Author: Traverse City

Already famous for its wines, craft brews and distilled spirits, this Lake Michigan resort mecca seems to be carving out a reputation for yet another beverage. Hard cider

Need proof? There’s already a week-long cider festival scheduled here in August. (And when this town gets serious about something, they create a festival for it.)

The inaugural Traverse City Cider Week will be held Aug. 16-23 and will feature tap takeovers in local taverns, orchard tours, workshops for home cider makers as well as industry professionals, and an Aug. 19 “Cider and Sausage Salon” at the newly renovated Cathedral Barn at the Grand Traverse Commons, with live music, games, and tastings of Michigan ciders and sausage varieties.

Traverse City Cider Week follows on the heels of a similar event held in Grand Rapids in April. Both are the work of the Michigan Cider Association – a group of apple growers cider-makers and interested amateurs organized in late 2014. Michigan already ranks third in the U.S. in terms of cider production, with 9.3 percent of the nation’s cider makers.

Unlike the familiar sweet cider sold in plastic jugs each fall at farm markets and fruit stands, hard cider is a clear, fresh-flavored slightly carbonated beverage that’s usually served in bottles or fresh from the tap. Like wine, it can be sweet or dry, and its alcohol content can be anywhere from 3 percent to 7 percent or more, and it’s increasingly popular with consumers who are looking for a fresh-tasting alternative to beer or wine.

All across the country, cidermaking is booming. Not since Johnny Appleseed wandered across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Illinois planting cider apples in the early 19^th century (yep, that’s what he was really up to) has this refreshingly potent beverage enjoyed such popularity. In the past five years, U.S. cider sales have gone from $35 million to $266 million – a growth rate far outpacing that of craft beer.

A great place to taste local ciders in downtown Traverse City is the Northern Natural Cider House and Winery tasting room. Northern Natural got its start in the small Manistee County village of Kaleva, but opened this downtown taproom in 2013. Here, in cozy rustic surroundings one can sample Northern Natural’s original House Cider (a dry traditional cider) and nine other flavors: Northern Star (a semi-sweet), Elderberry, Cherry, Blueberry, Lavender, Orange Blossom, Cranberry Ginger, Cinnamon Spice, Apple Shandy, and a rotating seasonal tap.

“This is pretty much a family business, and being completely organic is really important to us,” says manager Chris Gregory. “Our food menu is basically farm to table, too, and we’ve tried to sort of bring the farm into the city a little bit with all the barnwood and other décor we use.”

The popular turn to cider fits in well with Traverse City’s agricultural ethic, since it encourages partnerships between cidermakers and nearby farmers.  That’s particularly evident at the region’s only fully-dedicated cidery, Tandem Ciders, just northwest of Suttons Bay in the steep orchards of northern Leelanau County, which prides itself on its “artisan hard ciders.”

In spite of its isolated location, Tandem has been attracting a steady stream of customers since opening in 2008. From two original ciders, owners Dan Young and Nikki Rothwell have expanded to a dozen “true to the fruit” blends (their menu lists the orchards where the apples in each blend come from) as well as pear, plum and Balaton cherry ciders and a barrel-aged pommeau made from sweet cider blended with apple brandy.

Thanks to its proximity to the cool waters of Lake Michigan, the Grand Traverse Bay region has been one of America’s most productive fruit-growing areas in the U.S. And while the area’s growing reputation as a wine-producing region has prompted some farmers to replace their apple and cherry orchards with vineyards, there are still many areas that are better suited to apples.

In fact, it was a local winery, Black Star Farms, that created the first Leelanau Peninsula cider to grab national headlines by winning a gold medal in the 2006 INDY international wine competition, where it elicited praise from Eric Felton of the Wall Street Journal, who declared it “far and away, the best cider out of more than a dozen I tried.” Now cider is offered at many local wineries, whether it’s the traditional heirloom-style hard cider at Forty-Five North or the Spirit Cider at Bowers Harbor Vineyards, which also comes in cherry, raspberry, peach and mango blends.

The Good Neighbor Organic Vineyard & Winery near Northport has gotten even more exotic, with fruit-blended ciders (peach, pear, cherry) spiced ciders (coffee and chai) and one called Ciderye, which is aged two years in rye whiskey barrels. “It’s like the next Bond girl,” says owner Ben Crow. “Soft, but dangerous.” Verterra Winery in Leland has created a secondary label, Chaos Ciders, that includes cherry, peach, raspberry and blackberry ciders and a spicy “apple pie” cider flavored with caramel and cinnamon.

But the standout among the area’s cider-making wineries is Left Foot Charley, Traverse City’s first “urban winery,” which started dabbling in cider in 2008 with a small 100-gallon run. This year, winemaker Bryan Ulbrich expects to bottle some 60,000 gallons. Ulbrich makes his cider in small batches, so the menu in his Grand Traverse Commons tasting room changes regularly – like a recent strawberry-apple blend called Strawppleberry. But there are some hardy standbys like the bone-dry Classic Hard Cider, which relies on heirloom apple varieties.

The biggest seller? It’s always been Cinnamon Girl, a lightly-spiced, slightly sweet cider that manages to evoke the ghosts of apple pies past without overpowering your taste buds.

Not too many local microbreweries have gotten into the cider game. One is North Peak Brewery’s Nomad, a dry English-style cider made from Old Mission apples. Another, more significant entry is Short’s Brewery of Bellaire, which has created Starcut Ciders, a new brand that’s available at many local restaurants – and even at games of Traverse City’s hometown baseball team, the Beach Bums.

The company name is based on the delicate five-pointed star that appears in an apple’s center when you slice it horizontally. Starcut Ciders was launched last winter and is gradually ramping up from a modest distribution to restaurants and bars in northern Michigan to a more ambitious statewide distribution later this year.

For more information about Traverse City Cider Week, contact the Michigan Cider Association at https://mca30.wildapricot.org/event-1929407. To learn more about other activities and attractions in the Traverse City area, contact Traverse City Tourism at 1-800-TRAVERSE or visit their website at www.traversecity.com.

Insects aren’t exactly a rarity here in northern Michigan, where summer meadows are filled with butterflies and the orchards murmur with the ceaseless hum of honeybees.

On the other hand, it’s hard not to be impressed when you’re surrounded by a flock of Central American morpho butterflies, all of them bobbing and weaving around your head in a playful, shimmering squadron of metallic blue. Or fascinated by a working beehive where you can peer through glass to watch the domestic comings and goings of the bees.

