I came here for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and will be returning in September. This is…read morean absolutely beautiful dark sky park with spectacular views. The park offers various educational programs and experiences throughout the months, has a unique gift shop (the staff was great as well), and has several walking trails to enjoy. I love that you can learn on your walk by reading the various signs posted. It would be fun if they did an educational scavenger hunt on their educational trail, as that would be a fun way to learn. I look forward to visiting again in another month!

It's just a short drive from Mackinaw City and this place has been on our bucket list for a few…read moreyears. The place is nice but it is not exactly what we were expecting. The path is well marked with red lights (no white lights allowed). They do have bathrooms there too. It just felt a little underwhelming and over populated (and we went on a cold fall night). Some people were packing in wagons and had flashlights which was annoying since the white light ruins your eyes when they are adjusted to the dark.

Arch Rock Lots of…read morepeople here. All waiting for a photo. There is a restroom nearby also. You can walk/ride bike to this location or you can ride by horse carriage. Horse carriage is the easiest because you don't need to climb the 207 steps. Highly Recommended

Whatta sight! On an island full of beautiful geological formations, Arch Rock stands out from the…read moreothers because it overlooks the water and spans at least 50 feet. It's a beautiful rock! You'll want to make the effort to get up the hill to see it. You can walk up to Arch Rock, but keep in mind that it's all uphill! Or you can bike (again, uphill) or do what I did and take a horse-drawn carriage. Arch Rock, and the adjacent Milliken Nature Center are one of the stops on the horse carriage tours. You only get about 15 minutes to check it out, but how much time do you need to look at a rock formation, no matter how pretty it is? There's a deck that takes you out a little closer to Arch Rock, and from here, you can take lots of beautiful photos of the water peeking through Arch Rock.

This place was absolutely amazing--an old asylum from 1885-1989 turned into housing, shopping,…read morerestaurants, and offices while maintaining the original structure. I love what they were able to do instead of letting it sit abandoned and decay. The history of mental asylums is so interesting, and they offer 2 hour tours for $30 for those ages 12+. I definitely recommend the tour if you are into history, psychology or healthcare. The tour guide was great, and obviously a true expert in all things regarding the Traverse City State Hospital. The background and experience he had with it made him very trustworthy. He was also just a very funny and friendly guy. The tour takes you outside plus certain areas inside to showcase the restoration process. It also takes you inside of an abandoned and decayed men's cottage. You can only enter this building through the tour. Inside, the guide will show you around and you'll be able to see all the empty rooms and dining area and learn about the history of how they lived. You'll also go up into the attic to see all the pipes. Before the tour ends, the guide takes you into the old brick steam tunnels (which can also only be accessed during this tour). The tunnels are spooky and our guide even turned off the lights for us to experience it in the dark, plus try to catch some photos of orbs with the flash on our phones lol. Overall, it was a super interesting tour and I would definitely come back to do the one at night.

Huge property about 3 miles from downtown travers. A lot of shops and dining to explore while…read morewaiting for your tour. I came for a twilight asylum tour and heard great things about Trattoria Stella so came early for dinner at their bar. Love the dark vibe. Opens between 4-5 depending on day. The property is rather spread out so may be a bit hard to go back and forth of any difficulties walking. The hallways do seem wheelchair accessible.

such a beautiful drive. I actually live in California so seeing the trees beginning to change…read morecolors was really awesome for me. I was there at the very end of September and they had just started to turn. Peak was going to be in about two weeks however people told me had we waited until peak it would've been bumper-to-bumper. Traffic flowed nicely and it was just a beautiful. Highlights were Legs Inn, a few coffee shops that had some random farmers markets and just the beauty of the trees! I would definitely do this again it didn't matter what time of the year it is!

If you're into scenic drives and you sometimes ignore your GPS and go off-route in order to get to…read morecool spots along the way, Tunnel of Trees is a detour that you should definitely take. It's part of a route that runs along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan around Harbor Springs and it's super calm, has a rural/rustic vibe, and is just generally a really nice drive. It's also in the vicinity of the Good Hart General Store, so if you head this way you'll get a chance to stop there and check out their goods as well. Check it out if you're in the area or passing through. It's worth it!

