over 180 miles of shoreline), exhilarating outdoor activities, and award-winning wineries make Traverse City the place senior citizens will want to be. The food scene in Traverse City is gaining national attention, in part to recognition by Bon Appetit magazine and Chef Mario Batali, who has a summer home there.

I seem to find vineyards all over the United States. Traverse City and Leelanau Peninsula area is home to 34 wineries, many of which offer tours and wine tasting, and they’re all within miles of each other.

 And Bring Along Your Golf Clubs

Area golf championship courses may become your favorite places to play. With designs by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Weiskopf, senior golfers will find the courses both beautiful and challenging. The local Film Festival now owns and operates the State as a year-round, community-based, mission-driven, and volunteer-staffed art house movie theater. Senior hikers and bikers will find some great trails to enjoy as well.

Downtown Traverse City has long been the hub of entertainment for the region and remains the place to be and be seen when it comes to nightlife. In Traverse City, senior visitors will find a strip of beachfront hotels, beautiful bay views, a historic downtown shopping and restaurant area, and its own minor league baseball team, the “Traverse City Beach Bums.”

TC feels much bigger than its population of 15,000 suggests and seniors can choose from a host of water activities, including fishing. Plus you’ve got parasailing, skiing, ballooning and hiking the dunes along Michigan’s western shore. Put it on your bucket travel list. You’ll enjoy everyday you spend there.  jeb