Suttons Bay and Traverse City, Michigan / Recreation, Marinas, Camping...

August 2018

This post goes along with the previous one about dining and area info. We stayed in Suttons Bay and Traverse City two different times in August (7 nights total). 

Sunset in Suttons Bay from boat slip 58

Boating, marinas, campground

We enjoyed fabulous boating weather in Grand Traverse Bay! We stayed at Suttons Bay Municipal Marina for two nights. This is one of our favorite marinas: the water is beautiful, it is a peaceful town, there is a beach next door, and the rates are reasonable. We were in slip 58 one night, and 59 the second night, which is our preferred area in this marina. We were supposed to be in slip 58 both nights; however, a vagrant boater tied up his boat in that slip the night we were gone, and he did not return to cover his boat and then sneak out the next morning, until the office had closed. Fortunately, slip 59 was open, and the dock hand reassigned us.

Arriving at Power Island. About 15 boats already anchored.

Power Island (previously known as Marion Island) is located in the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay between Suttons Bay and Traverse City. We anchored there for the night on a Saturday evening. The water was perfectly calm, and we observed the most boats we have ever seen anchored at the island--over 25! We ended up having to re-anchor after dusk because a boat with a very loud generator came later in the day, and then rafted up with a nearby boat for the evening. Our previous stays in this anchorage have been more peaceful with less boaters.

Sunrise from Power/Marion Island.
We heated up egg bagels on our grill, visible at the bottom of photo.

Northern Michigan Dining, Breweries, Wineries, Happy Hour, and more!

August 2018

We visited Suttons Bay and Traverse City two different times in August (7 nights total). This post covers some new beverage and dining venues we discovered. I will have separate posts about recreation and other topics. We learned about some of these places from the Visitors Centers, and some from What's Up Michigan's website. I am not sure how well the What's Up Michigan site is maintained, as I also found several expired or invalid links within their site. Make sure to check dates when looking for information.

Blue Tractor Slider for $3 ~ delicious!

Dining and specials

We visited Blue Tractor Barbecue in Traverse City because we had a coupon for a free slider. We were surprised when we arrived and saw this is a restaurant/bar. For some reason, we had expected a food truck. We also ordered a Bloody Mary, and learned when we received the bill, that Bloody Marys are on special for only $1.50 on Sundays!

Blue Tractor menu

The slider was amazing, and the regular cost is only $3. We had planned to stop again during our second visit to the area; my husband wanted another BBQ, and I wanted to try the Tractor Salad. Unfortunately, things did not work out for us. The service was excellent, as well. We thought Blue Tractor Barbecue was an excellent find, definitely worth visiting again.

Montague and Whitehall, Michigan / attractions, lodging, boating, beaches, bicycle trails, food & beverage

July 2018

We stayed at Trailway Campground in Montague for a month starting at the end of June. I am sharing some of our experiences and area finds for future travelers. I have condensed much of the information to keep this post from becoming even longer. Please let me know if you want more details about any places we visited.

Sunset colors over the field behind Trailway Campground

Lodging: Trailway Campground, White Lake Municipal Marina, Elllenwood Landing

We stayed on site 46 at Trailway Campground, which is a pull through site near Montague Foods. This is a grassy site with plenty of shade. All of the sites are grassy, and other than a few tent sites, they all have full hookup. There is one community fire pit, and wood is provided. Although this campground is located in town, it is peaceful. We were not disturbed by any traffic noise during our stay.

Partial view of campground from trailhead parking where we kept our boat

We wanted to leave our boat in the water a couple of times during our stay, so we rented a boat slip two different times: Ellenwood Landing Marina for one night, and White Lake Municipal Marina for two nights. Ellenwood Landing is located across Dowling Street from the campground. This marina has a clubhouse, swimming pool, and hot tub. White Lake Municipal Marina is located next to Goodrich Park in Whitehall, ½ mile away. Both are decent marinas with locked bathhouses and Internet access. The municipal marina does not have the extra amenities that Ellenwood has, and the cost was half as much per night for our 25' boat (Ellenwood $60, Municipal $30).

July 4th fireworks from our slip at White Lake Municipal Marina

Battle Creek, Michigan / Holiday Inn

July 2018, Weekday, 1-night, 2-queen guestroom 512

In 2011, I stayed in this hotel and received an upgrade to the Honeymoon Suite! You can read about that stay in my previous blog post. Although this is a nice hotel, this stay was not as fabulous, and I encountered a couple of minor issues.

View of the Holiday Inn from the Meijer parking lot in the morning

Platinum perks and check-in

During check-in, the agent recognized my status, and asked if I wanted the bonus points for my Platinum perk, which I gladly accepted. She spoke in a huge rush, and I had a difficult time understanding her. I made a pleasant remark about needing to think about what she had said before replying because she spoke so fast. She did not respond to this, and she did not slow down, as she had me initial the check-in sheet. She did not offer any information about the guestroom or hotel before handing me the keys to my room.

Quiet Zone sign on floor 5

Kendallville and Auburn, Indiana / Hampton Inn

July 2018, Weekday, 1-night, Two-queen guestroom 305

Sunrise from Hampton Inn guestroom 305

For this trip, I initially wanted to stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Kendallville. I was unable to make a reservation online after July 17, 2018, so I called IHG to find out if the hotel was closing or what was happening. The employee I spoke with did not know anything. She transferred my call to someone at the hotel, who made my reservation. I provided my IHG member number, so I expected the reservation to show under my profile the next day. When it did not show up, I called the hotel back to ask direct questions. I found out the hotel was being transferred/purchased by a new chain. The person I spoke with said she thought it would be Choice Hotels, but did not know for sure. It seems like IHG would have known this property was leaving their brand. I decided to cancel my reservation in Kendallville a few days before July 17th, as the hotel still showed under the IHG profile, and it was not listed under Choice Hotels. When I drove by the hotel in Kendallville on my way to Auburn, Indiana, I saw that the hotel in Kendallville is now a Best Western.

Hampton Inn gold perks and Auburn check-in

I received my choice of two snacks when I checked in at the hotel. The room I was initially assigned was not on the top floor. My profile and special requests are for top floor, so I asked if there was a top floor room available. The employee said she did not have a king guestroom on the top floor, although there was a queen room available, so I said I would take that.