Detroit Mom’s Travel Series: Girls Trip to Traverse City

This past weekend I was able to go on a bachelorette/girls trip to Traverse City, which prompted me to want to share with you all a little “must do” guide to some of the sights and activities while you are in Michigan’s Wine Country. Fair warning: the trip was very wine- and beer-centered; we wanted to visit and try several different places to enhance our palates with food, beer, and wine. 

Traverse City is a city that I have never really been able to explore before to this extent. I learned that it is the perfect place to see both a little town and beautiful rolling hills. Traverse City caters to all different types of people when it comes to food, wine, and beer. 

MUST-DO: Book a Wine Tour

I highly recommend booking a wine tour, whether you book a bus, a van, a car, or a limo. Booking a wine tour gives you the opportunity to visit several different spots and spend a little bit of time at each spot with time for tasting, pictures, and to enjoy the scenery. 

There are many different choices when it comes to booking a wine tour. Most companies will pick your group up wherever you are staying. They will schedule the reservations for your group, take many pictures of your group, and make sure that you get to each destination safely. 

My group used Grand Traverse Wine Tours, though there are many other different choices to explore, including:

• Brew Bus
• Traverse City Wine and Beer Tours
• Blue Lakes By The Bay

MUST-DO: Visit a Winery

Traverse City is what I like to call, “Michigan’s Wine Country.” There are way too many to list, but a few of my favorite wineries are:

• Mari Vineyards: Mari was one of the most beautiful views that I had seen. The rolling hills, the beautiful stone winery, and of course, the wine tasted amazing.
• Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery: Brys is a 155-acre estate on Old Mission Peninsula with stunning views.
• Bonobo Winery: Bonobo is more of a social gathering winery that was a welcoming and relaxing space (with some great picture spots). The winery’s mascot is Obi. Obi means heart in Nigerian and I really felt the love and felt connected at this winery.
• MAWBY Sparkling: Mawby is known for their sparkling wine, and a Michigan well-known wine named “Sex” that you may have seen in the store. Mawby has a great fizz club that you can sign up for during your visit that allows you to take 15% off your order while there, as well as getting wonderful boxes a few times a year.

MUST-DO: Restaurants to Try

No trip is complete without the food. Although this trip did not focus on going out to eat a ton, there were a few restaurants that we were able to hit and I was not disappointed by the food at all.

• Hop Lot Brewing: A beautiful outdoor setting that was very family-friendly with games, fire pit options, and trails to explore. They had the best pretzel sticks with amazing jalapeno cheddar dipping sauce. My friends stated that the cherry chicken wrap was amazing.
• Rare Bird Brewpub: Rare Bird has 35 taps from around Michigan and a good selection of salads, burgers, and some seasonal dishes. The food was delicious, and the service was quick. 
• Sorellina Italian Restaurant: Of course on a girls trip you have to indulge in a fancy dinner. Sorellina did not disappoint. They even had gluten free and dairy free options. These are a must when you are traveling and some people may have allergy restrictions. 

If you get a chance to visit Traverse City, make sure that you take advantage of visiting several wineries and eating at several local places. When I travel, I am very big on supporting local. We tend not to eat at chains, or even get coffee at a chain. I want to explore and see what the small towns have to offer when it comes to local ambiance. 

Where’s your favorite vacation spot? Check out our previous Travel Series location–Sleeping Bear Dunes!