Traverse City To Charlevoix

General description: This 50-mile drive begins in Traverse City, filled with brightly colored cottages, blue sweeping beaches, and orchards full of cherry trees. It ends in another vacation hotspot, Charlevoix, with its wonderful parks, long and lazy beaches, and fine restaurants.

Location: Along the northwest edge of Michigan's lower peninsula. Drive route numbers: Michigan Highway 72, and U.S. Highway 31.

Travel season: Year-round, busiest time is height of summer. The crowds can make driving through the towns difficult and frustrating.

Special attractions: Traverse City is brimming with things to do and places to see, including the Malabar, the Music House, Petobego State Game Area, Con Foster Museum, and Acme Township Park.

Camping: Fisherman's Island State Park in Charlevoix.

Services: Traverse City and Charlevoix cater to the traveler. They probably have anything you might want or need.

Nearby attractions: Sleeping Dunes National Lakeshore, The Dune Climb, Ironton Ferry south of Charlevoix, and Beaver Island.

The drive: Begin in Traverse City, a large town nestled in the south cove of Grand Traverse Bay's West End Arm. A slick, trendy resort area, this tourist mecca has its roots in the lumber and fur trades that depended upon the nearby waterways and woods. The drive unfolds into spectacular resort beauty.

There are brightly colored cottages, beaches as blue as those in the Carribean, and row after row of petite, wispy cherry trees. The Traverse City of today, with its blend of Victorian homes and storefronts, trendy restaurants, espresso bars, and gift shops, is quite different from the rugged fur trade and lumber empire it was years ago.

Before any white men settled in the Grand Traverse Bay region, this area was a prime meeting and hunting place of the "three brothers" -- the Ottawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi Indians. They were called "three brothers" because they were quite friendly with one another over the course of many years. Archaeologists have found six burial grounds here, as well as the sites of at least eight Indian villages. However, some of the earliest explorations of this area date back to 1641, when subjects of the King of France came through this area intent on extending France's power into America. It was the French who named this area la grande traverse, which means "the long crossing."

Grand Traverse County had a population of 8,422 in 1880. At last count, the population was over 131,000. Settling began in the spring of 1839, when Reverand Peter Dougherty was sent to this area by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, an Indian agent stationed at Sault Ste. Marie. This region was a hub for logging activity. Lumberjacks flocked to the area, and the very first sawmill was constructed here in 1847. It was built by Horace Boardman and located at the head of the West Bay. The population began to increase around the mill's location. Boardman ran his mill until 1851, when he sold it to Perry Hannah, A.T. Lay, and James and William Morgan, who founded Hannah, Lay and Company. A larger mill was then erected and run until 1914.

You can reach Traverse City in one of many ways. MI 72 passes through town from the east or west. If you are coming from the south, take Michigan Highway 37, also labeled US 31, right into the heart of town. Begin the drive where MI 72 and US 31 meet at the bay. Head east on US 31 past several beaches, which are to your left.

Nestled in the protected cove of the bay, area beaches include West End Beach, Clinch Park Beach, and Bryant Park Beach. All offer swimming, piers for fishing, and boat launches. You may also see the Malabar, a 105-foot ship, one of the largest sailing rigs on the Great Lakes. The Malabar also functions as a floating bed and breakfast. This old-time clipper ship tours shore villages and islands. Also located on the waterfront is the Con Foster Museum which gives in-depth geological and historical information about how the area was formed.

As you pass the beaches, follow US 31 north. Pass MI 37 leading to Old Mission Peninsula. Continue past East Bay Beach to your left, and 0.5 miles later you will come to Traverse City State Park beach, on your left. Both East Bay Beach and Traverse City State Park offer great swimming in the secure hamlet of the East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay. Proceeding north on US 31, you will come to the Music House at mile 3. The Music House is an old granary built in 1905 that showcases musical instruments made from 1880 to 1920. You'll find everything here from the tiniest of music boxes to the largest and grandest ballroom organs. After about 3.5 miles, the drive enters lovely rolling pastures and cherry orchards. Soil here is perfect for cultivating this crop, an important part of the area economy. Traverse City hosts the National Cherry Festival, which takes place each July. In 1923, the festival was preceded by a Sunday church service called "The Blessing of the Blossoms." This simple service was offered out in the orchards where the residents of the region were asked to come and pray for a successful harvest.

