Wondering where to visit in Michigan this winter?
When you live in a state like Michigan, you’re spoiled with choices when it comes to cool places to visit during wintertime. Here are four of our favorites!
1. Whiting Forest/Dow Gardens in Midland
2. Frankenmuth
3. Traverse City
4. Petoskey
Dow Gardens / Whiting Forest
Get a higher perspective on wintertime nature.
If you haven’t heard, Dow Gardens in Midland, MI has recently added a Canopy Walk that was recent to Whiting Forest, and it lives up to all the hype! This is worth the road trip.
The sights are still unusual in the winter! If you enjoy walking in nature and seeing the trees, just imagine the picturesque views of the snow outlining silhouettes of branches. You’ll enjoy getting a unique perspective of nature from way up high – 40 feet above the ground!
The Canopy Walk is the nation’s most extended canopy at 1,400 feet. You’ll view 54 acres of woodlands, ponds, an apple orchard, meadows, and streams in Whiting Forest.
Also enjoy the Visitor’s Center designed by Alden B. Dow, a playground, and the Whiting Forest Café, Snake Creek, and two pedestrian bridges.
Included in the ticket price for the Canopy Walk is a pass to the other part of Dow Gardens, which will eventually be connected by a bridge. There you can enjoy 110 acres filled with flowers, plants, trees, streams, and wildlife. Beautiful red bridges connect the walking paths of the large, breathtaking estate.
The canopy walk is even handicapped accessible for people in wheelchairs. So bring everyone on your road trip to Down Gardens!
Distance from Bay City: 26 minutes
Frankenmuth
A winter shopping experience like none other.
From Bay City, MI, the short road trip over to Frankenmuth is well worth it. Also known as “Little Bavaria,” this German town is beyond picturesque. The snow lies beautifully on traditional German architecture, the decorations are always festive, and there are still new sights to explore each year.
But the real draw of Frankenmuth is the plethora of family fun attractions and streets of shops for all interests.
River Place Shops offers over 40 shops and attractions in an outdoor mall layout. A real wooden Covered Bridge can be a fun experience to cross either in your car or on one of the many horse carriages available in Frankenmuth. On Main Street, shops are everywhere. Bavarian Inn’s Castle Shops are great for souvenirs and gourmet treats. Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland is a nationally known holiday supply store that invites visitors from around the world.
Distance from Bay City: 34 minutes
Traverse City
Come for the bay, stay for the cherry pie.
Traverse City is a beautiful town on the coast of the Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. Famous for its cherries, Traverse City hosts an annual cherry festival—one of the biggest festivals in the state.
While the festival is in the summer, there are enough cherries for all year! Everything from cherry jam to cherry salsa. A road trip to Traverse City means treating your taste buds and finding the best gifts.
Consider yourself a wine aficionado? Take a wine tour of Traverse City and enjoy what Michigan has to offer in regarding its red, white, and winter wines. Enjoy the beautiful views of the local vineyards while you sip and savor.
Just 25 miles west of Traverse City is Sleeping Bear Dunes. These magnificent sand dunes are impressive in size, and even more, fun to hike. Sleeping Bear Park is more popular in the summer, but the park is open year-round. Those who visit in the winter months get a rare opportunity to snowshoe and cross-country ski on the dunes.
Distance to Traverse City from Bay City: 2 hours 31 minutes
Petoskey
Hit the slopes or hang out in a relaxed resort town.
Petoskey is a resort town that’s a great place to relax with nature and enjoy Victorian architecture! Located in northwestern Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, it’s another perfect place to view the shores of Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. There are a lot of local shops and restaurants to explore as well.
In the wintertime, Petoskey and northern Michigan host some of the most excellent skiing and snowboarding resorts in the Midwest. Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands, and Nub’s Nob ski resorts are all an easy drive from Petoskey. There are activities for everyone, including tubing, sledding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and more.
Nearby are the historic communities of the picturesque Harbor Springs and the charming lake town Charlevoix. These beautiful locations offer shopping and eating in their own right and are the perfect way to round out a vacation.
Distance from Bay City: 2 hours 32 minutes
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Are you ready to take your next Michigan road trip? Need a more reliable ride first?
Stop by Thelen today to find the perfect vehicle to transport your family for a week-long vacation. Perhaps just a girls’ or guys’ trip. We’ve got a vehicle that will fit your needs waiting for you!
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