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News & Information From
Traverse City, Michigan
Whew, what a year for Awards and Top 10 Lists!
2010 was a banner year for Traverse City: AOL Travel News named us one of America’s Top 10 Beach Towns, Livability.com put us on their Top 10 list of Surprising Foodie Towns. Bon Appetit named us one of the country’s Top Five Foodie Towns, and TripAdvisor.com said we were one of their Top 10 Charming Small Towns. Late in the year they added us to yet another list, as one of America’s Top 10 Fall Foliage Destinations, while USA Today called us one of the Top 10 Places to Enjoy Local Wines.
Isn’t it time you asked yourself what all the fuss is about?
Traverse City Announces Affordable Winter/Spring “TC Escape” Packages
Whether it’s a winter ski holiday, a spring wildflower hike or a relaxing weekend of wine tasting, casino gaming and shopping, the many pleasures of Michigan’s delightful Grand Traverse region just became even more affordable.
Starting Jan. 1, the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau will offer a special Winter/Spring “TC Escape” package – good until May 19 – that combines special low rates at 28 participating hotels and resorts with a wide range of discounts on winter recreation, shopping, dining and entertainment.
For winter sports enthusiasts, the packages include deep discounts on lift tickets, ski lessons and equipment, trail passes and snowmobile rentals. There are also great deals at some of the area’s best restaurants and special discounts on shopping, spa treatments, movies, wine tastings and other entertainment – and each adult guest receives $10 in free play at either of the area’s two casinos. Pricing and other details for the new packages can be found on the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau web site at www.TraverseCity.com
Coming Soon: The Botanic Garden of Northwest Michigan
After ten years of planning and fund raising, the sprawling Botanical Garden of Northwest Michigan is taking shape on a 25-acre site at the Grand Traverse Commons, the former home of Traverse City’s mental asylum. Located in a 56-acre agricultural area near the asylum’s massive “cathedral barns,” the property encompasses a wide range of ecosystems, and will be home to a variety of display, demonstration and research gardens.
About half of the site will remain in its natural state, organizers say, while the old asylum granary will be converted to a visitor center, and the stone foundation of the old horse barn will become a walled garden filled with native Michigan wildflowers. The result will be a public park with picnic areas, educational facilities and demonstration plots, administered jointly by the city of Traverse City and neighboring Garfield Township.
“I believe this garden has the potential to not just rival the best gardens out there, but to greatly exceed the vast majority of them, said Charlottesville, Va. landscape architect Warren Byrd. “This doesn’t start with the much abused and over-used expression of a desire to have a “world-class” garden. Instead it comes from a more heartfelt, perhaps more modest vision of a garden that is of its time and locale.”
Preliminary work of clearing the site and removing invasive plants began in late 2010, but a formal timeline for completion of the garden has not yet been drawn up.
NEW STUFF
LochenHeath Golf Club to reopen
The LochenHeath Golf Club in Acme Township has been purchased by new owners, who intend to reopen it as a resort course in Spring 2011, allowing public play while offering membership opportunities.
The golf club and its adjacent residential development are located on East Grand Traverse Bay just north of Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. It was closed at the end of the 2007 season after its former owners got into financial trouble, was briefly operated as a public course by the Grand Traverse Resort, and did not open for the 2009 or 2010 seasons, although basic grounds maintenance of the grounds was performed.
New Nordic Ski Center Opens at Timber Ridge
Brick Wheels, a well-known Traverse City cycling, ski and fitness retailer, has opened a satellite store at the Timber Ridge Resort, the region’s leading Nordic ski center, and has taken over all rentals, instruction, and retail operations.
The new Nordic Ski Center offers Cross Country touring and racing rentals and demos, snowshoe rentals, ski service, lessons, programs, and food. “The one thing our shop has been lacking is the opportunity to get our product directly on the snow for testing and demo purposes,” said Brick Wheels owner Tim Brick. “Having an on-snow location will be huge for us.”
Sleeping Bear Dunes to Start Work on Paved 27-mile Trail
The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will begin construction this summer on a 27-mile hard-surfaced multi-use trail that will allow cyclists, runners, roller bladers and wheelchair users to travel safely between the park’s major destination areas.
