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Traverse Bay

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Traverse City Area Attractions

A Breath of Heaven is ideally located for a Traverse City Vacation offering easy access to all activities in the Grand Traverse Bay area. Traverse City sits on the south end of Grand Traverse Bay, in Northwest Michigan and is a welcoming four-season destination that combines breathtaking natural attractions with a rich blend of adventure and relaxation PLUS year-round festivals in Traverse City and throughout the area! Guests staying at A Breath of Heaven can visit the nearby Leelanau Peninsula wineries and shops in the pedestrian-friendly downtown areas. Fish the waters of Grand Traverse Bay or any of the many freshwater lakes. Golf, ski, hike, and scamper on the dunes overlooking Lake Michigan during your time in Pure Michigan.

The Traverse City area hosts a wide variety of festivals throughout the year. By far our largest annual event is the National Cherry Festival, held in early July in downtown Traverse City. Stay at A Breath of Heaven during the National Cherry Festival in the beginning of July, complete with a thrilling Air Show. During your stay take in the Traverse City Film Festival, one of the largest film festivals in the Midwest and enjoy free outdoor classic movies overlooking Grand Traverse Bay.

Traverse City is True North and was voted one of the 10 Best Small Towns in America by Fodor's and one of America’s Favorite Towns to visit by Travel & Leisure magazine. From food festivals celebrating the bounty of the region to an international film festival that reflects a thriving arts community, Traverse City's year-round events have something for everyone. Many of our guests enjoy getting out on Traverse Bay. Spend an afternoon or evening on the Tall Ship Manitou, a replica of a 1800s coasting cargo schooner that was specifically built to carry passengers. Rent kayaks and paddle along the shore. Take a scenic cruise of the Michigan lighthouses on the Lake Michigan coast of the Lower Peninsula.

Of course, there is plenty to do on land, as well. Most of the parks and recreation areas easily adapt to the changes in the seasons. Hike or bike trails during the warmer months; ski or snowmobile them once there is snow. The golf courses near Traverse Bay are thrilling with clubs in hand, and fun on skis or sleds in the winter.

There are several downhill ski areas near Traverse Bay as well. Winter, spring, summer or fall, enjoy outdoor recreation and culture when staying at A Breath of Heaven.

The Horse Shows at the Bay Equestrian Festival features more than 1,200 world-class riders and horses from throughout the country competing for four weeks in the Olympic discipline of Show Jumping. The Festival is located at the 80-acre Flintfields Horse Park on Bates Road, a half mile north of M-72 in Acme Township. Spectators are welcome at feature events, which are scheduled on the weekends and include special family day activities, charity fundraisers, and exciting Gran Prix competitions.

Interlochen Center for the Arts where art lovers, lifelong learners, and the world's most talented and motivated young people gather from all over the country and all over the world. Interlochen offers over 600 arts presentations annually by students, faculty and world-renowned guest artists.

The National Cherry Festival this eight-day festival celebrates the Grand Traverse Region's most prized fruit, the cherry. Hosted on the shores of Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay, the festival has been named in USA Today's Top Ten Festivals three years running, and is often referred to as Michigan's number-one event. For more than 80 years the National Cherry Festival has been our way of celebrating Traverse City’s status as America’s Cherry Capital. The eight-day summer festival offers over 130 events and attractions,  including free air shows, concerts, two parades, daily kids events, food tastings, the Festival of Races, and (of course) Cherry Pie Eating and Pit Spitting competitions for every age. Everything is located conveniently within walking distance, and since almost all the events are free, it offers more than a week of affordable family fun.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is one of almost 400 sites in the US that are considered so special they have been called national treasures and are protected as part of the National Park System. Discover why these 72,000 acres of dunes, forests, and beaches were set aside for future generations to enjoy. When up north, Beautiful Place in America” according to Good Morning America viewers. The glistening waters of Lake Michigan make a stunning backdrop as one of USA Today's 10 Best Great Coastal Drives. For additional information, go to: www.sleepingbeardunes.com

The Traverse City Film Festival presents the best of independent, foreign, and documentary films in several indoor movie houses. The festival also presents free, classic movies on a giant, inflatable outdoor screen overlooking Grand Traverse Bay. Panel discussion with directors, writers, actors, and other members of the film industry are offered daily. The Traverse City Film Festival was held for the first time in 2005 and has returned bigger and better each year. The week-long event is held in late July and runs through early August featuring new releases, classic films, documentaries, and independent productions. Venues are dotted around the city and include the venerable State Theater and the historic City Opera House. Each evening, free family-friendly movies are shown on a huge inflatable screen at the Open Space overlooking Grand Traverse Bay.


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