The year is shaping up to be one of our favorites right here in Traverse City, so we hope you can join us sometime soon. If you are looking for an opportunity soon to come check us out, look no further than Easter. The spring season features many different holidays, including Easter, allowing you to have the perfect opportunity for a quick vacation getaway. Traverse City has many different Easter events and spring activities that will leave you with plenty of memories. Take a look at the top ways to celebrate Easter in Traverse City, MI.
There is a lot to see and do in Traverse City but The Salvation Army has been putting on one of our favorite Easter events here in the city. The Easter Eggsperience Family Fun Event is much more than just a standard Easter egg hunt. This event takes place the Saturday before Easter, letting you have a whole weekend to celebrate the holiday. Head on over to the Salvation Army Community Center located at 1239 Barlow St to find the fun. The Easter Eggsperience Family Fun Event includes an Easter egg hunt that starts every 30 minutes so you do not have to worry about missing one. The event also includes lovely activities for children such as family photo booth, arts and crafts, bounce houses, an ice cream truck, hot food, and much more. The Salvation Army Easter Eggsperience Family Fun Event is absolutely free to attend and runs from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
The children get most of the fun on Easter but the adults know they have something to look forward to: Easter Brunch. Everyone knows that Easter brunch is where you can indulge yourself in delicious entrees and cocktails. There are plenty of incredible places to check out Easter brunch here in Traverse City, but Black Star Farms has one of the best selections. Their team will provide a culinary experience that includes savory and sweet items to delight the senses. You will be able to serve yourself with a variety of delicious options, including lox salmon strata, scrambled eggs, red skin hash browns, glazed ham, braised chicken, and much more. You will also find an assorted selection of house baked goods such as croissants and cinnamon rolls. Don’t forget desserts like Ghirardelli brownies and whipped cheesecake bites. Adults will be able to order wine by the bottle or grab a mimosa that is always a brunch staple for an additional cost. Tickets are currently on sale for the Easter brunch at Black Star Farms. Brunch will be available on Easter Sunday and an outdoor Easter egg hunt will also take place following the meal. Come experience brunch the best way it can be.
Another Easter egg hunt can be found here in Traverse City for the kids at Easter Egg-Stravaganza at Lake Ann Farm. Their annual egg hunt is a favorite here in the city and has fun for the whole family. The egg hunt starts right at noon and will be outside so make sure to dress warm! A separate egg hunt will also be held for young children to make sure everyone has an equal opportunity to collect as many eggs as possible. Additional activities at the Easter Egg-Stravaganza also include pony rides and a petting zoo. Attending the Easter Egg-Stravaganza is free with the pony rides costing $5 per person. Make sure to not pass up the Easter egg hunt as there will be a golden egg hidden among the others for a special prize your child can win. This year’s Easter Egg-Stravaganza will take place on Saturday March 30th from noon to 4:00 PM.
Make sure your Easter weekend also includes the opportunity to explore local attractions in the area. This can include heading on over to Sleeping Bear Dunes, a local national park that is a must see spot. Sleeping Bear Dunes is a national lakeshore that has some stunning scenery. You can explore the beautiful beaches in the area. The spring season is a great time to visit as everything will be in bloom and local plant life will be bright green. You can find the temperature to be a little chilly by the water so make sure to layer up. Sleeping Bear Dunes is a great spot to see!
The Easter season will be here before you know it, so start planning for your trip today. Our vacation rentals are guaranteed to provide you with a comfortable stay. Expect fine amenities and spacious homes in our selection of properties in the area. Contact us to book your stay today!
There is nothing quite like looking forward to an adventurous Spring Break getaway. Spring Break is not just for children and college students looking to take a break from school; it is a time where the weather is finally warming up and an invitation to enjoy a family getaway. If you are looking for your next spring getaway, look no further than Traverse City. You will find some exciting activities here in the area along with cool attractions that the whole family will love. Traverse City continues to be a jewel right here in Michigan. Here are some ways to spend Spring Break in Traverse City:
Traverse City has an important relationship with the nearby lakes that offer plenty of exciting fun. The Great Lakes are huge bodies of water that are bigger than many initially understand. Due to their size, these are a few of the lakes that actually have permanent lighthouses on the coast to help with ships. While the lighthouses do not open to the public until the month of May, you can still check them out in person.
Mission Point Lighthouse is one of those lighthouses that are not open until after Spring Break, but you can still access the park it is at. Come check out this popular lighthouse by taking pictures from the park and exploring the land around it. There is a local beach and several hiking trails that are sure to keep you occupied.
