Traverse City News and Events

Wall Street Journal Dubs Northern Michigan 'Summer's Best Beach Vacation,' Highlights 40+ Local Attractions

By Craig Manning | July 26, 2023

Another summer, another major publication giving a glowing endorsement of northern Michigan as a tourism destination. This time, it’s The Wall Street Journal doling out the accolades: Last Friday, the paper published an article titled “For Summer’s Best Beach Vacation, Head to…Michigan?” The piece praises Traverse city “and its bustling peninsulas” for their bounty of places for travelers “to swim, hike, boat, and fish” (among other activities), and proclaims that “America’s so-called Third Coast” has become “as cool as the other two.”

In addition to those grand statements, the Wall Street Journal article outlines an in-depth travel itinerary for five days spent traveling northern Michigan. That section of the piece highlights destinations not just in Traverse City proper, but around the Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas and even extending to northern Michigan towns like Frankfort and Charlevoix.

Collectively, the itinerary highlights 40-some local businesses and attractions, ranging from major staples to best-kept local secrets. Here’s a full list of spots that got the Wall Street Journal co-sign:

In and around Traverse City:

>Alexandra Inn
>Sugar 2 Salt, Left Foot Charley, and the broader Village at Grand Traverse Commons area
>Brick Wheels
>The Boardman Lake Loop Trail
>The Good Bowl
>The Alluvion
>Slabtown Cookie Co.
>Common Good Bakery
>Modern Bird
>Artisan/The Delamar
>Brew
>Oakwood Proper Burgers
>Trattoria Stella
>Rough Pony
>Hexenbelle

On the Leelanau Peninsula:

>Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
>The Mill Glen Arbor
>Village Cheese Shanty
>Tandem Ciders
>Poppy Things

On the Old Mission Peninsula:

>2 Lads Winery
>Mari Vineyards
>Black Star Farms
>Local Yokels Farm
>Haserot Beach

In the “Interlochen & West” section:

>Interlochen Center for the Arts and the Interlochen Arts Festival concert series
>The Bookstore in Frankfort
>Point Betsie Lighthouse
>Elberta Beach
>Iron Fish Distillery

In the “Charlevoix & East: section:

>Hotel Earl
>Bridge Street
>Pine River Hammock Park
>Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed
>Torch Lake
>Providence Organic Farm
>Bridge Street Tap Room
>Fisherman’s Island State Park
>Friske’s Farm Market

The full article can be read here.

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