Fascination is exactly what Cyndie Bobier and Rob Roach had in mind when they created the Butterfly House and Bug Zoo in the village of Wiliamsburg, just east of Traverse City. In their enclosed garden, over 25 species of exotic butterflies from around the world join such local mainstays as monarchs, admirals and swallowtails, fluttering, feeding and frolicking among the plants — and occasionally perching on the unwary visitor. (In fact, there’s a large mirror at the exit where you can check to make sure you’re not walking out with a six-legged hitchhiker.)

There are also a few shiver-producing exhibits – like the Tarantula Tree, the Beetle Boulder and Duke Elsner’s Crawl Space, an exhibit of local insects and arachnids from the enormous collection of Michigan State University entomologist Duke Elsner. There’s a new display called “Mantids: Masters of Disguise” that features several species of praying mantis, including Ghost Mantids and Giant African Mantids.

“Some of them aren’t exactly cuddly,” concedes Cyndie. “But they’re truly amazing.”

They’re certainly amazing, and sometimes more than a little scary, to the youngsters who make up a large percentage of today’s visitors. Many have never actually encountered insects in the wild, says Cyndie, a trained zoologist who specializes in educational  “total immersion” wildlife encounters. Too often, their first instinct is to either run away or try to squash them.

“So it makes it all worthwhile when you have that breakthrough moment with a child — or an adult — where they suddenly recognize these aren’t just bugs, they’re important species,” she says. “That’s what makes people willing to conserve them and protect them from harm.”

Still, there’s little doubt that the butterflies are the star attractions. Fluttering around in the steamy 84-degree warmth of their garden enclosure, they settle briefly on the landscaped flowerbeds, drink from dishes of sugar-rich nectar and ripe fruit, and perch on almost every available surface to rest their wings.

Cyndie and Rob are both natives of the Traverse City area. (She still thinks it’s wonderful that a guy whose last name is “Roach” would end up as her partner in owning an insect zoo.) Inspired by a similar attraction near Niagara Falls, they started work on the project several years ago, and 2015 will be their first full season. “We opened last fall for a sort of preview so we could iron the bugs out of our business model,” she says with a grin.

In spite of its name, the zoo has a few non-insect inmates, including a small selection of frogs and a tank of cute little axolotls. (For the uninitiated, an axolotl – sometimes called a “walking fish” — is an amphibian that looks like a salamander but never comes out of the water. Once found in lakes near Mexico City, it is now extinct in the wild but it always seems to be wearing a gentle, enigmatic smile.)

“We want to create opportunities for engagement and conversation at every age level,” says Cyndie. “Some people just come in and look around for 20 minutes and leave, and that’s OK, but we’re also here for people who want to slow down and learn something new.”

Later in the year, the zoo plans to begin free educational presentations about some of the most popular creatures in the collection, outdoor nature walks, classroom presentations, and “junior zookeeper” classes where kids can spend a few hours helping to feed the insects. There’s even some discussion about putting together wedding and party packages.

The GT Butterfly House and Bug Zoo is located at 8840 East M-72 in Williamsburg. It is open in the summer from 10 am to 7 pm and from 10 to 6 pm in the fall. Admission is $9 for adults, $6 for children 4-12 and free for children three and under. For more information go to GTButterflyZoo.com

For detailed information about other activities and attractions in the Traverse City area, contact Traverse City Tourism at 1-800-TRAVERSE or visit their website at www.traversecity.com.

There’s Still Time for a Spring “True Escape” to Traverse City!
Spring is a gorgeous time in Traverse City, with millions of cherry trees in bloom! It’s a great time to enjoy shopping, dining, walking and wine tasting… or just hanging out with friends in front of a roaring fire.  And for a few more weeks visitors can enjoy all of that fun for less. From now until May 13, the Traverse City True Escape Package combines special rates on lodging with a wide assortment of discounts and money-saving offers on everything from dining, movies and spa services to wine purchases and entertainment! For more information go to http://www.traversecity.com/tc-escape-package-491/

Traverse City Links Up with “Trail-Blazing” Mapmakers 
Traverse City Tourism has linked up with MichiganTrailMaps.com to produce high-quality trail maps for hikers, cyclists and other visitors who want to explore the area’s many forested pathways. The company produces detailed maps complete with GIS coordinates, satellite imagery, topographical data and on-the-scene field research giving travelers information about what they’ll encounter along the way. It has begun to research, map and post online the major trails in the Traverse City area. Traverse City Tourism, in turn, posts the maps on its own website and distributes printed versions at its Visitor Center – which will open a new brochure section dedicated to trail maps on April 1.

Openings 
Smoke and Porter, described as “a new American smokehouse where farm to table meets the firepit,” is scheduled to open in late May in Traverse City’s East Bay resort strip. Henry and Mindy Bisson, veterans of two top-drawer Antrim County restaurants — Lulu’s in Bellaire and Siren Hall in Elk Rapids – have designed the new restaurant’s menu, incorporating everything from house-smoked pastrami to salads featuring smoked fish. Smoke and Porter will feature a 12-seat bar with eight microbrew taps (and also will serve wine and liquor), a lounge area and a dining area with total seating of approximately 100.

Chuck Korson has opened the BLK MRKT café in late January in the newly renovated Warehouse MRKT on Hall Street. The cafe features coffee, tea and beverage services, in-house baked goods, and an expanded food menu, and will operate seven days a week from 7 am to 3 pm. Next door, the building’s owners — Dan and Meridith Falconer — have opened Wood + Cloth, a shop featuring home furnishings, clothing, gifts and specialty edibles.

After years of preparation Traverse City tobacconist Mike Nolan has opened Nolan’s Cigar Bar, northern Michigan’s first cigar bar, where cigar aficionados can smoke while enjoying a cocktail, beer or wine. (Under Michigan law, cigar bars, privately-owned casinos and tobacco stores can allow cigar smoking if they have the proper exemptions.) The bar, which has a seating capacity of 65, features a state-of-the-art smoke removal system, exchanging air in the building fast enough to keep the environment friendly for cigar smokers and non-smokers alike.

A new breakfast spot, The Remedy, has opened in Traverse City’s Warehouse District as an adjunct to The Workshop Brewing Company, which occupies the same building. The new eatery features “scratch-made breakfasts, grab-and-go breakfast sandwiches, house-cured meats, daily chef specials and Bloody Beers and beer mimosas” featuring Workshop brews. At night, the space will double as an event venue.

The Traverse City Whiskey Company is finally open in Traverse City. Owner Chris Fredrickson has opened a 2,200 square-foot distillery, tasting room and retail store at the corner of Fourteenth and Cass streets, offering tastings and sales of the company’s products, along with a cocktail menu and occasional special events.

