Visit the North Coast: Downtown Traverse City Vacation Guide

Our Traverse City vacation was perfect! We went mid-June and had no humidity, no rain and best of all because we went up on a Wednesday, hardly any traffic or crowds for most of the trip. Aside from the lively vibe in Downtown Traverse City there’s lots to do in the surrounding area, which I’ll get to later in a series of posts. For now, let’s talk about what we did right within walking distance of our hotel.

Delamar Traverse City Hotel Outdoor Pool

By the way, this photo is me in the pool of our hotel, Delamar Traverse City. They have the only outdoor heated pool in Traverse City and it’s open year-round! Perfect for your next Traverse City vacation, especially if it’s in the spring or fall before the temps are higher. We loved this place!

About the Traverse City Area

Traverse City is the self proclaimed “Cherry Capital of the World”. While the state of Michigan as a whole is known for their cherries, the Traverse City region is the epicenter of the fruit boom and their local airport, Cherry Capital Airport.

Aside from their cherry reputation, the greater area is affectionately referred to as the “North Coast” or “Middle Coast” with beautiful white sand sugar beaches, wineries and farms lining the peninsulas. Seriously, don’t sleep on this beautiful third coast.

Downtown Traverse City Dining and Hot Spots

There’s tons to do downtown, and parking is incredibly easy. We used the Hardy Parking Garage at 303 E State Street twice on our trip, paying $3 and $6, staying for several hours each time. It’s right next to Middle Coast Brewing which we visited, too. I recommend grabbing a spot and walking around from there. There’s also metered parking around downtown but it’s hit or miss. You have to feed the meter so it’s not as ideal if you’re not sure how long you’ll be there. Now, let’s talk food and entertainment!

Brew

Brew is a rustic-chic coffeehouse in the City Opera House building with all-day breakfast, microbrews and wine. Kevin and I stumbled in here when another breakfast place had over an hour wait and we didn’t have time. It was one of those great coincidence moments because we needed both breakfast and to stock up on water and snacks before heading to Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore and this place had both, saving us even more time.

I’d recommend Brew for a quick breakfast. We both had the bacon, egg and cheese bagel breakfast sandwich and Kevin also had a coffee. He liked it so much he got a second cup to go for the car ride afterwards. The sandwiches were amazing and allowed us to grab a quick but substantial bite before taking on a National Park all day!

Middle Coast Brewing

Great for happy hour, dinner or just drinks! Our third night in town we had dinner here and it did not disappoint. We were looking for a casual, relaxing vibe and Middle Coast Brewing was just that.

We sat on the patio out front on a perfect 70 degree evening enjoying our sandwiches and local brews. Being a non-beer drinker, I was excited to try a brewed in-house cherry seltzer they had, which was fabulous. I also ordered the bomb diggity grilled cheese which had cheddar, smoked Gouda, spicy feta, onion, tomato and pickled peppers with their sweet potato fries. Definitely recommend both!

The inside was industrial with some cool features like a mini camper you can actually dine in, and an expansive seating area with a view of the brewing equipment.

Pangea’s Pizza

One word: rooftop. I don’t think there’s any other rooftops in the downtown area, actually. None that we could find, anyway. So if you’re looking for really good food and a view of the bay, this is a no-brainer.

I had one of the best buffalo chicken pizzas ever there. Kevin had the Pangea Deluxe and the Short’s Brewing Pangea’s Pale Ale brewed exclusively for Pangea’s during our meal, both epic!

We also split an order of their Signature Cheese Bread and again, seriously delicious. They’re closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays though, so plan your rooftop adventures accordingly.

Espresso Bay

Kevin has an afternoon coffee daily, no matter what we’re up to, so we had to find a stop. Espresso Bay looked like a cool place to check out so we popped in. Loved the decor and loved the drinks!

Kev got a basic black coffee, his go-to order, and I had an iced cherry green tea. Both were great and I was excited to try yet another cherry offering, since cherries are so native to the area!

Coin Slot Arcade

Our second night in town we hit the Coin Slot Arcade after dinner for a really fun time on a small budget. They have a change machine in there so as long as you have some cash you can easily pick up some quarters to play games with on site.

I imagine this place would be GREAT if you’re traveling with little kids! It’s fun for adults and kids alike and sits on a lot where food trucks can park with ample seating. On the off chance there’s not a food truck there that day, there’s a neat sandwich shop next door so you can still enjoy a bite with your drinks and games.

Traverse City Sweets and Treats

Craving something sweet after one of the many dinner places on your Traverse City vacation? I have you covered.

Doug Murdick’s Fudge

We don’t have an abundance of fudge shops in Illinois, at least in the south suburbs where I grew up. So when we go on vacation, I like to bring home some delicious, quality fudge for family and friends. The Traverse City location is situated in the heart of downtown so you can’t miss it! Simply pop in on one of your strolls through the town.

It stays good for 2-3 weeks at room temperature or you can freeze it, making it the perfect souvenir if you’re bringing something home for family and friends. Pro Tip: the shop clerk told us DO NOT refrigerate the fudge!

Milk and Honey Ice Cream

This place caught my eye night one. They serve local, natural, organic, GMO free, 100% handmade ice cream. Yes to all of that! I love sweet cream and strawberry ice cream together. I’ve only really ever found both at Coldstone, it’s always the sweet cream flavor that places won’t have. However, Milk and Honey had it! I enjoyed a delicious medium cup of half sweet cream ice cream and half strawberry gelato and it was everything. So fresh and delicious!

Kev got their Sleeping Bear Sundae which featured cheesecake ice cream with strawberries and mixed raspberries and graham crackers. We visited Sleeping Bear Dunes earlier that day so he wanted to keep in theme, he’s the cutest!

Rocket Fizz

When I go on vacation, my other treat of choice is salt water taffy. YUM! We asked the guy in Doug Murdick’s if he knew of a good place for taffy and conveniently, Rocket Fizz was right across the street.

You can fill up a bag with all different kinds of candy for one set price, it’s a really cool concept and also very kid-friendly. We added taffy, Airheads and Jawbreakers to ours, yum!

Have you taken a Traverse City vacation before? I’d love to hear your thoughts on these hot spots and any other ones you love going to while in town. Drop them in the comments below, please!

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