. Named one of the Top 10 Islands in the World by Conde Nast Traveler, Mackinac Island is one of Michigan’s most unique tourist destinations. This season, leave the ordinary at home and set sail for this timeless and picturesque destination. Here’s a sneak peek of the new, the renovated, the milestone anniversaries and must-dos on

Where to stay

Spending the night on Mackinac Island lets you experience why this island is so magical. The sound of waves and freighters are showcased amidst the ever present clip clop of horses. The Island hosts many day visitors. Turning a day trip into an overnight trip will give a feeling like no other and memories for a lifetime.

This season, the 385-room Grand Hotel celebrates its 125^th anniversary with special events and packages to commemorate. Grand Hotel’s anniversary celebration will take place July 13-15, including a reception and fireworks on Friday night, presentations, a concert and tournament on Saturday, with a special celebration that evening. Book the 125th Anniversary Celebration Package and make plans to attend the celebration. Several commemorative items have been produced for the 125^th anniversary, including a 144-page coffee table book which is included in the celebration package.

Located in the heart of downtown, the Murray Hotel opens this season with updates to boast about. Visitors can get away from the hustle of Main Street and enjoy the improvements to the spacious spa pool and sun deck areas on the second floor. 

Please pardon our dust…something rarely observed on Mackinac Island is noticeable as visitors stroll down Main Street. Construction of the three-story Bicycle Inn is well under way. The new inn, on the site of the McNally Cottage property, is scheduled to open in 2013 with 36 rooms.

Where to eat

The food and cuisine of Mackinac Island is as diverse as the island itself. Plan a dinner at a beautiful waterfront location, a rustic experience in the wooded interior of the Island, or enjoy a cozy café.

The newest eatery to Mackinac Island, Twist-n-Sprouts, is gearing up for the season. Here visitors will enjoy making their own fresh salad from a variety of natural ingredients and dressings. In addition, Twist-n-Sprouts will offer a frozen yogurt bar with various flavors and toppings.

Other restaurant changes on the island include Grand Hotel taking over operations of The Village Inn, now Cawthorne’s Village Inn. The restaurant, owned by Mackinac Island State Park Commission Chairman, Dennis Cawthorne and his wife, Cynthia, was built and opened in 1981. The atmosphere for which the Village Inn is known hasn’t changed, visitors will enjoy an expanded menu with more Michigan products and organic selections.

What to do and see

Spend a weekend exploring the Island’s vast history of Mackinac Island. Hear the bugle music, rifle fire and a cannon blast at Fort Mackinac, which played a vital role 200-years ago during the war of 1812. Dance to a 19^th century tune, drill with soldiers and play Victorian children’s games. Relax during a leisurely carriage tour through the Mackinac Island State Park, including stops at the carriage museum and Wings of Mackinac Butterfly Conservatory. 

Allow the aroma of Mackinac Island fudge to fill the air around. Stop into Murdick’s Fudge Mackinac Island, Mackinac Island’s first candy shop, as they celebrate their 125^th anniversary. Check out the special of the day, an array of fudge flavors, brittle and other confections. 

Mackinac is known for its art galleries, featuring the works of Island and regional artists. Exhibits and workshops are held throughout the season. Making its debut this season. Mackinac’s Little Gallery. This Market Street destination is a must for fine equine inspired art.

When to celebrate

Plan a stay around a festival or event. Mackinac Island has plenty to celebrate this year, from milestone anniversaries to annual festivals and budding new events, the 2012 season will be a celebration.

Celebrating Mackinac’s lilac collection began more than 50 years ago. What began as a one day event has blossomed into a ten day festival, the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival, June 8-17, 2012. 

Thursday evenings come alive in Marquette Park with Music in the Park. Sit back and enjoy the delightful sounds and the spectacular view. Music in the Park, founded by the Mackinac Arts Council, has announced seven unique acts scheduled from mid-June through early-August. 

