Beautiful old lighthouse with a short walk from the parking location to the lighthouse. There is a…read morebeach area with very calm waters that is dog friendly. We had our dog and walked around the grounds and the beach area with no problem. We even encountered other dogs with their owners. Just make sure to clean up after them. There are trash receptacles everywhere. Unfortunately, we were unable to go up to the lighthouse because we had our dog and she was ready to go after about 15 minutes but otherwise, it is a beautiful area. They have a faucet to wash the sand off of you. In general, it's a lovely place to visit.

Cool lighthouse out on the Peninsula here in Traverse City. Great views of the lake and if you go…read moreinside on the first floor, they have a gift shop as well as a little museum that has a video that tells you about the history of the Traverse City area, he lighthouse and the Peninsula. Beautiful views, you can walk down to the beach and actually walk down into the lake if you want to. You can go up to the top of the lighthouse, there is a small fee of eight dollars for adults. We chose not to do that. Still a cute little house. It also sits on the 45th parallel, which is the halfway point between the North Pole and the equator, there's a sign out front that demonstrates that as well. It is certainly worth a 20 minute drive up the Peninsula, especially if you stop at a winery or two as you are coming or going.

We arrived just as volunteer Chuck was opening the doors. Groups of kiddos quickly gravitated…read moretowards the activities they had with markers and pencils and crayons and little people tables. We enjoyed reading the exhibits and learning about the beach mobiles and the variety of different vehicles they had and were used prior to it being a national park. You don't need a ton of time to visit this building, but the exhibits were all interesting to people like us.

A historic blacksmith shop, a coast guard history display, and a beach pus one or two other old…read morebuildings. The blacksmith shop is a neat display of how it was done a hundred years ago or more. There is a coast guard history display in the old canary building. This is neat, but kinda small and limited! The beach is the real stunner! It seems to go on forever in both directions. The view is truly great. You can see Leelanau in the distance and the view if Lake Michigan can take your breath away. The sand is pristine even with the crowds. They need more benches, more parking and a much bigger restroom. Overall though 5 stars. I highly recommend visiting if in the area. So obviously I would return!

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. .

The post office is so small it should be in the Guinness Book of World Records. I am fairly sure…read moreit has not changed much from when my grandparents went there. You can rent a P.O. box which comes in handy if you only live here part of the year.

For what they do, they do a good job. Nobody's favorite place, the DMV. I had to renew my license,…read moreso wait in one preliminary line so they can figure out why you're there, then they'll give you a number and something to fill out (depending on why you are there, of course). Then, you get to wait for them to help however many people are ahead of you until it's your turn. Bring a book, tablet, or, the ever present mobile device and it will, hopefully, be relatively painless.

Ok, so, on 31 between Traverse City and Charlevoix there is Elk Rapids which is very cute and worth…read morea visit. In Elk Rapids you can take a side road called the Cairn Highway that travels through Elk Rapids and up alongside of Torch Lake, it's a scenic drive and won't take a bunch of time off of your route as it will pop you right back on to 31 again. While on there you will pass the 45th parallel (exactly halfway between the North Pole and the Equator) and at that spot there is a special marker where a rock from each of the counties in Michigan have been stacked into a small monument aka a cairn (which is what the highway is named after). By no means is this a destination location, the Eiffel Tower it is not, but if you are in the area and want a more scenic drive for 20 minutes and like obscure America then this is for you!

They are the best!! The staff is most helpful, the new…read morelibrary gorgeous, all is immaculate & we love being there.

We enjoyed stopping here. Pretty beach area to see especially during fall time. We also liked the…read moreplayground that was available mu daughter has fun playing here and it's not too far from the chocolate store.

A man who loved…read morelighthouses Robert Manning was a man who loved the sea and sailing and often remarked to his friends that he wished a lighthouse was in the Empire area to aid small boats in navigating the tricky and sometimes treacherous waters around the town. So after Mr Manning passed away his friends and family got together and collected enough funds to construct this 38 foot lighthouse. The lighthouse was lit in 1990 and stands in Lake Michigan State Park and is an active aid to navigation. You can go right up to the lighthouse but visitors are not allowed inside. The lighthouse is constructed of some kind of plaster and looks very attractive. The Robert H. Memorial Lighthouse is a wonderful tribute to a man that loved the sea. And it continues to help mariners navigator the waters just like lighthouses have done for centuries.