Meanwhile two downtown restaurants have closed and reopened under new names. The former Union Cantina on Union Street is now Union Tap & Grill, with a new American menu similar to those of owner Matt Davies’ other restaurants (Peninsula Grill, Bad Dog Deli, Riverwalk Grill and Western Avenue Grille), featuring fish, steaks, burgers, flatbreads and 14 beers on draft. The former Cherry Cone ice cream shop on Front Street is being rebranded as the Milk & Honey Cafe and Ice Creamery, now offering high-end deli sandwiches and housemade food products (including chocolates and honey), in addition to the original coffee bar and non-GMO ice cream.

Expansions and Improvements 
A $7 million interior renovation of the iconic landmark tower at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is underway, and the design elements of the 186 rooms involved were greatly influenced by resort guests. The project, which started Feb. 9 and planned for completion by May 31, impacts 16 floors, including hospitality parlors. The renovation work is being completed in as minimally invasive a way as possible for current guests of the 900-acre resort, which includes three championship golf courses, indoor and outdoor tennis, a 100,000-square foot health club, full service spa, diverse and elegant dining options, unique shopping experiences, and 86,000 square feet of meeting space.

The Best Western Four Seasons of Traverse City is scheduled to reopen in May after an extensive winter renovation. Guest rooms in the hotel now have new bathrooms with Kohler fixtures, new heating/cooling units and larger windows. The motel has added a fitness center, business center, guest laundry and elevator, and has replaced its green-shingle roofline with a more modern exterior style. The motel will expand its twelve signature loft rooms with extended second-floor ceilings and windows facing Front Street.

By the second week of April, fifteen of the Cherry Tree Inn’s studios and suites will be completely revamped.  These rooms now feature new carpet, paint, quartz countertops, new tile bathrooms with glass accents, and double bathroom sinks with a fully-lit vanity mirror with TV that appears through the glass when turned on.  Two suites have also added heated air tubs for those looking for more R&R to their stay.

Spanglish, the popular but tiny eatery at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, has doubled its seating area with a midwinter renovation that includes several repurposed church pews and a table from Joe Buteyn Design. The Traverse City Cherry Republic store is nearing the end of a major renovation that is tripling its size and remaking it into a “second flagship store” like the original in Glen Arbor, with a redesigned entrance, more retail space, a larger tasting room and an on-premises bakery and cafe.  A full opening is slated for May 20.

New Faces
Marie-Chantal Dalese, 36, former marketing director (and namesake) of the Chateau Chantal Winery B&B, has been named CEO of the firm, taking over from ten-year veteran Jim Krupka. Dalese, who grew up at the winery, earned an undergraduate degree in Marketing and Management from DePaul University, a Graduate Diploma in Wine Business from the University of Adelaide, Australia, and worked for five years in the Chicago wine trade before becoming marketing director at Chateau Chantal in 2009.

Melissa Bonham has been named general manager at the Bayshore Resort. She has been with the resort for the past four years, most recently as Sales Manager. She is succeeded in that job by Lauren Griggs, a Traverse City native who recently moved back to the area from Detroit.

Van Dommelen, Pritchard receive “Star of the Industry” Awards 
Brad Van Dommelen, president/CEO of Traverse City Tourism, and Marc Pritchard, executive chef at the Park Place Hotel, were named “Stars of the Industry” by the Michigan Lodging & Tourism Association. The awards were presented at the Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism on March 23.

Van Dommelen was named “CVB Director Star of the Year” for his role in developing Traverse City as a top tourism destination during the past decade. “He has not merely played an integral role in building the tourism business in Traverse City; through direct personal action, he has also helped increase awareness of the entire State of Michigan, both domestically and internationally,” read his award.

Pritchard was named “Culinary Star of the Year.” Born in Great Britain, he was classically trained at the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies and has worked in the US for the past 18 years – almost all of it at the Park Place. “In a town that has developed a reputation as a ‘foodie’ destination, Marc has quietly developed a reputation as a consistently creative chef with a passion for food, presentation and attention to detail,” read the award.

Other Awards and Recognitions 
The Legend at Shanty Creek, which was named Golf Course of the Year in 2014 by the Michigan Golf Course Owners’ Association, has also won that honor again for 2015. The Legend was also one of four courses nominated for the National Golf Course Owner’s Association’s 2015 national Course of the Year award. Given annually since 2003, the award recognizes facilities that excel in four categories: course quality, quality of ownership and management, contributions to the community and contributions to the game. In addition, Golf Magazine ranked The Legend and another Shanty Creek course, Cedar River, among the state’s Top 20 Public Courses.

Goodbye, Horse Shows by the Bay…  Hello, Great Lakes Equestrian Festival
An all-new hunter and jumper horse event, the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, will take over the four-week summer slot at Flintfields Horse Park that had been filled by the popular Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival.  The new festival will open July 1 and continue until July 26. Plans are underway for additional improvements to Flintfields, located in Williamsburg, about ten miles east of Traverse City.

Founded in 2004, Horse Shows by the Bay was the first major equestrian event held in Traverse City, attracting thousands of the nation’s best horses and riders.

Weird Al Yankovic to headline 2015 Cherry Festival
America’s biggest-selling comedy recording artist — “Weird Al” Yankovic, who has sold over 12 million albums and earned four Grammys, including the 2015 Grammy for Best Comedy Album – will appear at this year’s National Cherry Festival on Sunday, July 5.

Traverse City celebrates its heritage as America’s Cherry Capital during the first full week of July with an eight-day party featuring over 150 family activities: air shows, fireworks, parades (including the nation’s largest all-children parade) games, races, midway rides, demonstrations, nightly outdoor concerts and lots of chances to taste delicious cherry products. The Cherry Festival is Traverse City’s signature event, drawing as many as 500,000 attendees from around the country. Everything is located conveniently within walking distance, and since almost all the events are free, it offers more than a week of affordable family fun.

