36 Hours in Traverse City, Mich: Things to Do and See

The Midwest isn’t exactly known for banner bagels, but the ones at Bubbie’s Bagels are the real deal: fermented over two days, boiled and baked in an unassuming strip mall at the foot of Old Mission Peninsula across from Civic Center park. Skip the lines and place an online order for pickup. This summer, select the caraway rye or whole wheat bagel, both of which are now made with locally grown and milled flour. Be sure to ask for a schmear of seasonal cream cheese, which is appropriately generous and made with foraged ramps or area-grown strawberries, depending on the week ($6).

Hop in the car and head northwest toward Glen Arbor, a small resort community of fewer than 1,000 residents when the snow flies. Bob up and down the region’s drumlins (rolling glacial hills), meander past cherry farms and vineyards, and see the boat tie-ups beginning to swell on Leelanau County’s inland lakes. Stop in at the cafe within the Mill, a former grist mill from 1879 on the Crystal River. It reopened last year after a painstaking restoration and features behemoth oak posts and beams and original milling equipment, as well as artwork (check out the giant gherkin pickles painted onto local coffee bags by the Northport artist Jesse Hickman). Order a simple lunch of panzanella salad ($12) and wander out to the back deck, seemingly suspended above the river.

Instead of doubling back to Traverse City the way you came, make a loop by continuing south to the town of Empire, stopping in at Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate, a confectionary shop in a Granny Smith green building that hugs the side of the road. The co-owner Jody Hayden, who sells ethically sourced chocolate that is molded into bars, barks and even sleeping bears, added a gelato shop next door in 2022 (opens for the summer on May 25). Ask for a scoop of Ecuadorean milk chocolate or the olive-oil gelato that is made with oil from Fustini’s, a Traverse City importer ($5.50, one scoop). Those who are dairy-free should try the seasonal sorbets, like peach or saskatoon (also known as serviceberry).

Back in town, settle into the good care of the hospitality wizards at the Cooks’ House, a 26-seat gem. Respect for ingredients shines in each dish by the chefs, Jennifer Blakeslee and Eric Patterson, who have unmatched relationships with regional farmers and winemakers. The two tasting menus (five or seven courses, $87 or $104) change daily and have inventive, globally inspired touches: A recent asparagus dish came with lentils, smoked whitefish, chive and an aioli made using fried eggs. Didn’t score a seat? Place a to-go order of lip-numbing Sichuan chicken wings ($12) from Crocodile Palace. Grab a bottle of any of the area wines sold at Lake District Wine Co (ask about BOS, by a biodynamic winemaker who recently moved to Michigan from Napa) and throw down a picnic blanket near, but not too near, the beach volleyball nets at Clinch Park.