Old Mission’s Top 10 Destinations
Join Emily Tyra for a drive along Old Mission Peninsula in Michigan.
Join Emily Tyra for a trip along Michigan’s M-37 as it winds past bountiful orchards, mighty waterscapes, historic lighthouses and much more.
Growing up on a cherry farm in Michigan’s fruitgrowing vacationland, just north of Traverse City, meant I learned to drive on the winding scenic roads with my mom as the watchful backseat driver. She always said, “Be on the lookout for tourists, bikers and farmers.” Mom was (and is) right, but it’s also good to set your sights on the rolling orchard scenes and water views along the Old Mission Peninsula, an 18-mile-long strip of land separating West and East Grand Traverse Bay. Let the ribbon of road called M-37 lead you to an idyllic place where growing food is a kind of art. Your Old Mission road trip starts now!
01. PENINSULA CELLARS
First up on our trip is a darling one-room schoolhouse turned into a family-run winery (left). Check out the geography lesson on the chalkboard detailing where Peninsula Cellars’ wine grapes grow, and order a glass of riesling or a creamy pour of some homemade root beer. peninsulacellars.com
02. QUILT BARNS
This “stop” is more of a scavenger hunt—no need to leave the car! Barns with quilt patterns painted on their sides pop up over a dozen times in Old Mission’s rural landscape. As you near Kroupa Road, spy the Johnson barn, built in 1909. Its quilt design is in the style of the LeMoyne Star. mibarn.net
03. OLD MISSION PENINSULA SCENIC OVERLOOK
A roadside oasis 8 miles into the journey seals the deal as to why M-37 is designated a Pure Michigan Byway. This perch, smack-dab in the middle of this unique landform, offers a perfect place to stretch. Everywhere the neck turns is a gorgeous bay view. It’s a spectacular “pinch-me, I’m-on-a-peninsula” moment.
04. TREASURE HUNTING
The first time I popped into Susan and Walt Feiger’s Old Barn Antiques was after blueberry picking at nearby Buchan’s Blueberry Hill. Another irresistible hour of “picking” ensued! The barn has three floors bursting with furniture, rare buttons, dresses, crocks, fruit jars, iron cookware and vintage toys. Walt’s workshop contains automobilia—gasoline pump globes, Michigan license plates and more. waltsoldbarn.com
05. VILLAGE OF OLD MISSION
This shoreside village was one of the first settlements in the region, and today it is an astonishingly intact blast from the past. Two must-stops include the 1891 Old Mission Congregational Church and Old Mission General Store.
The latter began as a fur trader’s wigwam on the beach in the 1830s and moved to a wonderfully quirky building just a few years later. Pick out a souvenir coonskin cap or treat yourself to a huge, heavenly cinnamon roll and a 5-cent coffee (yep, it’s true...and, yep, it’s a tiny cup!). For later, grab some ice and stock the cooler stashed in the trunk with spicy-sweet cherry pickles, homemade spinach pies and horseradish cheese that the store’s owner mixes up with a 12½-year-old cheddar. facebook.com/Old-Mission-General-Store
06. LIGHTHOUSE PARK
M-37 creates a cul-de-sac at the peninsula’s tip, which is just south of the 45th parallel, the halfway point between the North Pole and the equator. Park and find the stately and photogenic Mission Point Lighthouse standing watch over Grand Traverse Bay (below). The lighthouse museum offers glimpses into what life was like for turn-of-the-century lighthouse keepers. The grounds make for magical rockhounding, or how about that picnic? missionpointlighthouse.com
07. PYATT LAKE’S BILL CARLS NATURE PRESERVE
Bring along some hiking boots‚ or galoshes, for this roadside attraction. Lake Michigan’s current high water means this beautiful marshland is a bit wetter than normal. It makes sense, because thousands of years ago Pyatt Lake was actually a part of Grand Traverse Bay. The preserve’s cathedralesque forest is serene and wildly biodiverse; in the spring, seemingly millions of trillium carpet the soft forest floor. gtrlc.org
08. BOWERS HARBOR PARK AND POWER ISLAND
The boat launch at Bowers Harbor Park is a favorite starting point for paddlers because this sheltered natural harbor is typically calm (and always pretty). But no boat, no biggie: It’s also the ideal vantage point to see Power Island just offshore. At one time it was called Ford Island, after Henry Ford, who owned it from 1917 to 1944. How’s that for some road trip trivia!
09. JOLLY PUMPKIN
This stately manor was once the summer home of Charles Stickney and his wife, Jennie (who some say haunts it).
Today the building houses two restaurants, one for fine farm-totable dining and one for casual. Jolly Pumpkin is the casual side, where you can find a local-foods-inspired pub menu that includes bubbling hot smoked whitefish dip. It’s pure Great Lakes goodness. jollypumpkin.com
10. BRYANT PARK BEACH
Wrap up a day well-spent at the base of Old Mission Peninsula. Here is a quiet swimming beach that’s also hands down the most beautiful place to watch the sunset in Traverse City. Pull out the binoculars for a close-up of the Tall Ship Manitou, a replica of an 1800s coasting cargo schooner, plying West Bay on one of its afternoon or evening cruises. tallshipsailing.com