We spent most of the day exploring downtown Traverse City and, before we knew it, found ourselves further stimulating the Michigan economy. We loved the downtown area and were pleased to discover that Traverse City is much more than a strip of hotels and motels along the bay (which was our first impression when we drove in the evening before). It has a very vibrant city center with funky shops and restaurants. We spent hours wandering in and out of the stores and people watched as we sipped coffee at an outdoor cafe. We also enjoyed the one-man-band street performer who set up shop along the main street.

Street performer in Traverse City

Around 3:00 we reluctantly packed ourselves back in the car to begin our 2-hour drive north to Harbor Springs. It was another lovely drive as we hugged the Lake Michigan shore and passed numerous cherry orchards. The Traverse City-area is known for its cherries, so we couldn’t resist stopping at a roadside farm stand for a quart of fresh cherries and homemade cherry pie.

We made another stop at Petoskey State Park, since I was determined to find a Petoskey stone. The park had a beautiful beach and Dave enjoyed an impromptu swim before we began fossil hunting.

Dave searching for Petoskey stones

Not surprisingly, Dave found three Petoskey stones before I even found one. He could spot them from 10 feet away and you could hit me over the head with one and I still might not see it! Nevertheless, it was fun to look and we came home with our very own (tiny) Michigan fossils.

After Petoskey State Park, we drove the remaining few miles to the Colonial Inn in Harbor Springs where we planned to spend our last two nights in Michigan.

Colonial Inn in Harbor Springs

Only one word comes to mind when I think of Harbor Springs: rich people. Right, that was two words. Anyway, it was pretty incredible to see the gorgeous summer “cottages” and yachts that lined the harborfront. The other incredible thing about Harbor Springs? It was empty. Out of all the towns we visited, it seemed like it was hurting the most for business. I guess the auto execs cut back on their summer vacations this year after all. It was still a lovely town to visit, but we didn’t quite feel “at home” there.

Total Driving: 75 miles; 2 hours

Lodging:

• Colonial Inn, Harbor Springs – Unfortunately, hotel options were limited in Harbor Springs. For a town this nice, I was not impressed with the Colonial Inn. Rooms were old, not all that clean, and not well-appointed. It was fine for a couple of nights, but not somewhere I’d want to stay for any length of time.

Dining:

• The New York, Harbor Springs – Food was good, but not great. Service could have been bad, but we joked with our waiter until he warmed up to us. Kind of pricey for what you get.

Continue Reading:

Intro | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10