Originally built in 1904, The Inn at Stonecliffe on Mackinac Island just underwent a property-wide transformation, rendering it the perfect retreat for immersing yourself in the charm of the island. Originally built in 1904, the renovations are airy and modern, while still honoring the property’s Edwardian history. Expansive lakeside grounds is home to firepits and classic lawn games overlooking the magnificent views of Mackinac bridge and the straits connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, while the restored apple orchard serves as a sanctuary for the island’s natural inhabitants including the addition of beehives, chicken coops, and a garden. The island’s iconic Grand Hotel is debuting new renovations as part of a larger five-year renovation project that reignited its partnership with the interior design firm, Dorothy Draper & Company, known for the use of bold, bright colors, large imposing stripes, and striking floral patterns. The iconic Woodfill Suite has been transformed, as well as the Cupola Bar, a preppy cocktail bar with nightly live music.
Alternatively, lakeside rental cabins from Northern Migration offer beautifully curated options in prime locations for a true “Up North” experience. Or come along and experience the beauty of Torch Lake at one of Water Camp’s three vintage modern cabins.
Where to Eat
The lakes might draw you here, but you should also take a moment for the food. Abundant produce thrives in the hearty Midwestern soil, and the lakes teem with whitefish, walleye, perch, and lake trout. Michigan is the runner-up in terms of agricultural diversity in the United States, second only to California, and although we’re well known for our sweet cherries, there’s plenty more bounty to celebrate. Gilchrist Farm Winery, a new vineyard in Lake Leelanau, debuted its Suttons Bay tasting room in August 2023, featuring wine and upscale, seasonal small plates, like berbere bison meatballs with smoked tart cherry coulis and summer corn agnolotti.
Supper at The Mill is this year’s hottest restaurant opening, housed in a painstakingly restored historic 1879 grist mill on the banks of Crystal River. The building has slowly opened one concept at a time, first an artfully designed espresso bar and cafe, followed by lodging rooms. Now, the upper level is open for sophisticated dining, led by chef Bobby Thoits, who presents new American cuisine that features the bounty of Northern Michigan in a family style format. The menu features a who’s who of the area’s best farms, with dishes such as onion toast on housemade sourdough with Idyll Farms goat cheese, trout with spring peas and wild rice, and inventive desserts, such as spruce tip ice cream.
Traverse City is the heart of Northern Michigan’s dining scene. Husband and wife team, Andy Elliott and Emily Stewart, trained in Michelin-starred kitchens in Chicago before opening Modern Bird, the hottest new reservation in town. The cheese bread with ranch butter is addictive, and seasonal vegetable-forward dishes steal the show, such as smoked carrots with labneh and spiced almond crunch. Hexenbelle’s breakfast and lunch menus are rooted in owner Christian Geoghegan’s Palestinian heritage. Order the breakfast pita with fried spiced potatoes and smashed eggs in chipotle sauce nestled alongside crunchy cabbage, with a peanut butter tahini cookie for dessert. Equal parts working farm, market, restaurant, and brewery, Farm Club opened back in 2020 from the team behind Loma Farm, and it remains a hot ticket, offering diners locally sourced, inventive cuisine paired with exciting spirits. Tables can be hard to come by in peak season, but snag a seat in the beer garden and enjoy the view of the fields. And snag your reservations now for Forrest, a natural wine shop that hosts multi course weekly dinners, with a set menu focused on highlighting local bounty, like stuffed squash blossoms and halibut cheek confit with ramp mojo in May and strawberry pavlova in June. There’s only one seating per evening on Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. NoBo Market, meanwhile, is not only a collaborative cafe and beverage bar serving Light of Day tea and Higher Grounds coffee, but also an incubator kitchens and mentoring program that offers space for aspiring chefs and locally sourced food purveyors from the Grand Traverse region to test their concepts through food stalls and pop up events.
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What to Drink
The area’s three AVAs – each with its own unique grape-growing terroir- include the Leelanau Peninsula, which stretches from Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes to the western arm of Grand Traverse Bay, straddling two bodies of water, Lake Leelanau and Lake Michigan; Old Mission Peninsula situated just across the bay from Leelanau; and the state’s newest AVA, the Tip of the Mitt. Especially exciting are the sparkling varieties popping up from new-to-the-area vintners: Bos Wines’ Methode Agricole is an effervescent treat; Neu Cellars’ sparkling riesling quickly became a favorite summer pour; Folklor’s Ode to Home Pet nat is an elegant, floral delight.