As you drive through this agricultural region another 5.5 miles, you reach Acme Township Park, a soft, sandy beach for swimming and camping. The park is located to your left, on the shore of Lake Michigan. Proceed north on US 31. After another 5 miles, you pass through an area called Petobego State Game Area, which is partially a wetland. This area is home to muskrat, rabbit, deer, and mink. Mink are fierce animals and prone to snarly temper tantrums. They are excellent swimmers, and prefer to live near water. The mink was once hunted to great extent for its valued silky fur. For the next couple of miles, you near the shore of the bay to your left, allowing a good view of Lake Michigan's deep blue waters. About 18 miles into the trip, you come into the town of Elk Rapids. This area was discovered in 1846 by settler Abraham Wadsworth, who eventually was responsible for creating the town. During the mid-1800s, the lumber companies were harvesting great amounts of white pine in this area to help rebuild Chicago after the devastating Great Chicago Fire. The lumber industry flourished and grand Victorian homes appeared, built mostly by lumber barons of Elk Rapids and Bellaire. As the lumber industry dwindled in the early the 1900s, Elk Rapids became all but a ghost town. In an effort to revitalize the economy, settlers used the cleared lands as farmland. Many of these farmers used post-Civil War homestead rights to obtain land. You can spot some of these older homes and farms as you proceed north. In about 2 miles, you pass Birch Lake to your right and have beautiful bay views to your left. After another mile, you cross Paradine Creek, a thin trickling bed of water which flows into Lake Michigan. Proceeding north about 4 miles through apple orchards, you come to the town of Torch Lake. This town is situated on the western shore of Torch Lake, which you can see to your right. At this location, you are at the upper one-third of this long, narrow lake, which extends about 14 miles to the south. Proceeding north another 1.5 miles, as you near the end of Torch Lake, you come in to the town of Eastport. The elevation of the road rises here with the hills of pine and cedar forests. Six miles past Eastport, apple orchards again line the roadside.

After about 10 miles, portions of Fisherman's Island State Park appear to your left, between the road and Lake Michigan. The main entrance to this unspoiled park is 2 miles south of Charlevoix. This 3,000-acre area was converted from state forest to state park in 1978, and is the closest state park to Charlevoix. As you approach Charlevoix, touted as "Charlevoix the Beautiful," turn left on Bell's Bay Road to the entrance of the park. This park has 90 campsites, a scenic overlook, rock and sand formed beaches, and an uncrowded atmosphere. This area is also a hotbed for rockhounders searching for Petoskey stones -- broken pieces of compressed coral. Many walking paths meander through the surrounding hardwood trees. Because this is a low, moist area, the forests are a combination of spruce, tamarack, and balsam fir trees. The park is open from May until November. Leaving the park, take Bell's Bay Road back to US 31 and turn left toward Charlevoix. At the crest of the hill you are greeted by a sweeping view of Lake Michigan, punctuated by sailboats, schooners, and fishing boats. Charlevoix County was named after Pierre Francois-Xavier de Charlevoix. An undercover agent for the French, he was assigned the task of determining the existence of a northwest passage. It is easy to see why this area is called "Charelvoix the Beautiful." This small town is situated on three lakes -- Lake Michigan, Lake Charlevoix, and Round Lake. Resort traffic and tourism give this town its character. This city, including the surrounding townships, has a total population of about 8,500 people year-round. However, that number explodes to over twenty thousand during the summer months. Many local residents avoid the busy downtown area during peak times. Sleeper times to visit are late spring or fall. As you enter Charlevoix, the hustle and bustle is noticeable. This is a resort haven for those who can afford the dual allure of Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan. Quaint small-town shops geared to the high-end tourist line the main street. To your right is a cozy harbor filled with expensive boats. Condos line the edges of the harbor. You can drive through the middle of town and follow Memorial Bridge which spans the Pine River Channel, the waterway connecting Round Lake to Lake Michigan. The Pine River was dredged during the logging years to form this channel so lumber boats could pass easily between the lakes. This is a bascule bridge, which means it can open at the midsection and each half is hinged at the end. Though the bridge is charming, it causes traffic delays when it opens for boats during peak season. "

Adapted from the FalconGuide "Scenic Driving Michigan" by Kathy-Jo and Ed Wargin.