Grand Traverse Lighthouse is another historic lighthouse that has been preserved and is located on the tip of Leelanau Peninsula. Check out this historic building and explore the beautiful shoreline in the area.
Here in Northern Michigan, you will find Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park right by Traverse City. This is a huge and popular national park that brings in millions of visitors to the shore. Sleeping Bear Dunes first opened in 1970 and has since been named one of the most beautiful destinations in the country. You simply cannot pass up the opportunity to check out the shore for yourself during Spring Break.
The park is a prime spot for hikers, as it features almost 100 miles of hiking trails for you to explore. Get outside and appreciate this gorgeous park to its full extent. Popular trails include Platte Plains Trail and Dune Trail. Climbing the dunes is always a favorite activity for families and the beaches offer plenty of places to go swim at even if the water is still a little chilly. Keep an eye out on the weather when you visit to make sure you have the best conditions to explore Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park.
Another aspect of Traverse City that makes it a top travel destination for spring is its cherry blossoms. These gorgeous trees line miles of terrain here in the area throughout the hill country. The blooming season is not long, so seeing them up close during your late Spring Break is a must. Cherry blossoms can be seen all around Leelanau County and Benzie County, making them easy to find. Grab your camera and see these beautiful trees in person!
Traverse City and the surrounding area are also known to be a “wine country” for the Midwest. You will find around 50 different wineries in the Traverse City area, each offering their own version of handcrafted wines using grapes grown in the region. In fact, Traverse City is on the 45th Parallel, the same latitude line of prestigious wineries in Europe with which you may be more knowledgeable. This means Traverse City has the fertile soil and long hours of sunshine to grow delicious grapes. Some popular wineries in the area include Chateau Grand Traverse and Shady Lane Cellars.
Getting to several different wineries during your Spring Break can be difficult if you go it alone. Instead, book a wine tour that will provide transportation to several different wineries. You won’t have to worry about driving and you will be taken to wineries you want to enjoy. Don’t forget to grab a bottle for your vacation rental!
Your Spring Break itinerary will be complete when you reserve one of our vacation rental homes in the area. Enjoy a variety of luxury features and amenities that will set your stay apart. Our rentals can be found all over the city, keeping you close to these wonderful activities. Contact us today to find your favorite property with us and get ready for a Spring Break like no other.
While there are many people who believe Valentine’s Day was just a day the greeting card companies made up to sell cards (and to make us feel bad for feeling this way!) we at Elevated think of it as one of our favorite holidays. Held in the middle of winter, we have the opportunity to cuddle even closer with our own special Valentine’s, the cold weather bringing us together in celebration and in search of warmth as we practice all the ways there is to show how much we love each other. If you are of like mind and you are seeking a chilly spot to cuddle with your sweetest, your February journey to Traverse City will be a vacation you never forget and this guide to the top reasons you should spend Valentine’s Day in Traverse City, will help the day shine even brighter.
You could stay home and do all the things you can do here in Traverse City, but experience shows that it is easy to be distracted when you do. Kids needing to be fed, bosses asking you to work late on February 14th, even all the chores that seem to jump out at you when you are trying to take some time alone to relax. When you choose a Michigan getaway for your vacation destination and a stay in our Elevated romantic love nests as your shelter, the only distractions will be the ones that urge you to hug her a little tighter, kiss her a little deeper, and listen to her a little harder. (That last one may be the most romantic distraction of all, just ask her!)
We can’t explain it, but we have traveled the world, and we can’t find chocolate that tastes any better than the ones available at Great Lakes Chocolate & Dessert Company. Offering a massive selection of sweet desserts and chocolates created right there in the bakery of their shop, every bite you take of every treat they create is practically guaranteed to be your favorite and because every Valentine deserves a chocolate gift, you are destined to be designated Gift Giver Supreme. They also sell rich and creamy hot chocolate, so buy a box to enjoy in your Elevated escape, knowing that you can order more any time you want simply by visiting their website.
The world is rapidly beginning to realize that Michigan wines are starting to give Napa Valley a run for its money and some of the best wineries are located in or near our Traverse City hometown. Tabone Vineyards offering small batch wines and an online shop so guests can keep sipping their favorites even after returning to real life, Chateau Grand Traverse, offering charcuterie boards with their tastings and also offering its own online shop, and Rove Winery at the Gallagher Estate, perched high above the Leelanau Peninsula and offering special events as well as, you guessed it, providing an online store that will ensure you never have to go without your favorite grape drink. All of these wineries, and so many more will add a sparkle to your Valentine’s Day getaway in the heart of Michigan.