Other Upcoming Events:
April 17-18 –Traverse City Trail Running Festival
Runners of all abilities will hit the trails of the Pere Marquette State Forest for this event, which starts and finishes at Timber Ridge Resort. Races include a two-person 10K relay race on Friday and individual 10K, 25K and 50K races on Saturday. www.enduranceevolution.com

April 26 – Traverse City Chocolate Festival 
A celebration of all things chocolate from the region’s chefs and chocolatiers, with tastings and samples of local chocolates and confectionery treats, demonstrations and mini-lectures, live music, and a silent auction for chocolate sculptures. www.cityoperahouse.org (231) 941‐8082

May 1 — Downtown Art Walk
Art, wine, food and music in downtown TC! Everything from sculpture and oil paintings to glass and watercolor. Prize Drawings at participating stores. Walking maps are available at participating galleries and the Downtown Traverse City office. www.downtowntc.com (231) 922-2050

May 2-3 –Spring Sip & Savor
An opportunity to visit each of the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail wineries for a wine and food pairing selected especially by the winemaker. Each winemaker will be present during the event to talk about the wine and food and answer questions. www.lpwines.com

May 15-16 — Empire Asparagus Festival
The lakeshore village of Empire greets the arrival of asparagus season with games, dinners and – of all things – an annual oral poetry contest for the best “Ode to Asparagus.” www.empirechamber.com (231) 326-6081

May 16 — Old Mission Blossom Day
Old Mission Peninsula winemakers invite you to their tasting rooms to give you a sample of unreleased wines! Barrel and Reserve wines are showcased in addition to each winery’s standard tasting list. www.wineriesofoldmission.com (800) 969-4009

May 23 – 33rd Annual Bayshore Marathon
An annual spring run up the Old Mission Peninsula – one of the world’s most beautiful marathon settings – that attracts more than 3,000 runners. Half-marathon and 10k runs are also offered.
www.bayshoremarathon.org

May 23 –Antrim County Petoskey Stone Festival
Celebrate Michigan’s state stone with a day of stone-hunting, stone-skipping, demonstrations, prizes, and other fun at Barnes Park near Eastport.
www.petoskeystonefestival.com (231) 533-8363

May 28-31 – 5^th Annual Leelanau Peninsula Birding Festival 
The Leelanau Peninsula has more than 75,000 acres of publicly accessible birding habitat. The Leelanau Peninsula Birding Festival is a three-day cornucopia of field trips, talks and socializing designed with birders in mind. www.mibirdfest.com

June 12 –Divas Uncorked!
Visit the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula on this evening devoted to women, wine and food. Each winery will offer a wine selection paired with an appetizer prepared by one of Traverse City’s best restaurant chefs. www.wineriesofoldmission.com

June 13 — Leland Wine & Food Festival
Michigan’s oldest wine festival takes place at the Leland Harbor.  Everyone has a chance to go and see 17 wineries of the Leelanau & Old Mission Peninsulas on Saturday, enjoy great food and music and kick off the summer festival season in style!  www.lpwines.com  (231) 271-9895

June 14 — Traverse Colantha Walker Dairy Festival
A free, family-friendly festival in honor of Traverse City’s most famous cow! Pancake breakfast, music, kids’ activities, food & drinks, a parade to Colantha’s headstone, the Great Grilled Cheese Grill-off, and MORE! http://www.thevillagetc.com/traverse-colantha-walker-dairy-festival/

June 20 – Traverse City Wine & Art Festival
A celebration of local wine, food and culture, with wines from over 30 area wineries, paired with the flavors of gourmet fare crafted by chefs from the area’s top restaurants. There will also be live music and fine art. traversecitywinefestival.com

June 28 — Old Town Arts & Crafts Fair
Fine arts and crafts will fill the streets in this annual juried art fair, which features over 90 artists and craftsmen displaying their work. This event is open to the public free of charge. Adjacent Lay Park will be featuring live entertainment throughout the day. www.downtowntc.com

This bustling resort town on the Lake Michigan shore prides itself on being a four-season hub for outdoor recreation. Its miles of trails and pathways draw hikers, backpackers and cyclists in spring, summer and fall – and in winter they bring in skiers and snowshoers by the carload.

Surrounded by thousands of acres of public parks and forests, Traverse City is blessed with an abundance of opportunities for outdoor adventure. Unfortunately, much of that territory isn’t easily explored by the casual visitor because it hasn’t been accurately mapped by someone who understood the needs and priorities of recreational users.

That’s why Traverse City Tourism, the region’s destination marketing organization, has linked up with Michigan outdoor writer Jim DuFresne, who has spent the last four years creating high-quality recreational maps of more than 200 hiking and biking trails in the state. His company, MichiganTrailMaps.com, produces detailed maps complete with GIS coordinates, satellite imagery, topographical data and on-the-scene field research that provides travelers with information about what they’ll encounter along the way.

MichiganTrailMaps.com has begun to research, map and post online the major trails in the Traverse City area. Traverse City Tourism, in turn, posts the maps on its own website and distributes printed versions at its Visitor Center – which is creating a special brochure section dedicated to trail maps.

“Biking, hiking and the whole outdoors experience are a big part of our tourism product, and having accurate maps is an important step in making it more accessible and more attractive to our visitors,” said Traverse City Tourism president Brad Van Dommelen.

DuFresne is no stranger to backcountry trails and pathways. A tireless outdoorsman (he’s been hiking since he was an 11-year-old Boy Scout) he spent more than 30 years writing trail guidebooks for Lonely Planet Publications, authoring books on hiking New Zealand and Alaska and almost a dozen about various parts of his native Michigan. His “Backpacking in Michigan” is still the standard guidebook.

He and a partner started MichiganTrailMaps.com in 2010, when they realized that hikers, cyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts were relying on “poor and even inaccurate” maps that lacked information about conditions or attractions along some very beautiful routes. They decided to create an on-line archive of maps that could be searched not simply by location but by activity, distance and degree of difficulty, each map accompanied by a written introduction and guide.

The maps can be downloaded free of charge, but many users prefer to pay $4.95 per map for the detailed “Classic Trails of Michigan” series, which features laminated, brochure-style printed version that can easily tucked into a pack or jacket pocket. Its latest effort, produced in partnership with the Grand Traverse Hiking Club, is a map of the new 21-mile Fife Lake Loop Trail just southeast of Traverse City, a newly-created segment of the 4,600-mile North Country Trail that stretches from New York to North Dakota.

The company’s relationship with Traverse City Tourism began several years ago at a tourism trade show where DuFresne and Van Dommelen. MichiganTrailMaps.com had already mapped many of the better-known trails in the Traverse City area, especially in the nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (they spent three weeks there, mapping the remote Manitou Islands) so it wasn’t hard for the two men to imagine ways to work together.

“They’re not just drawing maps,” said Van Dommelen. “They’re taking the time to actually get out there on the trails and see what it’s like. We’ve always told people what a great experience they can have here, but now we’re giving them the tools to truly enjoy it – to find these places, navigate their way through them, and know ahead of time what they’ll be able to see and do.”

For more information about products created by MichiganTrailMaps.com go to www.MichiganTrailMaps.com. For detailed information about hiking, cycling trails and other outdoor activities and attractions in the Traverse City area, contact Traverse City Tourism at 1-800-TRAVERSE or visit their website at www.traversecity.com.

Every year, millions of Americans travel south on spring break in search of warm weather and sunny beaches.

