Once a major lumbering center, Traverse City is now the hub of a flourishing cherry-growing community and wine region. It is also northern Michigan's unofficial capital. Its charming downtown is filled with restaurants and shops selling resort wear and antiques.

More than 30 golf courses, good sailing, fishing, nearby downhill skiing, and more make this town, which is blessed with a strategic location at the mouth of scenic Grand Traverse Bay, a busy year-round destination. The drive along Route 37 through the Old Mission Peninsula, which splits the bay into two long, narrow arms, is spectacular in spring and fall. Traverse City hosts the National Cherry Festival each July, one of the state's largest and best-attended events.