A Traverse City long weekend

This is the easy first trip up north: one base, a real downtown, a beach you can walk to and a different day trip each morning. It suits couples, families and anyone who would rather not change hotels.

Day 1: Front Street, Clinch Park and the TART. Spend the morning on Front Street, the main run of shops and restaurants in Traverse City. On a Saturday from spring into fall, go early to the downtown farmers market. Walk a few blocks north to Clinch Park, the city beach on West Bay, with a splash pad, a playground and paddleboard and kayak rentals nearby. In the afternoon, bike or walk the TART, 10.5 paved, flat miles along the bay. With small kids, East Bay is shallower and warmer for a swim. Sleep in Traverse City for all three nights.

Day 2: Old Mission Peninsula. Drive M-37 up the peninsula on Center Road, which follows a ridge with views down to both arms of the bay, past cherry orchards, vineyards and wineries. At the end of the road, Mission Point Lighthouse has stood since 1870. Climb the tower, see the small museum, then walk the beach and trails around it. Stop at a winery or two on the way back; the area has more than 50. Want a ride instead? The paved Leelanau Trail runs 17 flat miles from Traverse City to Suttons Bay, and in summer a bike bus can bring you back.

Day 3: Sleeping Bear. Head west on M-72 to Empire for your park pass and a map. Drive the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive for the overlooks, climb the Dune Climb as far as you like, then have lunch and a swim in Glen Arbor. Go back the way you came, or continue around the M-22 loop through Leland and its historic Fishtown. The route page has the details.

The tradeoff. Day 3 is mostly in the car. If you would rather stay put, swap it for the Leelanau Trail and a slow afternoon at the beach.

Book ahead. The National Cherry Festival runs for a week in early July. We’d book rooms well ahead for those dates, or pick another week. Buy your Sleeping Bear pass online before you go; see licenses and passes.