This is Michigan's 1st state park. The landscape is characterized by high limestone bluffs,…read morebeautiful vistas of sparkling water, vibrant forests & mystical geological formations. Cars have been banned since 1898, this is a a quieter way of life away from interstate noise of cities. Over 80 percent of Mackinac Island is within this park. The island is sacred to the Ojibwa & Odawa Great Lakes Indian tribes.

It is definitely worth spending at least several hours if not half a day at Fort Mackinac. You can…read moretake your time to leisurely look about or you can take the period-dressed docent led tours and educational talks. There are rifle shooting displays as well as cannon loading & firing displays. You can stop in the restaurant for lunch and a beverage while enjoying fantastic views of the island.

We absolutely loved this lighthouse! It was only $3 each to climb to the top. You also got to walk…read moreout on the catwalk. They had a trail that leads to the "big rock" there's signs with historic information along the way as well! Staff was very friendly and helpful. Definitely worth a visit.

Beautiful area to walk and enjoy tbe gorgeous views of the lake and mackinac Bridge! Very clean…read moreand peaceful.

Easy to get to. Free parking. We went to the harbor and lighthouse both nights we stayed in town to…read morewatch the sunset. This was a cute town to stay at .. several bars and restaurants. Perfect stop to look for the famous petasky stone. There is a rock beach very close to the lighthouse. They were finding small petasky stones.

"Don't know much about history But I do know that I love you…read moreAnd I know that if you love me too What a wonderful world this would be" (Sam Cooke) If local history is your thing, you'll surely love the wonderful world that awaits you at the Museum of Ojibwa Culture. For example, you can stroll around in scenic Father Marquette Park with displays about his life. On the Museum grounds is the site where Marquette's French Jesuit Mission was located, where he lived, and where he was buried. Marquette established the French mission around 1671 as the area became a center of the flourishing fur trade. The old St. Ignace Mission is beautiful. Around the grounds, I saw plenty of displays of the area's Indian heritage, stylized statues of a Medicine Man, Indian Maiden, and several stuffed animal displays alongside plaques of the animal's Indian name. So if you're ever engaged in a bar bet about the Ojibwe name for a deer, you can confidently say "Wawashesh'she". There's also plenty of indoor and outdoor exhibits to grab a glimpse of Ojibwa culture and the lifestyles of the Huron Indians. Walking the Museum's beautiful grounds was relaxing, peaceful, and very educational.

One of the best museums I've ever been in! Don't be fooled by its size; the content is well…read moredisplayed with explanations that take time to read but make the exhibits much more meaningful. Gift shop is Native American based, not cheap knick knacks. Don't know how this museum is able to be open with no admission, so please be sure to donate generously.

The Mercato is a collection of shops in the now repurposed Traverse City State Hospital. I wouldn't…read morereally call it a mall, but I guess by definition it fits? Anyway, the shops are teeny tiny but pack a wallop by being beautifully curated and uniquely configured. I think I purchased more here than I have at any other shopping excursion I've had all year. They've got a shop dedicated to alpaca wool goods, a more gentleman focused shop called the Haberdashery, a pet boutique, a used bookstore, a toy store, and many others including my favorite of them all, Moonstruck Gardens, which is packed full of delightful art, stickers, home decor, and more. They also have dining options and a coffee shop if you're thirsty or a little peckish. The layout can be a little confusing but there's plenty of signage to help you along the way. But the beauty of it is just exploring and finding the fun around every corner.

What a fascinating place. The building and grounds are lovely. First of all the building is a…read morerefurbishment asylum. Some say haunted. They did a lovely job restoring this property. There are lovely specialty shops and a few restaurants. One of the restaurants is one of the most highly rated in town. The shops have some interesting handy craft work .. wood, pottery. Jewelry. Decorative glass. .