Perhaps the most important part of any Valentine’s Day celebration is the holiday dinner, and you may be surprised to know that Traverse City is well known for its beautiful selection of romantic restaurants. Plan a holiday meal at Harrington’s By The Bay, 13890 S W Bay Shore Drive and enjoy sunset views as you share a delicious meal with your sweetheart or sink your teeth into the delicious Italian dishes prepared by the talented chefs at Trattoria Stella, 830 Cottageview Drive. These are just two of our favorite romantic restaurants and we encourage you to try them or any other that catches your eye during your stay.
There’s no reason for a drum roll at this point as you have probably already figured out the number one reason you should choose a Traverse City vacation for your Valentine’s Day celebration. Our cozy love nests will shelter you from the cold winter nights, providing comfort, style, and beautiful luxuries that welcome love birds from all over the world. Plan a picnic in front of a roaring fire, sipping the wine you brought back from your daylight tasting at any of the wineries we mentioned earlier, and watching the snow fall gently to the ground. These beautiful moments, shared with the one that makes your heart skip a beat will become memories you will treasure forever. Contact us to reserve your favorite Elevated escape today and discover all the romance Traverse City has to offer!
For many of us, the resolutions we made for 2024 offer a slightly different slant than the ones made in previous years. This year, we resolve to be good to ourselves, to embrace the quiet moments, and to spend more time traveling, perhaps starting with a trip to Traverse City. If your journey brings you in our direction, we at Elevated have created a guide to the beauty of our Michigan town, showing you everything that makes our hometown special and all the ways you can enjoy the most comfortable adventures with a stay in our seasonal sanctuaries.
In the long dark days of winter, it is important to keep your sense of humor which is why we have devoted January 31st to February 4th to hosting the Traverse City Comedy Fest. Offering over 20 different shows and 80 different comedians during its hilarious 5 days, some of our nation’s and many of Michigan’s funniest men and women will be performing on multiple stages in 7 different venues, all determined to make you laugh until your jaw aches. It’s hard to be sad over gray skies and a little extra snow when you are surrounded by laughter and any night on the town during the comedy fest is destined to bring you your happiest memories.
For most people the Saturday morning Farmer’s Market is strictly a spring and summer event, but in Traverse City, we are known for coloring outside the lines and as such, we would like to present to you the Traverse City Indoor Farmers Market. Located at the Mercado, 800 Cottageview Drive, and opening at 10 AM on Saturday mornings, a visit to the indoor market will give visitors a chance to stock their vegetable crispers, pick up some gifts for their pet sitters, house watchers, and mail gatherers back home, and enjoy a summery activity in the warm confines of the Mercado.
The beauty of Traverse City shines even brighter at sunset whether you have bundled up and stepped out onto the balcony of your Elevated escape with a cup of hot cocoa in hand or are dressed in your warmest clothes, perched on a log in Sunset Park (635 E Front Street) with a cup of coffee in hand. These last few minutes of sunshine will bring you the most tranquil memories. Watch the sky come alive in a kaleidoscope of fiery color and for those final seconds, you will forget about the cold and feel peace and serenity invade your heart.
Your foodie tour to Traverse City will set the stage for a year filled with happy stomachs and cheering taste buds. The culinary landscape of our hometown is an exciting one, filled with international delights intermingled with classic home cooking that travelers will swear could have come from their own grandma’s country kitchen. Explore the casual delights found in the food trucks that are an important part of the downtown arena, coming together in one big convergence in a space called The Little Fleet. Elegance and tradition combine with a visit to the Cook’s House, a chef-driven restaurant serving farm-to-table foods that are both healthy and delicious and when nothing but a thick and juicy burger will sate your traveler’s appetite, stopping by the casual confines of Blue Tractor Cook Shop will give you the meal you crave. And because breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we can’t end this paragraph without mentioning the breakfasts and brunches offered by the Red Spire Brunch House. Go. You won’t regret it!
As the snow falls on the winter landscape of Traverse City you may find yourself wanting to explore the warmer side of our Michigan hometown, so why not spend the day exploring our history? The museums of Traverse City will take you on a trip back in time or, if you prefer, can offer an exploration of our creative side. Music is a language the entire world can understand and the Music House Museum, 7377 US-31 in nearby Williamsburg, offers an up close and personal glimpse into music boxes that have been created throughout the decades. The Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station Maritime Museum, Sleeping Bear Dunes Road in nearby Glen Arbor explores the history of the Coast Guard, and the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, 15500 Lighthouse Point Road in Northpoint are all museums worthy of exploring while also offering a place to stay warm on the coldest of winter days.
Warm and Cozy
At the end of every day, our Elevated escapes will bring guests the comfort, coziness, and warmth they seek. Contact us today to reserve your favorite sanctuary today!
