We loved our visit here! The gift shop is adorable and the lavender fields are gorgeous. We did the…read moreu-pick lavender and my kids also made their own lavender sachets- they loved it! Really nice gift shop items, we got a few things. Definitely check them out!

This is a u-pick lavender farm. The owner greeted us as we got out of the car. Super friendly and…read morehelpful. Love her history with this farm. She gave very detailed instructions for harvesting, grouping and the lavender types. The gift shop is filled with personally crafted, local artisans and collaborative items. I love my new bee hackie!!!! We spent about 2hrs here and only picked the lavender. On weekends they have fun family centered activities. Make this a must see while in Traverse City even if it is a bit out of the way. Hidden gem!!!

My favorite activity on our trip was coming to Hallstedt! We were greeted enthusiastically from the…read moreowner, before giving us cherry picking instructions. We were given a red bucket and began cherry picking. The cherries were $4.50 a pound (two dollars cheaper than the other U pick cherry spot I saw online) and 3 types were available. Raspberries and wildflowers were also available to pick. After picking you place your cherries in a bucket filled with water to clean, before heading to the scale. I purchased a cherry slushy (delicious) and cherry vinegar (used in the slushy). The cherries were juicy, the best I've ever had! We had so much fun picking cherries here, the staff were so friendly.

First class orchard run by Phil and Sarah. Phil gave my family an excellent education on the world…read moreof cherries. Currently only sweethearts available for UPIK. The cherries are delicious! Great family activity.

My husband and I visited Robinson Family Christmas Tree Farm to find the perfect tree, and we did!…read moreThere are trees and wreaths out front if you want something pre-cut, or you can chop your own down. We were SHOCKED at how many trees there were. We kept thinking we made it to the end of the trees, just to realize there were acres more! The tree farm also offers free hot coco and cookies, which were a nice touch! We will be back next year!

My wife and I enjoyed some beautiful sunny weather at Robinson Family Christmas Tree Farm the…read moreweekend prior to Thanksgiving this year. The family who runs the farm is very friendly and helpful, showing us all of the pre-cut trees in the front lot and also showing us the "u-pick" portion of the farm in the back. There were TONS of trees in the back of the farm--you would never know from the parking lot! What an awesome memory to make with your family. There were free saws that you could borrow to cut down your own tree and they also offered to wrap it and haul it to your car for you! After getting your tree, there is a nice heated barn with complimentary hot cocoa, cookies, and other treats for purchase! Lots of farm animals too for the little ones to pet. We definitely enjoyed our time here and will be back next year!

Great picking! Wonderful people! Loads of cherries! We got…read moreabout 20 pounds of sweet and 10 of the tart. The prices were reasonable and the aesthetics were spot on for the vibe.

Very nice man running it. Plenty of picking options and very affordable. Cherrys were great.read more

First and foremost, the teas are AMAZING. Light of Day's Creamy Earl Grey is possibly the most…read moreperfect flavored tea I've ever had. I usually prefer tea bags; lecture me until my ears fall off but for I'm usually fine with sacrificing tea quality for the simplicity and convenience of a teabag. Light of Day teas, however, make me a believer in the magic of carefully blended, high quality tea. I used the Creamy Earl Grey tea to bribe myself to do the most mind-numbingly dense readings for my grad school courses, or for simply getting up and dressed for class on a grey winter morning. It's a true treat, and worth the high price. In addition to being absolutely delicious (black or with milk, sweetened or unsweetened), the tea and nearly all of the ingredients were grown at the Light of Day farm, which is certified biodynamic and right here in Michigan! Having originally tasted and fallen in love with Light of Day teas served on campus at the University of Michigan School of Public Health cafe, my friends and I made sure to visit the store during a trip up north. We felt like (grown) kids in a (healthy) candy shop -- there were so many kinds of tea, and they all sounded amazing! We all bought tins of tea for ourselves and as holiday gifts for friends/relatives, and also had a round of matcha shots, which were delicious. We strolled around the garden near the shop, but in warmer weather be sure to see the farm!

Light of Day was both interesting and relaxing. They offer many teas that they process themselves…read more There seemed to be other opportunities there for both educational and naturalistic purposes, but we did not participate.

I had a very disappointing and upsetting experience at Buchan's Blueberry Hill…read more Before picking peaches, a young employee told me that we were allowed to pick them. Based on what she told us, we went ahead and picked some. Later, an older woman confronted me and spoke to me very disrespectfully. When I explained that the young employee had told me we could pick peaches, she essentially accused me of lying and claimed that the employee had said they could pick peaches, not us. This was clearly an employee communication issue, yet instead of calmly clearing up the misunderstanding, I was treated as though I had done something dishonest. What upset me even more was an older male employee intentionally spraying water toward/on my young son. Regardless of whatever misunderstanding happened about the peaches, involving a child like that was completely inappropriate and unacceptable. Overall, we felt unwelcome and disrespected here. As a minority family, the way we were spoken to and treated made the experience especially uncomfortable and left us wondering whether we would have been treated the same way if we were not minorities. We came expecting a fun family outing and left feeling insulted and unwelcome. Based on our experience, I cannot recommend Buchan's Blueberry Hill.

Best ice cream in all of Michigan. Great blueberries and apples. Love the cute animals around the…read morefarm! Very family friendly and great for kids.

This is such an absolute gem of a place! We love visiting these gardens whenever we are in town…read more They are so well maintained, and the volunteers are so friendly and love to share their knowledge about both the plants and the history. It is a perfect opportunity to learn and stretch your legs. Festival it is free to walk around the grounds and take in the breathtaking views that this site provides here in the shadows of the spires of this former state hospital. The children's garden, fairy garden and Japanese gardens are all breathtakingly, beautiful, and fun to explore how fortunate the city is to have Such a place to retreat to.

It is totally free, including guided tours. They do request donations as the place is fully funded…read moreby donations and grants. They have a large grounds with a lot of different gardens and the old farm buildings being repurposed. The history of the place is interesting: The land was initially part of the Grand Traverse Commons, which was once the site of the Traverse City State Hospital, a mental institution. They have healing gardens, labyrinth, fairy garden, Asian garden, fire resistant garden, community garden, etc... they also have a lot of trails and a self guided tour with a map. The guided tours are done by volunteers.

Such a fun and cute place! I think anyone, of all ages, would enjoy a tour of the alpaca farm. Some…read moremore timid guests might be intimidated by the size and curiosity of the alpacas, but they are such sweet animals and by the end of tour everyone will be approaching the alpacas with no intrepidation. The farm is clean and open and the tour guide (owner) is very knowledgeable and happy to answer all questions. The hens and Llama are an extra treat to visit. This was such a great adventure and I'm so glad we had a chance to visit.

Today I went for my fourth visit to the farm to see the gang. There was a new baby cria, and he is…read moreadorable! As always I was greeted with smiles by Becky (owner) and Amy. If you're ever up in Traverse City, this is a MUST stop. You will learn a lot and fall in love with the sweet alpacas and the resident llama Rainbow. I look forward to many visits yet to come!