The new Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail will run parallel to M-22 and M-109 between Glen Arbor and Empire. The first segment of the trail will be constructed between the Dune Climb and Glen Arbor and could be done by the fall of 2011; since it’s being built to bicycle trail standards, it can be groomed in winter for cross-country skiing.
TC Visitor Center Introduces Online Event Ticketing
The Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau has opened an online ticketing kiosk in its Visitor Center that allows members of the public to buy tickets to local concerts, performances and other events using a secure database. The new arrangement is part of a partnership with TREATickets.com, a nonprofit group serving the region’s cultural community.
Dylan’s Candy Bar Opens in GT Resort
The Gallery of Shops at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa has become the latest site for Dylan’s Candy Bar, the “magical candy emporium” created by Dylan Lauren. The 1,300-square foot store includes such touches as an 18-foot Chocolate Wall loaded with bulk and packaged chocolate, a 100-bin bulk candy display in the center of the store, a café, party room and candy-cocktail bar. Dylan’s Candy Bar stores are currently located in New York City, East Hampton, Roosevelt Field, Orlando and Houston.
Grand Traverse Pie Company to open new Bakery Café
The Grand Traverse Pie Company, whose pumpkin pie was just named “best in the nation” by Country Living magazine (and featured on “Good Morning America” the week before Thanksgiving) is opening its first “Bakery Café” in the city’s new 101 North Park development.
The 2,800-square-foot café will be the model for all future Grand Traverse Pie franchise locations, said owner Mike Busley. Designed for urban scale and use – and to nab a slice of the booming “fast, casual” food sector that successful eateries like Panera and Corner Bakery enjoy – the new shop boasts highly efficient breakfast, lunch and dinner service for singles, families and business groups, extended hours to accommodate downtown employees and visitors, and (of course) more than a dozen varieties of the handmade, from-scratch pies that have launched the company into a major regional franchise.
More New Restaurants Debut Downtown
Veteran Traverse City restaurateur Dan Kelly has opened a new eatery, The Bay Leaf, in the former Catch Island Grill on Park Street, featuring a wine bar with 40 labels (15 of them local) and extensive selection of microbrews, and a country/rustic European-style menu created by chef Adam McMarlin.
Meanwhile, chef and baker Ralph Humes is opening a new take-out food venture in a former dry cleaners in the city’s “Little Bohemia” neighborhood. His sandwich and dessert shop, the Sweet Alchemy Lounge & Café, is on Maple Street, just north of the Lil Bo Pub & Grille. Humes plans to use as many local ingredients as possible and his smoked and cured meats will be staples on many of the sandwiches.
At the west end of Front Street, former insurance salesman Len Mayhew has put Traverse City into the national designer cupcake fad with Simply Cupcakes, an upscale cupcakery featuring such specialties as Black Tie (dark chocolate cake filled with buttercream, topped with chocolate ganache and finished with buttercream and chocolate shavings) and Lemon Love (lemon cake filled with lemon curd, topped with buttercream and curd and finished with lemon zest).
The Cooks’ House, Traverse City’s favorite market-fresh eatery, has increased its floor space by 10 seats (for a grand total of 30) with a move around the corner to 115 Wellington St. – the former home of the Wellington Street Market. The move will allow the Cook’s House to obtain a long-desired liquor license and increase the number of seatings it offers during the dinner hour.
Moving into the restaurant’s former spot at 439 E. Front is 9 Bean Rows, an artisan bakery specializing in naturally leavened breads baked in a wood-fired oven. The new shop offers breads, pastries, crackers, coffee, tea, chocolate, juices, quiches and croque monsieur — the quintessential Parisian grilled ham and cheese sandwich.
New Winery/Tasting Room to Open in Lake Leelanau
Boathouse Vineyards, the latest entry in the panoply of Leelanau Peninsula wineries, is scheduled to open this spring in the village of Lake Leelanau in, yes, a boathouse on the north end of The Narrows – the tight passage that divides the lake’s northern and southern halves.
The 2,000 square-foot tasting room is owned by Dave and Jane Albert of Leland, whose vineyards are located in nearby Centerville Township.
Improvements, expansions, etc.
The Pointes North Inn has begun an extensive renovation of almost all guestrooms, including new furniture, appliances, beds, carpet, paint, cabinets, and 32” LCD televisions. Upon completion, scheduled for April 30, virtually the whole property will have been updated.
