The Relaxing Option: Spring Break in Traverse City!

Spring is coming, and that means Traverse City is gearing up for its annual influx of Spring Break vacationers.  

That’s right. While most Spring Breakers are swarming for the highways or waiting in airport lines to find warmth in the resorts of Florida, Mexico and other southern spots, a small but growing faction will head stubbornly in the opposite direction. North.

Traverse City’s fabled beaches and golf courses may still be a bit chilly this early in the year, but spring visitors will find a quieter, less congested holiday experience here in Michigan’s True North. Springtime in TC is relaxed and easygoing; accommodations are plentiful, and the locals are genuinely glad to see some fresh new faces.  

These Spring Break visitors do include some college students, but mostly they’re families with young children. For kids, a good hotel pool is every bit as much fun as a Florida beach – without the salt -- and there's no sand in your swimsuit at the end of the day.

Until recently, early spring has been a fairly sleepy time of year in northern Michigan where the weather in late March and early April can be notoriously fickle, bringing anything from howling blizzards to postcard-perfect beach days. That started to change with the opening of Traverse City’s 280-room Great Wolf Lodge, which introduced a new element into the traditional “shoulder season” cycle: an indoor water park. Other resorts followed suit, and vacationers realized they didn’t have to spend two or three days on the road to find a place where they could have a great time while their kids splashed around in the pool.

Traverse City’s growing reputation for great food, wine and craft beer have certainly boosted its appeal as a Spring Break destination, and the community’s museums, theaters, shopping districts and other attractions provide some added diversion – particularly if the weather turns chancy.  

Mainly, though, a Traverse City Spring Break is a wonderful time to focus on each other whether you’re shopping, taking in a concert or movie, eating a great meal or taking a long walk down the beach. It’s a simple idea: a chance to get out of the house and take a little family vacation without breaking your pocketbook or losing time (and patience) on a long trip.

Since spring is the off-season in Northern Michigan, vacationers not only can save themselves the expense of a two-day drive or a fistful of airline tickets – they can also take advantage of the seasonal rates offered by the area’s hotel and resort properties.