Not Meranda Lamoreaux. She and her entire 20-member family are heading in the opposite direction – to the resort town of Traverse City on Michigan’s northwestern shore. All three generations of the family will be spending their April break splashing and socializing at the local Great Wolf Lodge.

“We’ve done this several times already,” says Lamoreaux, whose branch of the family lives in the southern part of the state, near Grand Rapids. “It’s a great place where we can all be together — and since there are a lot of different things for everybody to do, nobody gets bored.”

They’re not alone, either. Though the overwhelming majority of spring break vacationers continue to brave crowded airports and clogged highways on their way south, a growing number are looking northward. In summer resorts like Traverse City, whose beaches and golf courses will still be shaking off the chill of winter, they find a quieter, less congested holiday experience.

Springtime here is relaxed and easygoing, they say; accommodations are plentiful, and the locals appear genuinely glad to see some fresh new faces. And since it’s still the “off season” in this part of the country, vacationers not only can save themselves the expense of a long drive or a fistful of airline tickets – they can also take advantage of seasonal rates and discounts.

A case in point: the “True Escape” package from Traverse City Tourism, good until May 13, combines special rates at participating hotels and resorts with a wide range of deals at some of the area’s best restaurants and discounts on shopping, spa services, movies, wine tastings and outdoor recreation.

Once known largely as a summer resort area, Traverse City’s year-round appeal has been broadened by its emergence as a wine-growing and culinary hotspot (thanks to endorsements by such luminaries as celebrity chef Mario Batali) The area’s wines are celebrated at national and international competitions, while the local craft brewing and microdistillery scene has been recognized as one of the most vibrant in North America.

Meanwhile, spring shoppers flock to the town’s tree-shaded and pedestrian-friendly downtown and its scores of fascinating boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops and galleries. (Another popular attraction is the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, a complex of shops, apartments and restaurants tucked into the castle-like buildings of a 19^th-century Victorian mental asylum.)

The community’s museums, concert halls and artists’ studios – including the renowned Interlochen Center for the Arts — provide some added spring diversion, too. The National Center for Arts Research just named Traverse City one of the nation’s top “arts vibrant” cities.

But most families who head for Traverse City find their youngsters are more than contented with the chance to swim indoors – whether that’s in the 38,000-square-foot indoor waterpark at the Great Wolf Lodge or the more modest pool at a downtown hotel like the 120-room Bayshore Resort.

“It’s usually more of a last-minute decision with most of our Spring Break guests,” says Bayshore manager, Melissa Bonham. “We’ll start getting calls around the first week in March. A lot of people even ask if there’s anything open up here in spring. We tell them, yep, everything’s open!”

Spring break is even a profitable time for golf resorts like the 580-room Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. “Not everyone goes to Florida or other points south,” says spokesman J. Michael DeAgostino. “There’s a certain amount of people who go in this direction, and we usually offer some special packages or activities to encourage them.”

Since the Resort’s three designer golf courses are usually buried under snow in March, its main spring break attractions are its spa, restaurants, large indoor pool and water playground, and self-contained Gallery of Shops – as well as the 160 condominium units available for rental, which provide families with a measure of privacy and flexibility.

Ski resorts are in much the same position, since spring break usually comes too late for good skiing, even in northern Michigan. Shanty Creek Resorts, just east of Traverse City, has adapted to the season by creating a slew of “slush-related” spring events, from a March 21 “Beer & Boards Brewfest” to a three-day “Schuss Mountain Snow Challenge” in which one ski hill is turned into a sloppy uphill arena for truck and ATV racing.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a 38,000-square-foot indoor waterpark at your disposal like the one at the local Great Wolf Lodge. In fact, spring is one of the strongest seasons of the year at the resort, says general manager Chris Ballou; thanks to the combination of rolling midwinter and spring breaks throughout the Upper Midwest and Canada, that surge lasts from the middle of February until mid-April.

“My advice to people who want to spend spring break with us is: book early,” he says.

For detailed information about spring break activities and attractions in the Traverse City area, and for details about the 2015 True Escape package, contact Traverse City Tourism at 1-800-TRAVERSE or visit their website at www.traversecity.com.

In summertime this Lake Michigan resort community is best known for its miles of sugar-sand beaches. But when winter arrives around, the focus shifts inland – to the heavily wooded highlands that lie to the south.

Minutes from the bustle of downtown Traverse City and the glitter of its beachfront resorts, the highlands – which include wide swathes of the Pere Marquette State Forest — evoke an older time of hunting and fishing lodges, wilderness camps and solitary paths.  It’s “Up North” Michigan, dotted with dozens of lakes, deep forests of evergreens and hardwoods, and the majestic valley of the Boardman River.

Densely timbered and protected from winter winds, the highlands also get significantly more snowfall than Traverse City’s coastal areas. As a result, they’re home to the region’s top snowmobiling, snowshoeing and cross-country ski trails, as well as several resorts and lodges that cater to the needs of winter sports enthusiasts. They’re small family-run places for the most part, but they’ve won a loyal following among lovers of the Great Outdoors.

The busiest part of this broad recreational region lies just southeast of the city, in the Forest Lakes area (known locally as the “Arbutus Triangle” because of its baffling labyrinth of winding woodland roads and near-hidden lakes) and the scenic Boardman Valley with its miles of trails and wilderness.

Highlights of this area include the Boardman Valley Trail, an 80-mile network of scenic snowmobile routes, the groomed 11.5-mile Muncie Lakes Pathway for skiers, the 2,800-acre Sand Lakes Quiet Area and the charming 1,300-acre Brown Bridge Quiet Area and local sections of the North Country Trail, which stretches from eastern New York to North Dakota.

Many of these trails come together near Ranch Rudolf, a historic lodge on the north slope of the Boardman Valley.  Established in the 1920s, the 195-acre ranch is a winter mecca, especially for snowmobilers. (One local snowmobile rental company, Snowblitz, even operates out of the resort.) Some spend a night or two in one of the lodge’s 16 rooms or the nearby bunkhouse, but others just drop by for lunch or dinner and spend an hour or two by the fireplace swapping tales about their day on the trail, or sign up for their popular horse-drawn sleigh rides.

“We’re right in the middle of things, so we get a lot of winter business,” says ranch owner Melody Hamill.

Those who prefer non-mechanized winter sports tend to congregate a few miles to the north, at the Timber Ridge RV & Recreation Resort, which has leveraged its location at the edge of the 16-mile Vasa Pathway skiing and hiking trail to become the area’s major center for Nordic skiers, snowshoers and snowbike cyclists.