Over 600 horses call Mackinac Island their summer home and each July, the horsemen of Mackinac Island put on a grand celebration of all things equine, where the horse is King. With a saddle horse parade, blessing of the horses, breed show, symposiums and stable tours of the historic Victorian era barns on the prestigious West Bluff, the third annual Festival of the Horse, August 8-12, is the perfect time to visit the island. 

Visit www.mackinacisland.org or call (800) 454-5227 for more information.

After winter’s long sleep, the beauty of this wonderful place is at its fresh peak. The hills and valleys are misted in new greenery, the endless beaches are coming alive with warmth, and the air is filled with the scent of millions of flowering cherry trees.

A Traverse City spring has a gentler, more sensuous feel than most people associate with the “Up North” experience. It’s a time of moist warm mornings, golden afternoons and cool, lingering evenings; the summer crowds and heat haven’t arrived yet, and everyone seems to be wearing a mellow glow.

Even the travelers who find their way here in springtime are a different breed. They’re looking for something special -- a quiet retreat from the humdrum, a village shopping adventure, or a tasting tour of the beautiful wine country of the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas. (And it doesn’t hurt that in spring the enchantment of Traverse City is available at very reasonable prices.) 

Between now and May 17, the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau is offering a special "Traverse City Escape" package that combines special rates at participating hotels and resorts with great deals at some of the area’s best restaurants and special discounts on shopping, spa services, movies, wine tastings and other entertainment. 

Traverse City is an increasingly famous wine-producing region, with over 30 wineries and tasting rooms offering tours and tastings of their award-winning vintages, and its many restaurants are creating a national reputation for their fresh, innovative regional cuisine. (Bon Appetit has even named us one of America’s Top Five Foodie towns!) Spring is an excellent time to enjoy it for yourself -- before everybody else arrives. 

The region enjoys more than 150 inland lakes and hundreds of miles of Lake Michigan shoreline -- including the majestic Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, voted “Most Beautiful Place in America” last fall by viewers of Good Morning America . And although the water’s still a little chilly for swimming, you’d be surprised how many good sunbathing days there can be in a Traverse City spring! 

Surrounding Traverse City are deep, fragrant forests crisscrossed with trails for hikers, horseback riders and cyclists, and more than 20 golf courses with some of the most striking configurations ever designed. This is Michigan’s “Golf Coast,” an area Golf Digest named #12 on its list of the World’s Top 50 Golf Destinations. 

On a single morning, you could enjoy one of the best meals you’ve ever had, amble through the shops and stores of a friendly, tree-shaded village like Suttons Bay or Elk Rapids, or cast your line into one of America’s most famous trout streams. You could paddle the shores of a forest lake, play a round of championship golf, or take a drive through the most gorgeous display of spring wildflowers you’ll see anywhere.

Out-of-towners pronounce it “PAY-stee,” but locals tell you it’s actually “PASS-tee.” Either way, restaurants and pasty shops serve the main-dish turnovers throughout the Upper Peninsula.Beef, potatoes, vegetables and spices usually fill the hearty pasties, served hot. For unique gifts and clocks, casual atmosphere, homemade bakery items--and breakfast anytime, you’ll want to take time to stop in at The Swedish Pantry in downtown Escanaba. 

Bessie's Original Homemade Pasties—Fix your mouth for chunks of tender steak or chicken and fresh vegetables in a delicious pie crust. In business for over 48 years, this eatery serves up deli subs, pizza, smoked fish and ice cream. Patrons have the choice to eat in or take out. You’ll be delighted to know that Bessie’s even offers shipping of its taste favorites.

What used to be known as Grama T’s Pasties is now Irontown Pasties. The new owners are excited to be preparing these cozy meals along with bringing new items to the menu. Don’t worry, they still offer great varieties of pasties including the favorites--vegetable, spicy, traditional, as well as fruit turnovers. Along with their delicious warm pasties, you can enjoy many flavors of their hand-dipped ice cream. Your stomach will thank you later.

