Suttons Bay, MI to Traverse City, MI

We make our way to the Duncan L. Clinch Marina, named for an army officer and Georgia congressmen (1787-1849). We are adjacent to the Clinch Park, which is home to the city’s most popular beach, likely as it is smack in the middle of downtown.

Traverse City is the largest city in Northern Michigan and the largest city we have been to for quite some time. There are actually traffic lights! Traverse City is proud to be the largest producer of tart cherries in the United States and they celebrate this accomplishment yearly in July with a week long National Cherry Festival, drawing 500,000 visitors. With a population of just over 15,000 residents, this is quite an influx of people and dollars to their region. It is not surprising then, when Captain Tom catches a plane tomorrow, he will leave from the Cherry Capital Airport, which has quite the reputation. According to Forbes, it is 2nd on their list of rip off airports. Who tops them at 1? Well, that would be Cincinnati! However, The rip off starts before your flight even takes off. We are just 3 miles from the airport, but an UBER (if you can find one) or a taxi (if they will get get up that early in the morning) will charge $40.00 for a drop off. Before the Captain gets ripped, we have one good afternoon and evening to explore the town together.😊

Unfortunately, that night a cold front moves in bringing very chilly temperatures, heavy rain, and lots of wind for the next several days. Captain Tom is lucky to fly away, and I take the visit from mother nature alone.

For the next several days it is just gloom, rain, wind, and cold. This is perhaps the first time we have both felt a bit confined and more than a little stir crazy!

We do have some bright spots when the sun does briefly make a few appearances.

Another bright spot was our experience with two of Traverse City’s finest restaurants, which bookended our week long stay.

Our last night, we took the free Bay Line Bus and went to the Village of Grand Traverse Commons. The Village of Grand Traverse Commons is now a multiple use complex with restaurants, shops, apartments, and offices. In the past, the complex buildings were all part of the Traverse City State Hospital, a psychiatric asylum housing the severely mentally ill.

We have dinner at Trattoria Stella, located in the basement of the former mental hospital. While most mental hospitals have a very negative history, this one does not. Unique for its time, was the hospital’s approach to the mental health treatment of its patients. Opened in 1885, its core belief was that if patients were surrounded by a beautiful environment, from the architecture to the grounds, the patient’s mood and mental state would be lifted. Therefore, each room had a window allowing for natural light and a beautiful view of the grounds. No restraints were allowed and most patients were able to enjoy meals at a dining room with white tablecloths, china, and fresh flowers on the tables. Perhaps it is the lack of bad history that makes this complex today a palatable area for shopping, eating and living.

Our trip to Traverse City was a bit longer than anticipated, but we survived the wind, rain, cold, waves and boredom! We know the time aboard is short, as the weather is changing quickly. We have a few very short stops before we haul Prime 11 out for a well deserved winter rest.

While we complain of our “little inconvenience” of a week of bad weather, our hearts go out to our southwest Florida friends, marinas, dockmasters, boat captains, etc. who are living a nightmare. As we just traveled this spring through Sanibel, Cabbage Key, Marco Island, & Everglades City, it is painful to know the pictures of our visit are all that remain of the beauty those places held. We have called Southwest Florida our fall through spring home for the last 9 years, and legacy harbor, in Fort Myers, was a part of it for a number of years. Prayers to you all!