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| The Wellington |
Author's note: Enjoy this guest post from Mike Norton of the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau.
TRAVERSE CITY, MI – When Ron & Barb Steury travel, they try to avoid staying in what Ron calls “cookie-cutter motels.” Instead, they frequently seek out a bed & breakfast.
“I think B&Bs are more romantic, for one thing,” he says. “Every one is a little bit different. They almost always have an interesting history of some kind, and it’s fun getting to know the owners and learn their stories, too.”
The Steurys aren’t alone. Many other travelers to this Lake Michigan resort community seem to revel in the diverse experiences offered by local bed & breakfasts. They include the palatial townhouse of a turn-of-the-century lumber baron, a historic country inn whose guests once arrived by steamship, a laid-back “Up North” retreat surrounded by miles of wilderness, and a winery chateau with breathtaking views of water, sky and vine-covered hills.
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| Lake 'N Pines Lodge |
“There’s certainly a lot of variety in this area,” says Dave Olsen. He and his wife, Melanie, own the rustic Lake ‘N Pines Lodge, tucked away on a nearly uninhabited lake 15 miles from downtown Traverse City that’s surrounded by 6,000 acres of state forest – a designated wildlife sanctuary where loons, swans, beaver, eagles and osprey are frequently spotted. “We’re all about the nature experience; wives bring their husbands here to show them that B&Bs don’t have to be allfrou-frou.”
A pair of “urban refugees” from the Detroit area, the Olsens have operated the Lodge since 2009. Its five units range from a two-bedroom cottage to a 900 square-foot suite -- and in keeping with their wilderness theme, they offer guests the free use of their fleet of canoes and kayaks. (They’re also proud of their unique “made to order breakfast” menu.)
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| Applesauce Inn |
Gary and Jamie Creason had much the same idea in mind when they moved from California three years ago to take over the Applesauce Inn, in the picturesque Chain of Lakes region northeast of Traverse City: a combination of great cooking, a relaxed atmosphere and easy access to a wealth of outdoor activities, from hiking, cycling, golf and fishing to skiing and snowshoeing.
A converted farmhouse built in the American Foursquare style, the Inn benefits from its nearness to the golf courses and ski slopes of Shanty Creek Resorts – but it’s also becoming a favorite haunt of craft beer lovers on pilgrimage to the home of Short’s Brewing in nearby Bellaire.
“We’re just extremely cozy and casual,” says Jamie. “And really, if I say so myself, the food is good.”
At the other end of the scale is Traverse City’s most “urban” B&B: the historic Antiquities Wellington Inn, where Ron and Barb Steury like to stay when they’re in town. A magnificent neoclassical mansion built in 1905, it stands in a quiet residential neighborhood just outside the city’s bustling little downtown. Owners Hank and Barb Rishel spent the better part of five years restoring, redecorating and refurnishing its nine guestrooms, common areas and third-floor ballroom.
The results are spectacular: intricately hand-painted and stenciled walls, elegant draperies and soaring ceilings, with every piece of furniture carefully chosen for its authenticity. This isn’t for visitors who’ve come north to listen to the coyotes howl at the moon -- it’s for people who prefer to be close to the boutiques, galleries, restaurants and nightlife of downtown Traverse City.
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| Old Mission Inn |
Just as passionate in their pursuit of historic authenticity – in a very different setting – are Bruce andAngie Jensen of the 1869 Old Mission Inn, the region’s oldest continuously-operating hotel. Located in the picturesque harbor town of Old Mission, the rustic green-and-white hotel with its long veranda and gabled windows is a rare surviving example of 19th century vernacular-style resort architecture.
Like the Rishels, the Jensens spent years restoring the hotel, and today its 13 guestrooms are filled with reminders of its former life as the village post office, telephone company and stagecoach stop. But in spite of its impressive pedigree, the Inn is still very much a relaxed and informal place where guests laze under the broad veranda on hot afternoons and gather around the bonfire to share s’mores and stories on summer nights.
Only a few minutes away, perched atop a high ridge above Grand Traverse Bay, is the elegant Chateau Chantal Winery B&B, a working Old World-style surrounded by amazing 180-degree views of the 65 acres of vineyards that surround it, sloping down to the water below. Built in 1993 by Bob and Nadine Begin, it was originally designed as a three-room bed & breakfast and later enlarged to 11 rooms – each designed with a particular Impressionist painter in mind, and provided with stunning vistas of the surrounding countryside.
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| Chateau Chantal |
The Begins named Chateau Chantal after their baby daughter, Marie-Chantal, who’s grown up to be the winery’s marketing director. One of the B&B’s big strengths, she says, is its strong commitment to the connections between wine and food. Chateau Chantal offers regular cooking classes, wine seminars and a series of wine dinners and “tapas tours” open to guests and visitors alike.
For information about Bed & Breakfasts and other lodging options in the Traverse City area, as well as help with dining, shopping, recreation and entertainment, go to www.traversecity.com.
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