Last month was my best friend Angie’s birthday. We have been wanting to go up north to Traverse City for awhile now and her birthday seemed like the perfect time to go and have a girls’ weekend. Traverse City is located about 3 hours north of Grand Rapids. Angie’s mom also joined us for our weekend getaway. Traverse City has so much to offer. I wanted to share a few of the highlights from our trip, as well as a guide to vegan-friendly options.

Sleeping Bear Dunes

Before arriving in Traverse City, we took a little detour to Sleeping Bear Dunes. I have been wanting to check out Sleeping Bear Dunes for awhile now. While we didn’t have time to climb the dunes, we took the scenic route along  the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive: a 7.4 mile Scenic Drive with 12 stops and look out points along the way.

Sleeping Bear Dunes was truly breathtaking. Just look at that water?! I still can’t believe that was in Michigan. I definitely plan to come back and do the dune climb.

Cherry Republic

After driving the scenic drive we headed a few miles north to Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor. Cherry Republic has all things cherries: wines, jams, salsa, dried cherries and even a cafe. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at The Grand Cafe.  I was originally going to order the Chips, Salsa, & Guacamole because the guacamole had dried cherries, and you know how much I love cherries! Unfortunately they were out of guacamole. The menu isn’t too vegan-friendly but I ended up ordering the Cherry Hummus & Pita minus the pita and feta. I must say that I loved the dried cherries in the hummus. I definitely need to recreate this hummus soon!

After doing a little shopping, we headed to Traverse City to checkin at our hotel. After relaxing for a bit, we headed out to dinner at The Filling Station Microbrewery.  

The Filling Station Microbrewery

The Filling Station is located alongside the railroad tracks in the historic railroad district. When we arrived they were busy, always a good sign. We waited outside on the patio for a few minutes before getting seated. They specialize in beer, of course, and flatbread pizzas. There is a vegan pizza option right on the menu: The Silver Fern.  I ordered the pizza along with a sample of 4 beers. Both the beer and pizza were very good!  Since our hotel had a fridge, I was able to safe the leftovers for the next day. Highly recommend checking them out.

Traverse City Wine Tour

Sunday was Angie’s birthday, so I wanted to do something special to celebrate. We took a wine tour of the Old Mission wineries with Traverse City Tours. The tour was only $35 a person and our driver picked us up right at our hotel. The best part about doing a tour like this is you don’t have to worry about driving. You can drink as much wine as you please without the worry of driving. We went to four different wineries along the Old Mission Peninsula. The Old Mission Peninsula was breathtaking. The leaves just started to change colors too.

Vegan Eats in Downtown Traverse City

After our driver dropped us back off at our hotel, we relaxed before heading out to dinner. We ate dinner at Poppycock’s: New American Bistro located in the heart of downtown Traverse City on State Street. On Poppycock’s menu they had a section of vegetarian and vegan options. I ordered the Mango Curry and it was delicious and filling, which was much needed after a day of wine tasting.

After dinner we walked and shopped along State Street. We ended the day with ice cream at Milk & Honey.  At Milk & Honey they specialize in foods that are free from genetic modifications, chemical pesticides, food dyes, artificial preservatives, hormones and antibiotics. They also offer vegan ice cream options! I got a scoop of the vegan vanilla and one scoop of matcha. Perfect way to end the day!

Whether you are looking for a travel destination that’s family-friendly, having a girls’ weekend or a romantic getaway, Traverse City is the perfect location in Northern Michigan. I’m already thinking about my next trip back!