The Chateau Chantal Winery B&B has completed a major expansion of its cellar and tasting room, which adds 1,700 square feet of tasting room space, plus an outdoor tasting-room terrace. By summer, the winery expects to introduce an expanded menu, including wine flights and cheese-and-tapas pairings, that will be available without reservations.
Birders Organize First Leelanau Peninsula BirdFest
The Traverse City area offers some of the finest seasonal birdwatching in the U.S., particularly along the northern shores of the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas. Communities in Leelanau County have decided to promote that fact in 2011 by holding the first Leelanau Peninsula BirdFest June 1-4.
Details of the new festival are still being worked out, but they’ll include lots of birding excursions to the Sleeping Bear Dunes (home to the endangered piping plover) to the celebrated Charter Bird Sanctuary near Omena, and a voyage by two-masted schooner to Gull Island near Northport to view the nesting grounds of Caspian terns.
Winter Wow!fest (Feb. 18-20) to Add Major Events and a New Venue
Traverse City’s February winter festival, the Cherry Capital Winter Wow!fest is adding a large new riverfront venue to accommodate several sprawling new events – including an artificial snow-tubing hill and a day-long snow acrobatics tournament that will require construction of a 30-foot ramp.
The newest venue, called “Celebration Central,” will be along the city’s riverfront between Cass and Union streets. It will host a Friday evening food & drink reception called “Winter, Wine & Wow” that will feature local foods, wines, craft brews, spirits, food and art – plus live entertainment — in a large heated tent. The “Downtown Throwdown Rail Jam” will be a day-long Saturday acrobatic competition for snowboarders and skiers that will take place in a huge arena (including a 30-foot snow-covered ramp) built for the purpose. There’ll also be a “Bunny Slope” tubing hill created by Shanty Creek Resorts to introduce families to the fun of snow-tubing.
A number of already-popular Wow!fest events will also be moving to the new venue, including the Monster Dog Pull (where canine Olympians can compete for the title of “monster dog” by pulling weighted sleds) and winter versions of popular Cherry Festival competitions like the Frozen Pit Spit contest and the Brain Freeze ice cream eating contest. The new venue will also host the uproarious Frozen Bed Race, and the “Soup r’ Bowl” competition where participants slurp up soups created by local chefs and cast ballots for their favorites.
Other events will take place at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa’s “Winter Fun Zone,” which features ice skating, sledding, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, rides on ponies, dogsleds, snowmobiles and horse-drawn sleighs, plus bonfires, live music, and after-dark fireworks over the snow. The Winter Fun Zone is also home to such competitive events as the Frosty 5K foot race and the “Polar Plunge” where daring swimmers jump into an icy pond to raise money for Special Olympics of Michigan. There’s even a nine-hole Snow Golf Tournament on the resort’s famed golf terrain.
Still more events are scheduled at the Mt. Holiday Ski Area, including such offbeat competitions as the Friday “Downhill Dash,” a no-holds-barred mountain bike/ski/snowboard race down the ski hill, the “Cardboard Bobsled-o-Rama” in which competitors must use sleds made only with cardboard, tape and paint, and Sunday’s “Big Air Championship.” And at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center, it’s the second year for the coed Snowball Softball Tournament where as many as 20 teams will compete on four neighboring diamonds all day Saturday.
