It’s not a secret spot for many Michiganders, but to many who live out of state, this gem of an area is getting some national attention thanks to a big publication listing it among the top 24 places to travel to in 2024 in the entire world.
Northwest Lower Michigan is listed, in no particular order, among places in Australia, Greece, Spain, Indonesia, Morocco and The Balkans, as a top travel destination in CNN’s “Where to go in 2024: The Best Places to Visit” list.
For this list, the national publication said it wanted to look at places which were still largely undiscovered, alluring in the offseason, or frequently overlooked for their larger first cities or neighbors.
Of Northwest Lower Michigan, it wrote: “Refreshing, unsalty Lake Michigan lures boatloads of tourists in summer, but the shoreline, quaint towns and rolling countryside of Northwest Michigan have plenty to offer year-round.”
“On Grand Traverse Bay, Traverse City makes a great home base for exploring wineries on the Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas or picking cherries or apples in season. Then fall’s foliage is ripe for peeping, followed by winter’s inviting blankets of snow.”
The listing also cites the M-22 highway, which is one of the most scenic drives in the country, especially during the fall colors. “The highway winds up the Leelanau Peninsula and hooks back down through Leland, home to a historic fishing village and a collection of interesting shops and galleries.
And, of course, you can’t mention Northwest Lower Michigan without saying something about Sleeping Bear Dunes. “Glen Arbor is another town worth perusing on the way to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where off M-109, an all-sand, 3.5-mile hike over massive dunes to the Great Lake and back preps hardy hikers for a delicious dinner.
CNN’s “24 Best Places To Visit in 2024:”
- Sumba, Indonesia
- Turkey’s Black Sea coast
- Tartu, Estonia
- Tainan, Taiwan
- Trans Dinarica Cycle Route, Balkans
- Culebra, Puerto Rico
- Angola
- Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
- South Korea
- Albania
- Chile
- Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia
- Macedonia, Greece
- Panama
- Galicia, Spain
- Singapore’s offshore islands
- Mérida, Mexico
- Morocco
- Florida’s freshwater springs
- Texas Hill Country
- Fujairah
- Greenland
- Uzbekistan
- Northwest Lower Michigan