Timber Ridge has its own lighted trails for night skiers, and an extensive ski and snowshoe rental operation; snowbikes are also available for rent. The resort hosts several major winter events each year, including the North American Vasa ski race, the Bigfoot Snowshoe Race and a craft beer/snowshoe mixer called Suds & Snow, and it has winterized 17 of its 30 “park home” luxury cabins for winter guests.

Nearby, the spiraling coves and inlets of Spider and Arbutus Lakes provide a draw not just for skiers and snowmobilers but for ice fishermen, as well. The lakes are served by several winter vacation properties – from the rustic cabins and cottages available at the Shoestring and Moonlight Bay resorts and Lake Arbutus Rentals to the posh Spider Lake Retreat – a 16-room lodge that rents out in its entirety for corporate meetings or family reunions.

The western side of Traverse City’s wooded highlands is centered around the village of Interlochen, best known as the home of the famed Interlochen Center for the Arts. Snowmobilers love this area, too, in spite of its lack of dedicated sledding trails (it’s home to the annual TC250 vintage snowmobile race). But it’s also popular with skiers and snowshoers because of the nearby Lost Lake and Lake Ann pathways, while ice fishermen favor the frozen waters of Green, Long and Duck Lakes.

Here, the lodging choices include the 14-room Interlochen Motel (popular with snowmobilers), the cozy Lake ‘N Pines Lodge, tucked away on a cove of remote Lake Dubonnet – a designated wildlife preserve — and the classic Ellis Lake Resort, whose 11 units include a cluster of seven little log cabins built in 1939 and a three-bedroom chalet on its own tiny lake. The resort rents snowshoes and cross-country skis, and has an outdoor hot tub that’s especially popular on winter nights. Owners Steve and Becky Johnson describe it as a “blue jeans and sweatshirt kind of place.”

Which, when you come down to it, could apply to this entire part of the Traverse City area. Especially in wintertime.

To learn more about winter activities in the Traverse City area, as well as lodging, dining and entertainment options in Michigan’s “True North,” contact Traverse City Tourism at www.traversecity.comor (800) 872-8377.

Ann Marie Labenberg had never been on a zipline before, so she was “a little nervous” when she stepped out on the first platform at Traverse City’s Mt. Holiday Ski Area.

Her hesitation didn’t last long.

“It was an absolutely heart pounding fun time!” said Labenberg, who’s from Fort Wayne, Indiana and claims to have had a permanent smile on her face the entire time. “Hands down, the most fun ever!”

Located just east of Traverse City, Mt. Holiday is one of the community’s two non-profit day ski areas – an old fashioned “homestyle” operation offering skiing and snowboarding on 16 runs, as well as a snow tubing park. But like other players in the world of downhill skiing, the 50-acre ski area has been working to appeal to a wider audience and extend its operating season to the entire year.

Ziplines (often combined with ladders, platforms and challenges to create canopy tours or adventure parks) have become a popular way for ski resorts to keep their doors open into the warm-weather months and offer alternative activities – even in winter — for potential customers who aren’t interested in skiing.

First opened in 1949, Mt. Holiday was nearly closed and sold off for development in the late 1990s, but a group of local ski enthusiasts raised funds, bought it, and began running it as a nonprofit community ski area. Like its counterparts in the for-profit ski industry, it’s had to be creative in appealing to a wide variety of users.

Mt. Holiday began its foray into ziplining in 2013 when it created the Green Zipper, a relatively small two-station setup (the first leg is 288 feet long and the second is 306 feet) near the bottom of its main ski area. Meanwhile, it acquired a 12-acre parcel of forested land on the other side of the hill, where it began work on a much larger line — a 10-station zipline network that totals more than 4,000 feet of cable.

The new course made its debut in late fall without much fanfare (promoted as a new way to experience the area’s celebrated autumn foliage) and Mt. Holiday staff were pleasantly surprised at the response it received.

“There must have been a lot of word of mouth going on, especially with people from the Chicago area,” said executive director Theresa Galante. “We were sort of holding our breath to see what the response would be, but almost every single person who comes through has raved about it.”

For a small-town operation with a modest price tag (the Green Zipper is only $15 per person, and the full 10-station line is $48, compared to $75 to $100 at for-profit facilities) zipline connoisseurs compare the Mt. Holiday entry favorably with high-end rides in many metropolitan areas. The 10-station experience usually lasts two hours, and in some sections – notably one called The Screamer – riders are moving as fast as 35 miles an hour.

According to guest services manager Natalie Myers, the new Mt. Holiday attraction has already been noticed by an enthusiastic multi-state network of “zipline junkies” who are adding it to their itineraries. “People travel quite a ways to try each one, just because they love the adrenaline rush,” she said.

Creation of the new zipline network is part of a larger strategic plan for the ski area, which has already revamped its food service operation (changing its former snack bar into cozy restaurant/lounge) and is promoting itself as a year-round destination for weddings, meetings, parties and athletic events — like the “Mud, Sweat & Beers” mountain biking race, which brought some 3,500 riders and spectators to Mt. Holiday last May.

Over the next two years Mt. Holiday plans to incorporate the zipline system into a full-fledged adventure ropes course that would include a significant environmental education component. “We want to stay true to our mission, particularly the educational mission we’ve always had,” said Galante.

Although ziplines are getting a lot of attention as a winter activity, they’re not as popular in prime ski season as they are in late winter and early spring. In fact, Mt. Holiday hopes to promote its new system as a Spring Break activity: as temperatures rise and ski conditions deteriorate, Galante expects frustrated skiers to see the zipline as a way to satisfy their yen for high-speed thrills.

Large ziplines tend to be labor-intensive (for safety reasons, each station along the route must be manned by trained personnel) so the Mt. Holiday operation is open to groups – the Green Zipper to groups of four or more, the larger zipline to groups of four to ten — and only by reservation.  Reservations and information are available at www.mt-holiday.org or (231) 938-2500

To learn more about winter activities in the Traverse City area, as well as lodging, dining and entertainment options in Michigan’s “True North,” contact Traverse City Tourism at www.traversecity.comor (800) 872-8377.

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, has listed Traverse City as one of 10 U.S. winners of its 2015 Travelers’ Choice awards for “Destinations on the Rise.” The awards highlight spots in the country and around the world that have shown the greatest increase in positive feedback and interest from TripAdvisor’s online community from one year to the next.

“The TripAdvisor community has helped surface some unheralded destinations across the globe that are receiving rave reviews from travelers worldwide,” said Barbara Messing, the company’s chief marketing officer.

