By: Anthony Bartone

Traverse City is one of the most beautiful townships in all of Michigan. Known for cherry farms and wineries, the scenery of Grand Traverse Bay is priceless and used for many concerts and festivals. Such a beautiful spot can’t stay hidden for long. Although the population of the city has gone down, the cost of living in the amazing area has skyrocketed. The average house in Traverse City costs on average 330 thousand dollars, 130 thousand dollars more than the average house in Michigan. Many, however, would say this cost is well worth the beauty received in such a lovely area.

My love for this town has blossomed from my father who grew up there. Frequent visits to his old home right on Old Mission Bay grew my appreciation for this amazing place. On the bay there are rock jetties for miles that I have seen disappear and reappear as the water level changes about every ten years; right now the water is at a very high level and the jetties are not visible, but soon it will return and go down more.

Last summer me and my girlfriend went to visit my Nana for a weekend. Enjoying the beautiful scenery our property(shown above) wasn’t the only Traverse City had to offer. We visited the amazing downtown and tried every sample inside of the Cherry Republic Store. After that trip, we visited again in the wintertime for The Cherry Drop for the new year and got hot chocolate at Vinny’s Coffee House downtown. Elyse always says “Take me back”! Which we definitely will sometime soon. I love seeing my Nana and being up north.

Most people love Traverse City, and it is ranked in the top ten places to visit in Michigan by USnews. It’s also well known for being the only place to find Petoskey stones which is a huge tourist attraction and can be sold for a heavy price. My dad said as a kid he found a Petoskey, “As big as his head”. Also, my dad grew up there with five brothers and they all have told me how much fun it was to grow up there, sounds better than Grandville, Michigan. 

Overall, I agree with the USnews, I would definitely put Traverse City on my top ten places to visit in Michigan as well. With all the amazing tourist attractions and beaches, you can find your fill of fun anywhere in the town. Don’t forget to pick cherries if you are ever able to visit. 

More information about Traverse City can be found on this link.