If you are craving some yummy Michigan food then you will want to stop at the Driftwood Restaurant & Sports Bar. They prepare Michigan Whitefish in a variety of ways such as smoked spread, battered bites, planked and in a bag. Along with all the choices of whitefish they have sandwiches, homemade soups, specialty burgers, Mexican, brick oven pizza, steak and pasta. To add to their already fantastic menu they offer Michigan wine and beer to make your dinner complete. One look at the menu and you won’t know where to start.

Galley Restaurant & Bar has been family owned and operated since 1976, which makes for decades of delicious home cooking. Their menu reflects the abundance of fresh Whitefish and Trout caught daily in Michigan’s Great Lakes. Other menu items that keep customers returning are their slow cooked prime rib, homemade soups, sizzling steaks, hearty pastas, and don’t forget the UP staple food, pasties. This is a restaurant that everyone will enjoy.

The Sault Ste. Marie Farmers’ Market is the best place to meet the friendly people that grow your local food every day. The market offers the freshest produce, eggs, poultry, meats, breads, honey and maple syrup in the UP. The market is open every Wednesday and Saturday for you to come and enjoy what the UP has to offer.

As you are traveling to see the majestic Tahquamenon Falls, stop by and warm up in the rustic atmosphere of Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub. The micro brewed selections will entice your senses as well as the aromas from the pub kitchen. Some of their delicious brew flavors are Lumberjack Lager, Porcupine Pale Ale and Black Bear Stout. This is a great place to come and relax while you enjoy some amazing Michigan beer and delicious food.

Michigan’s only historic cranberry farm started in 1876 and is known as Centennial Cranberry Farm. This farm sells fresh cranberries, cranberry products and cranberry gifts for anyone who loves cranberries. They are open from Memorial Day though October and offer farm tours and a farm market. Visiting a Michigan cranberry farm is a rare treat and a look back on Michigan’s history.

Stop into Sydney's Family Restaurant for a casual dining experience and enjoy some home cooked meals in a friendly atmosphere. Their menu caters to everyone as it includes a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. You will find delicious omelets, sandwiches, burgers, steaks, fresh Lake Superior Whitefish and mouth-watering desserts.

If you are a Michigan wine lover, then you may not have guessed that Threefold Vine Winery is one of three wineries in the Upper Peninsula. In 2002, Andrew and Janice Green began planting grapevines which has now turned into a Michigan winery full of delicious wines. The Threefold Vine Winery is open for tours to show you how grapes are harvested and wine is produced. Their tasting room is open for all to experience their exciting new wines grown in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Play a Part

One of the most dynamic automotive museum experiences, Driving America is a remarkable mix of authentic artifacts, digital media, interactive play and personal accounts that tells the story of how much the automobile has influenced our culture during the past 100 years. 

With over 130 of America’s most significant vehicles on display, these vehicles serve as a springboard for a new digital and interactive learning experience that helps visitors explore more – and have loads of fun doing it. 

Sprinkled throughout the exhibition are 18 interactive touch screens that offer thousands of additional details, images, videos and oral histories about the artifacts. And if you ever wanted to get under the hood of a historic vehicle, here’s your chance. Driving America allows you to digitally get inside the engines of select vehicles.

Cars, Diners, Drive-ins

For those who are all about the cars themselves, Driving America doesn’t disappoint, offering up a stellar and unprecedented collection of some of the most important and recognizable vehicles from century-old electric cars and current hybrids to muscle cars, racers and modern-day SUVs.

In the middle of it all is a small-scale replica of a drive-in movie theater and Lamy’s, a 1940s diner where you can sit, grab a snack and share a funny story with the colorful characters working behind the counter.  

Memories of a First Ride

Freedom. Responsibility. A rite of passage.  For many folks, a first car symbolizes the perfect blend of all these building blocks to adulthood – with lots of fun and fond memories tucked in the middle.

Share your first car photos and stories with The Henry Ford and America.

Plan a Getaway!