Traverse City was rated sixth on the U.S. list, which also included Wildwood, NJ: Nag’s Head NC; Prescott, AZ; Telluride, CO; Pompano Beach, FL; Catalina Island, CA; Waikaloa, HI; Knoxville, TN and Gulf Shores, AL.  

“Situated along Lake Michigan, this outdoor adventure hub is known for its cuisine and culture,” the TripAdvisor site said. “Described as “a fun and pretty spot for families,” Clinch Park has impressed TripAdvisor travelers with its beach and stunning views. Visitors also rave about the Asian-inspired fare at Red Ginger, “one of the leaders in fine cuisine for Traverse City,” according to a TripAdvisor reviewer.

“We appreciate this recognition from TripAdvisor, demonstrating that the awareness of our product continues to grow, and that the Traverse City area is being recognized as an exciting travel destination,” said Brad Van Dommelen, president of Traverse City Tourism.

A total of 52 destinations around the world were included in the 2015 Traveler’s Choice listings. The top worldwide spot was Da Nang, Vietnam. Award-winners were determined using an algorithm that measures the annual increase in positive TripAdvisor traveler review ratings on accommodations, restaurants, and attractions, across destinations worldwide.

Thanks to its beautiful scenery and moderate climate, this little resort town on the Lake Michigan shore has long been a popular destination for runners, with over 30 races held in the area each year.

The forests that surround Traverse City are also crisscrossed with miles of hiking, cycling and cross-country ski trails. But until 2013 no one ever thought about holding a running event on any of them. Now the annual Traverse City Trail Running Festival does exactly that: it’s a two-day series of off-road foot races through the wilds of the Pere Marquette State Forest.

This year’s festival, which will be held April 11-12, features races of several lengths  on a variety of singletrack and two-track trails. It begins Friday evening with a two-person 10k relay (in which each runner runs five kilometers) with individual races of 10k, 25k, and 50k on Saturday morning.

“The idea is to get off the pavement and onto some nice singletracks with some trees around you, to be running in that beautiful forest instead of sucking auto exhaust at the side of the road,” said race organizer Joel Gaff.

Trail running is much like the classic sport of cross-country running (except that distances tend to be longer, the terrain is usually rougher, and there are fewer rules) and it is rapidly growing in popularity around the world. In the U.S. alone, the number of trail runners has grown from 4.5 million to more than 6 million in the past six years.

Runners say they enjoy the sensation of racing on unpaved trails, as well as the more serene and beautiful surroundings the sport provides. (Appropriately enough, a portion of the proceeds from the event go to TART, the group responsible for creating and maintaining the local trail system.) Like most trail running races, the Traverse City event is limited to 300 racers to preserve that aesthetic experience.

There are at least two more trail running events scheduled in the Traverse City area for 2014. The inaugural Run the Ridge 10K Team Relay – a 5p.m. evening run through the forest where each member of a two-person relay team completed five kilometers of trail — will be held May 10. And on Dec. 6, the Farmland 5K presents runners with the challenge of a trail race that includes man-made obstacles and fences.

There are plenty of other races in Traverse City for those who want to stretch their legs in the area’s splendid landscape. On May 24, for instance, some 5,000 runners from around the country compete in the annual Bayshore Marathon, a three-race event now in its 32^nd year. The Bayshore’s route follows the shoreline of East Grand Traverse Bay up the Old Mission Peninsula, an area that features some of the most breathtaking views available on any marathon course.

On one side there’s the famous bay with its Caribbean array of jade green, cobalt blue and turquoise water. On the other side, elegant residential areas gradually fade into a landscape of vineyards and orchards where, since the race takes place in May, participants are often treated to the sight of thousands of blossoming cherry trees.

It’s a rare weekend that doesn’t have a least a 5K race in Traverse City or one of its neighboring villages – from the May 11 Mother’s Day 5K to the National Cherry Festival’s 15K and 5K races on July 12 and the Sept. 3 Harvest Stompede through the vineyards of the nearby Leelanau Peninsula.

Autumn doesn’t slow down Traverse City’s race schedule; if anything, it gets even busier. On Oct. 5, there’s the third annual Sleeping Bear Marathon & Half Marathon – an out-and-back marathon course that takes runners past Little Glen Lake and through the village of Glen Arbor, with breathtaking views of the Manitou Islands and Sleeping Bear Dunes along the way.

For some competitors, even a marathon isn’t enough of a challenge. Triathlons are becoming an increasingly popular option in the Traverse City, and there are now three different versions of this grueling running/swimming/cyling event going on in the area this summer.

The June 14 M-22 Challenge, for instance, combines a 2.5-mile run (including a climb up the Sleeping Bear Dunes) followed by a 17-mile bicycle race around Big and Little Glen Lakes and a paddling race (kayaks, surf skis or stand-up paddleboards) across Little Glen Lake.

Then, on July 13, the Inter-Rockin’ Tri, Du, Sprint Tri is held in nearby Interlochen, featuring three different options: 1.5k swim, a 40k bicycle race and a 10k run; a 500m swim, 20k cycling race and 5k run; or a 5k run, 20k cycle race and 5k run. And on Aug. 17 there’s the 6th Annual Traverse City Triathlon: a swim around Bowers Harbor on the Old Mission Peninsula, a cycling race, and a run through the Pyatt Lake Nature Preserve.

To learn more about other winter attractions and events in the Traverse City area – and for a complete listing of lodging and dining options – contact Traverse City Tourism at 1-800-TRAVERSE or on line at www.TraverseCity.com

By: MIKE NORTON

As winter snows cover the rolling hills of Northern Michigan’s wine country, several wineries on the scenic Leelanau Peninsula near Traverse City have responded with a new approach to touring and tasting: a vineyard-to-vineyard ski and snowshoe trail.

The 7.5-mile groomed trail connects three wineries in the center of the peninsula: Blustone Vineyards and Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery near the village of Lake Leelanau and Tandem Ciders north of Suttons Bay, winding through a landscape of snow-blanketed vineyards and orchards about 15 miles from Traverse City.

“It’s a really cool idea,” says Nick Wierzba of Suttons Bay Bikes, who rents skis and snowshoes to users of the new trail. “You can get out and explore the vineyards, then go inside to warm up by the fire and taste some wine, and move on to the next place. We’re getting a lot of calls from people and groups who want to find out about it.”

Wine touring is an increasingly popular activity in the Traverse City region, allowing visitors to sample the area’s award-winning Chardonnays, Rieslings and Cabernet Francs while enjoying the charming landscape that nurtures them.

According to vintners like Mark Johnson of Chateau Chantal, the long deep lakes and roller-coaster hills that make Traverse City such a splendid setting for growing grapes are also the reason why this is one of the most popular year-round vacation destinations in the Great Lakes region.

