Originally Posted by
wicklundrh
Steve drilled it with Boones Long Lake in.
I'm actually from an area about 30 minutes south of Traverse City. It was the place we went when you needed to go to "The Big Town"!
Boones is a great spot to eat and can get busy in the evenings. They have been known for their steaks. Years ago they also used to have all you can eat Shrimp night. I think dad and I each ate 4lbs one night!
Jerry nailed it with Leland and Sleeping Bear dunes. The drive along the lake from TC up towards Acme is also a great trip. If you are in to golf, the Jack Nickolous course (The Bear) and the Gary Player course (The Wolverine) are perfect courses. If the family likes beeches, there is tons of them up and down the Lake Michigan coast. It seems like every little town has something great to offer in the area from Traverse City all the way down to Ludington.
South Of Traverse City on M37 you have the Manistee river. Tubing, Kayaking, and canoe trips are offered right at the bridge in Sherman. Used to be Johnson's canoe livery but that was years ago. Great brown trout fishing, some rainbows, and a few walleye. Along with Pike, suckers, small mouth, and catfish. There is also tons of bank opportunities. Baxter bridge is south of Buckly and a good place to park and walk up stream. I could give you a few holes and pointers in that area.
Frankfort, Benzie, and Beulah are all nice areas on the coast and south of Traverse City.
Take a look at all the cities up and down the coast before you go. One of them will have a festival going on and they are always a fun time with lots of stuff to see and activities. There are tons of lakes, rivers, and streams to fish all over the area. It just really depends on where you want to go, what you want to fish for, if you have a boat, and how much time you will have.