Wine and Spirits Travel

I was really excited about my first trip to Boyne Highlands Resort  in Michigan. I was especially thrilled that my brother, Mark, was coming with my niece and nephew (although I wished my oldest niece could come too). The plan was to all fly into Traverse City Airport, have lunch, and then make a visit to Bowers Harbor Vineyards before leaving town. This was my third trip to Traverse City and while I didn’t have a lot of time, I wanted to at least get one more of their fabulous wineries covered. My friend Mike Norton, Media Relations Manager at Traverse City Tourism, thought Bowers was not only a great winery, but as family friendly as a winery can be. You know what they say about the best laid plans. I arrived in Traverse City to find out the family had missed their connection. I knew immediately I where I was when I was looking for a cup of coffee. After all, where else would the coffee machine offer “Cherry Pie Cappuccino” other than in Cherry Capital Airp

It was time to head home after another adventure with my friend Lisa, but I wanted to squeeze a bit more into the Michigan experience. We had an early breakfast with J. Michael DeAgostino, Public Relations Manager for Grand Traverse Resort . I wanted to hear about the seasonal activities available here that I might be able to check out on future visits.   He told me about the exciting winter he was looking forward to at the resort, with snowmobiling, snow shoeing, ice skating, cross country skiing and even dog sledding. All of these winter sports operate out of the golf pro shop, which is a busy spot in the spring, summer and fall as they have three award-winning courses and a golf school here. We bid J. Michael farewell and made a stop at the Dylan’s Candy Store in the hotel’s lobby. I had never been to this outlet and I definitely felt like a “kid in a candy store” with all these options. I was overwhelmed , and had a long drive ahead of me, so I decided to escap

We had a full day of Traverse City exploring, eating and drinking that started with a delicious breakfast at the Sweetwater Bistro in the Grand Traverse Resort where we were enjoying our stay. My friend Lisa feasted on the Salmon Eggs Benedict, while I was enthralled with the Cornflake-Crusted French Toast. It was a short meal as Michael Norton of the Traverse City Convention and Visitors Bureau was waiting to take us around town for the day.  I had met Mike on my last trip here and was looking forward to catching up and seeing what he had scheduled for us for the day. The first stop was at L. Mawby , known for their sparkling wines. I had visited them a few years ago, but was anxious to taste the latest. The winery had expanded their collection as well as opening a patio for tastings a year ago. Larry Mawby took us through the selection, which includes: Blanc de Blanc, a very good 100% chardonnay sparkling with a long finish; Cremant Classic, made from vignoles

I love to travel and there are so many places I’d have wanted to return to. Unfortunately, I don’t get to do it too often since new destinations are always presenting themselves. Traverse City was one of the first places I visited as a wine and spirits travel writer and I fell in love with the food and wine, as well as the beauty of Lake Michigan. I vowed I would return someday. It took three years, but I finally got to make that trip. My friend Lisa and I were staying at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa during this getaway. I had visited it briefly my last time here and was anxious to stay and check out this full service resort. Our stay started in one of my favorite places – the spa – and it happened that the Grand Traverse Spa has been voted when of the top spas in America so it didn’t get much better than this. We could see right away how this spa earned its honors. Within 7,000 square feet (on two floors) there were 23 treatment rooms as well as a rel