“Grapes love beautiful places,” he says.

Thanks to the cool blue depths of nearby Grand Traverse Bay (and a mile-high glacier that plowed through the area 100,000 years ago) the area’s unique combination of climate, topography and soils produce grapes that are sweeter and more flavorful than those grown farther south. But it’s also a stunningly beautiful place for touring.

Traverse City’s prime wine country is spread along the steep slopes of two peninsulas, each a distinct wine appellation area. The Leelanau Peninsula is a roughly triangular land mass along the Lake Michigan shore, while the narrower Old Mission Peninsula extends 20 miles into the center of Grand Traverse Bay. Renowned for their natural beauty, they’re able to take full advantage of Lake Michigan’s moderating influence on the climate.

There’s no way to visit all of the nearly 40 wineries and tasting rooms in Traverse City’s wine country in a single trip. The much more enjoyable approach is to take one of the smaller “wine trails” that highlight the landscapes and wines of particular areas, getting to know each place on its own terms.

The Leelanau Peninsula alone is home to more than 25 wineries – so many, in fact, that the local vintners’ association decided last year to divide their wine trail into three separate “loops” to make it easier for visitors to plan their trips and to encourage them to try some of what grower Matt Gregory calls the “hidden treasures of Michigan’s Wine Coast.”

The Grand Traverse Bay Loop (probably the most accessible to travelers staying in Traverse City) includes nine wineries along the east shore of the peninsula from Traverse City to Suttons Bay. It’s a lovely area encompassing a long stretch of beautiful shoreline, some marvelous hilltop views and a broad interior valley filled with orchards, vineyards. Cyclists can even tour some of  these wineries on the nearby Leelanau Trail.

The Sleeping Bear Loop takes visitors to six wineries on the peninsula’s western shore. It contains some of the most beautiful countryside in Leelanau County, including the magnificent Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, as well as the charming resort community of Glen Arbor and the vibrant inland villages of Cedar and Lake Leelanau.

The Northern Loop covers 10 wineries in the less congested northern half of the peninsula — a place of great variety that includes quaint lakeport villages like  Leland, Northport and Omena, remote beaches, rugged valleys and attractions like the century-old Grand Traverse Lighthouse.

The most easily defined trail in the region is on the Old Mission Peninsula. It’s just north of the Traverse City limits, and its eight wineries are surrounded by some of the region’s most beautiful scenery. It, too, has attractions of a non-culinary sort, including the historic village of Old Mission and the Mission Point Lighthouse.

For those who don’t have time to take a wine trail tour into the countryside, Traverse City also has one “urban winery” – it’s Left Foot Charley, in the Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Although winemaker Bryan Ulbrich grows his grapes outside the city, the wines are all made on site in what was once the laundry building of Traverse City’s former mental asylum. And with its castle-like spires, golden brick buildings and forested campus, the Commons is quite scenic in its own right.

To learn more about other winter attractions and events in the Traverse City area – and for a complete listing of lodging and dining options – contact Traverse City Tourism at 1-800-TRAVERSE or on line at www.TraverseCity.com

By: MIKE NORTON

Most people go skiing for pleasure or exercise. For Gustav Eriksson Vasa, it was literally a matter of life and death.

Back in 1518, Gustav’s native Sweden was invaded by Denmark. His father and brother were killed by the invaders, and Danish troops were hunting for him, too. Fortunately, the young nobleman knew how to ski – so he fled over the mountains to nearby Norway, rallied a resistance movement, ejected the Danes and became King of Sweden.

Today this feat of winter speed is celebrated by two ski races: Sweden’s Vasaloppet, where 12,000 skiers retrace Gustav’s original 85-kilometer route, and the North American Vasa, which brings nearly 800 skiers each February to the pinewoods of Traverse City, Michigan. And although neither event is particularly life-threatening, some competitors ski as if they still thought there were bloodthirsty Scandinavians on their heels.

In fact, the North American Vasa Festival of Races – scheduled this year for Feb. 8-9 — is now in its 38^th year. Saturday’s race, with 6K, 12K, 27K and 50K loops for freestyle skiers, and 12K and 27K for classic styles, is one of 16 U.S. events listed in the prestigious American Ski Marathon Series, where most of the nation’s elite and professional ski racers compete. Sunday’s 6K/16K Gran Travers Classic, for traditional old-school Nordic skiers, is part of the Michigan Cup classic race series.

Even casual weekend skiers can enjoy themselves during the two-day Festival of Races. Over the years, organizers have added a wide range of races and events for skiers of all shapes, ages and skill levels – 1K sprints for preschoolers, 3K freestyle and classic events for older youths, and even a noncompetitive “Human Inspiration” tour for athletes who just want to get out and enjoy the trail on Race Day.

“When we did this tour last year, we had 70-75 people show up,” says Vasa president Pete LaPlaca. “There’s a lot of people out there with new hips and knees and pacemakers who ski every day, and they love to get out on the course.”

Another new wrinkle in the 2014 Vasa is the addition of a new race for cyclists, the 27K King Vasa Fat Bike Race. And since many Fat Bikers are also skiers, there’s a combined “SkiFatalon” for competitors who earn the best combined time skiing and cycling the 27K course.

Founded in 1976, the Vasa is held on a beautifully crafted trail that winds through Michigan’s Pere Marquette State Forest, just east of Traverse City. Only two races in its 30-year history have been canceled for lack of snow. The 2005 race almost met a similar fate, but was rescued at the last minute when a local campground and ski outfitter, Timber Ridge, offered its higher, snowier location as an alternative headquarters for the Vasa. The move was so popular with skiers that the race has used Timber Ridge as its base of operations ever since.

The Vasa may be Traverse City’s best-known winter event, but it is by no means the only one. The dense forests, towering hills and stunning shoreline views that make this a favorite summer resort area also lure thousands of visitors here each winter for skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and other cold-weather sports.

On Feb. 1, for instance, yet another Michigan Cup Series race is held a few miles to the north in the village of Mancelona. Known as the White Pine Stampede, it began in 1977 and has been held on the first Saturday in February ever since (Except for the “snow-challenged” winter of 2012.)  Unlike the Vasa, where skiers race on looping trails, the Stampede is a “point to point race” that starts in Mancelona and finishes 50 kilometers later at Shanty Creek Resorts. (There’s also a shorter 20K route, as well as a noncompetitive10K event for skiers who prefer a more leisurely trip.)

For information about the North American Vasa, the White Pine Stampede and other winter events, festivals and activities, call Traverse City Tourism at 1-800-TRAVERSE or visit their web site at www.traversecity.com