TRAVERSE CITY & SUTTONS BAY

Monday, August 12th

 We departed Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore, Platte River CG and headed down to Traverse City State Park for three days before moving on to our jobs at  Muskegon State Park.

Traverse City is located on Traverse Bay and is a vibrant city with lots and lots going on. We did not stay long enough.  

The State Park is located across from the Bay with a walk-over crossing Hwy 31 otherwise you’d never get over.  Hwy 31 reminds me of US 1 in Marathon, only worse!!

Bordering the back of the campground is the TART (Traverse Area Recreation Trail), a ‘rail to trails’ bike path that will take you 11 miles through Traverse City connecting with the 15-mile Leelanau Trail.  This is just one of the many, many biking options in this area.   

http://www.traillink.com/city/traverse-city-mi-trails.aspx

Started our day off with a little visitor under our MH.  A knock came on the door and a gentlemen told us that a skunk had just gone under the RV.  I looked out the window and a crowd of campers was forming across the street from our site.   Billy already sensed something so we had to distract him so that the skunk didn't get startled.

Soon enough, the little guy came wandering out from under the RV and headed across the road to the RV in the site across from us.  Now the campers over there were keeping their little dog quiet in the RV and he was running back and forth on the dashboard and the skunk was underneath.

The rangers had set a live trap behind the RV and stacked it with marshmallows.  That little skunk wanted those marshmallows in the worst possible way but couldn't get to them.  

Finally the ranger crept up to the trap and turned it around with a stick so that the skunk would go inside and get his marshmallows and be relocated to a new home.  It ended well.  Not smelly!

Our first full day was cold and windy.  Hard to believe it’s August.  We decided not to take the bike path but instead went to Traverse City downtown area for lunch in a local brewery then went into some of the shops.  We were in a spice shop when we ran into Dave’s sister Marge and her husband Gary.  They were killing time before their flight back to Atlanta .

Down the street from the spice shop was Fustini’s an olive oil and vinegar store similar to the Olives and Grapes in Cocoa Village, Fl.  Selections were great and I picked up Blood Orange Olive Oil with an Espresso Bean Balsamic Vinegar for Joanie.  

For us, I got a Chipotle Olive Oil and Maple Balasmic making a great pairing as well as glaze for pork or steak.  The Chipotle olive oil has a nice bite to it and will also go well with the Espresso balsamic that I already have.  I would LOVE to open a shop like this in NSB area!

Headed up for dinner at Ron and Joanie’s where we also visited with Harry and Stephanie who live up here full time but spend a few months each year in Florida.  It was a great dinner!

Wednesday we stopped in Sutton’s Bay (on our way to Traverse Light) to have lunch with Ron & Joanie and then a little shopping with Joanie.

There is a garden store here that I absolutely LOVE.  I’ve been there the last two times we visited the Ron & Joanie.   Picked up some great porch art and wanted to get even more.   These are clocks and I still can't get over them.  May have to go back up there and pick one up!

How I would LOVE to have a store like this in New Smyrna.  I’m always surprised that these types of items are not sold on Flagler Avenue.  Seems they concentrate on conch shells stuff.  I think this would go!

Can't miss Dave in a crowd!

We dined in an outdoor café and froze our butts off.  The sun kept going behind the clouds dropping the temperatures about 5 degrees and the winds pick up.  Joanie went back to the car to bring us jackets.  Then went back to the car to bring us blankets!  My mission was to find a lightweight sweatshirt to wear on days like this. 

After putzing around in the shops and finding two sweatshirts, we piled into Ron’s car and visited a local distillery and a few wineries in the area.

Our first stop was the Northern Lattitudes Distillery.  This is run by a young couple (younger than us) and their products are vodka based with the exception of the bourbon which is from Lawrenceville, Indiana.  Soon they will be making their own bourbon which will be interesting because the weather in Sutton’s Bay is a little different than Lexington/Bardstown Kentucky. 

Dave tried the gin and then we tried the Bourbon which was good.  Reminded me of Rowan’s Creek from Willett.  Dave thinks it might be the same distiller furnishing the bourbon.  The Lemoncello was delicious as an after dinner drink and the chocolate (vodka based) cordial was a little to chocolate chewy for me, but it would be excellent over ice cream.

The Horseradish Vodka is an accompaniment for  Bloody Mary mix as it is strong in the horseradish!  When she mixed a shot glass with Zing Zing, I asked if there was horseradish in the mix and she said no.  So….the heat I was tasting was strictly from the Vodka!

We headed out of there to a winery that Ron likes.  

It’s located on the 45^th Parallel …. Half way between the equator and North Pole.  Here we stuck to the white wines as the reds are never as rich as I like out of California, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand/Australian or Spain!  Oh well!

Picture taking op's only .... they charged too much for a tasting so we passed  it by.

Of M-22 in Suttons Bay is the Black Star Farm and winery.  The tastine room is a post and beam building with an elliptical bar.  They have a very, very long list of wines; red, white, fruit spirits.  We decided to do a flight of whites; Isidor's choice Pinot Grigio, Arcturos Sue Lie Chardonay, Arcturos Barrell Aged Chardonay and a white dessert wine and a red dessert wine.

The wine is stored underground, under this hill.  

Next to the winery was the Leelanau Cheese Shop with homemade Raclette cheese.  It was delicious and brought some back with me. 

Time was closing in on us and we didn't venture further into Leelanau or get to the lighthouse but this whole area is absolutely a must visit.  Maybe we can get back after our jobs are up and spend a few more days up here taking advantage of the outdoor activities.