Be among the first to experience Driving America through our Affordable Vacation Packages. Starting at just $89, The Henry Ford Vacation Packages include overnight accommodations and two tickets to two attractions (choose from Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village or Ford Rouge Factory Tour).

Food writers, chefs and lovers of tasty food have been flocking here to sample the area’s fabled cuisine. For two years in a row, Midwest Living magazine has listed Traverse City among its Five Top Food Towns. Last spring, Livability.com gave it first-place billing among 200 American cities in its Top 10 list of Surprising Foodie Towns, and in September Bon Appetit magazine listed it as one of America’s Top Five Foodie towns. 

Impressive stuff, to be sure -- but just what is Traverse City cuisine, anyway? To be blunt, northern Lower Michigan has no dominant ethnic food tradition like the Creole cookery of Louisiana or Wisconsin’s German cuisine. Nor does it have a signature dish, unless you’re counting cherry pie -- there’s no local equivalent of Cincinnati chili, Philadelphia cheese steak or Chicago deep-dish pizza.

Traverse City cuisine is the opposite of traditional: it’s an eclectic, relatively recent movement that borrows freely from other regional styles and relies heavily on imagination, boldness and spunk. But if it has one defining characteristic, that would be a generous use of fresh ingredients from nearby farms, forests, waters and orchards.

From appetizers to dessert, local restaurateurs seem to be on a mission to showcase the best of what the area has to offer. Paul and Amanda Danielson, owners of the fashionable Trattoria Stella restaurant in the Grand Traverse Commons, are leaders in the so-called “slow food” movement, which is all about using fresh local ingredients wherever possible. 

Janice Benson, marketing director for Taste the Local Difference, a nonprofit group that serves as a go-between for farmers, restaurants and grocers, says that many chefs now routinely buy from nearby farms and orchards instead of ordering produce that has to be trucked in from hundreds of miles away. 

“And this isn’t just folks who look for local strawberries when they’re in season, but who are making a year-round efforts to shop for farm-fresh meat, milk, cheese and other items,” she says. “We have so much wonderful food here that it’s really not hard to do.”

It goes without saying, of course, that many chefs have always relied on the region’s abundance of fresh fruits. Mike and Denise Busley, owners of  the Grand Traverse Pie Company, have been featured on the Food Network and earned fans all across the United States, but they know their popular bakery/café wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the fresh ingredients they find all around them. 

"We wouldn't be doing this if we had to send to Washington for our apples or cherries," says Mike. "When people come to this area, they want to sample what the locals enjoy, and our job is to deliver that service. Can you imagine what would happen if we didn't use the best, local, fresh cherries or apples in our pies?"

Equally committed to that idea is Dave Denison, owner/chef at Amical, a downtown Traverse City bistro offering French and Italian rustic cooking. Most of the greens, tomatoes, herbs and fruits featured on Amical's menu are supplied by area farmers, while many of the fish that play such a prominent role on the menu are taken from the waters between Charlevoix and Petoskey. Local wines, from northern Michigan's red-hot wine scene are featured prominently, as well. 

Chefs Eric Patterson and Jennifer Blakeslee have made fresh local ingredients the mainstay of their tiny restaurant, The Cooks' House, where 90% of the menu is made with local products. The same can be said of other restaurants outside Traverse City, from the Good Harbor Grill in Glen Arbor to Pearl’s in Elk Rapids and The Boathouse and Mission Table at Bower’s Harbor. 

Nor is this movement confined strictly to high-end restaurants. Small tavern-style eateries like Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor and the Lil’ Bo in Traverse City have creative chefs who are enthusiastic about fresh local ingredients, while some of the region’s largest kitchens – like those at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa and the Great Wolf Lodge – are among the strongest supporters of the local-food movement. 

But there is another side to the story, too: the talented artisans who create delicious foods that you can sample, purchase and enjoy on your own – whether it’s a fresh baked loaf of bread, a warm cherry pie, a glass of crisp Riesling or a string of smoked sausages. So when you finally leave Traverse City, you can take some of that delicious goodness back home to tide you over until your next visit!