OTHER COMING EVENTS:
Jan 9 — 17th Annual Downtown Bridal Show
Wedding bells are ringing for the 17th Annual Downtown Bridal Show. Open to the public, free of charge, the show will feature over 35 local experts in all phases of wedding planning and is highlighted by a Bridal Fashion Show featuring the latest in wedding fashions. (231) 922-2050 www.downtowntc.com
Jan 14-16 — Traverse City Outdoor Hockey Classic
Enjoy the excitement of 4-on-4 outdoor hockey as teams compete to be crowned the Champion in their division. Divisions include youth, adult, male and female. Pond hockey is a form of ice hockey played outdoors on ice rinks; a barrier of snow keeps the puck in play. www.tchockey.com
Jan 15 — Winter Warm Up
Guests may visit any of the seven Old Mission wineries between 12-5pm to purchase a souvenir mug for $10. This mug is your “ticket” into each participating winery and business on Old Mission, allowing you to enjoy warm comfort food and drinks. Some peninsula area restaurants offer special promotions when you present your mug. (231) 223-9303 www.wineriesofoldmission.com Phone: (231) 223-9303
Jan 15-16 — Kalkaska Winterfest
Admirers of canine speed, stamina and teamwork don’t have to travel all the way to Alaska for exciting sled-dog competition. The annual Kalkaska Winterfest features a series of dogsled races through the Pere Marquette State Forest, a full slate of weight-pull contests where dogs compete to move large loads of cargo, and lots of other events and games. (231) 258-9103
Jan 22-23 — Beer and Boards Festival
Come to Schuss Mountain to sample a wide variety of microbrews and bond with fellow enthusiasts and brewers on Jan. 22 – then take it to the next level on Sunday by hitting the slopes with the brewers at Schuss Mountain. Featuring brews from Bellaire’s own Short’s Brewing Co. and other Michigan brewers. Phone: (800) 678-4111
Jan 29 — Downtown Chili Cook-Off
Warm up your winter from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Park Place Dome in downtown Traverse City. Over 1,000 people each year drop in to sample the many chilies and vote for their favorites in eight different categories. (231) 922-2050 www.downtowntc.com
Feb 5 — White Pine Stampede
This Michigan Cup cross-country ski race (in 10k, 20k and 50k loops) starts in the village of Mancelona and travels a hilly course through the wooded forests around the Shanty Creek Resorts. (231) 587-8812 www.whitepinestampede.org
Feb 5 — Mid-Winter’s Chocolate Therapy Festival
This chocolate weekend promises to be the perfect northern Michigan blend of sweets and snow sports. Guests will be treated to a variety of chocolate tastings, chocolate making demos, and chocolate spa treatments.Chocolatiers from around Michigan will be on hand with signature samplings. (800) 678-4111 www.shantycreekresorts.com
Feb 5–6 — Taste the Passion
A weekend celebration of wine, chocolate and love put on by the wineries of the Leelanau Peninsula. Guests are given a souvenir glass to keep at their first stop, and each winery then offers a special wine pour and a chocolate treat. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased on the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association website: www.lpwines.com
Feb 11-13 — Traverse City Comedy Arts Festival
This festival, sponsored by organizers of the Traverse City Film Festival, features stand-up, improv, funny movies including comedy shorts, and even some outdoor laugh-inducing fun. (231) 392-1134
www.traversecityfilmfestival.org
Feb 12 — Traverse City Winter Microbrew & Music Festival
Lovers of craft beer, world music and winter fun won’t want to miss the first annual Traverse City Winter Microbrew & Music Festival. Tickets will be available online at www.tcbeerfest.com and
www.porterhouseproductions.com
Feb 12-13 — North American Vasa Festival of Races
A host of races and touring events on a beautifully-crafted trail through the Pere Marquette State Forest. The main Saturday race is one of 14 U.S. events listed in the prestigious American Ski Marathon Series. Sunday’s 16K traditional-style race, the Gran Travers Classic, is an equally prestigious event for old-school Nordic skiers, and one of the events in the Michigan Cup classic series (231) 938-4400 www.vasa.org
Feb 12-13 – Romancing the Riesling
The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula celebrate the Riesling varietal! Each of the seven participating wineries will showcase a Riesling perfectly paired with a food offering and souvenir wine glass. Some Peninsula area restaurants offer special promotions when you present your glass. (231) 223-7615 www.wineriesofoldmission.com
Mar 5 — 5th Annual Suds & Snow
Beer tasting and snowshoeing go hand in hand at Timber Ridge Resort, where samples of a wide variety of Michigan breweries, are featured with food and live music. Limited snowshoe rentals are available. For ticket information, call (231) 947-2770 or go to www.TimberRidgeResort.net
Mar 11-12 – Old Mission Cellar Sale
In preparation for a new season, the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula are cleaning out their tasting rooms to make way for the new wines being released during Blossom Days in May. Visit our tasting rooms to enjoy one-time only 20-30% discounts on various wines and merchandise. (231) 223-7722 www.wineriesofoldmission.com
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