Petoskey, Michigan Reviews - Breweries, Winery, Beer Festival

September 2015

There are many unique brewery choices in Michigan. I never used to be a beer drinker until I started trying some of the craft beers when they became more popular a few years ago. Following is information about the breweries we visited in the Petoskey area.

Beards Brewery

Beards Brewery is located downtown Petoskey (207 Howard St), and we rode our bicycles there on the Little Traverse Wheelway from Petoskey State Park. 

Traverse City Michigan Area - Tour of Breweries & Wineries

March 2015, Saturday

We spent a full day in the Traverse City area visiting breweries and wineries, along with some walking and dining. Following is information about the places we visited and what they have to offer.

Brewery Terra Firma

Samples: Black Orchid Vanilla Bean Porter &
Ancho Chili Dutch Double Chocolate Porter

Brewery Terra Firma is a brewery, farm, and taproom (tasting room) just south of Traverse City on Hartman Road. It is pretty much located behind the Crossing Circle shopping center where Home Depot, Staples, and Office Depot are located, although there is not a road behind the shopping center. Hartman Road runs between US-31/37 and Cass Road.

This location opens at 10:00 a.m. Monday - Saturday, and it was our first stop as we were arriving from the south. It was more like a tasting room than any of the other locations.

They sell snacks (visible in the photo behind the beer samples, if you click on the photo to enlarge it), and food can be brought in or delivered to eat, as well. Beer samples were $1.50 each.

Lake Leelanau, Michigan / Lake Leelanau RV Park

October 2014, Weekend-weekday, 3-nights, Lot 3

sunset - lake view from lot #3

Advance reservations

Although I know that October is not a busy camping month in Michigan, I decided to contact Lake Leelanau RV Park before our stay because we had never stayed at the park before. I was impressed with the service we received. The female I spoke with was friendly and knowledgeable. She provided a lot of information while she assisted me choosing a lot. There had been a lot of rain in the area, so all of the lakefront lots were either too wet or were already reserved for the weekend. Since it was so late in the season, she offered us a premium site for the price of a regular site. We decided to stay three nights! She also did not require a deposit over the telephone (I had called only a couple of days before our stay).

Lot #3

We chose lot 3 because it is a pull-through lot next to the tree line. We initially were not interested in sites 1 - 5, because we thought they were back-in sites, and that we would be facing away from the lake. We learned these are great lots, when we were told they are pull-through sites. There is a drive along the tree line for trucks to exit lots 1 - 5 after parking the RV.

We did not choose lot 2 because there was a 37' RV on lot 1, and we thought the view would be more obstructed from that lot. Even if there had been an RV on lot 2, I think lot 3 is a better choice. Lot 3 has a fire ring, whereas lots 2 and 4 have a moveable fire container. I suppose this depends what you like, although it seemed like there was more room between lots 2 and 3, than behind us, or between sites 1 and 2.

All of the lots in this area had a level concrete pad, and all of the lots have 50 amp power, and cable TV hookup. Our cable line was not long enough to take advantage of this amenity.

We liked the lake and tree view from our lot, and we thought the site layout in the park was well thought out. The lots are staggered to provide maximum views of the lake. There was quite a bit of standing water in some areas, although lot 3 was dry for the most part.

We had brought quite a bit of wood with us, since it was cool at night. The campground sells wood, and we found out after we arrived that wood is free this time of year.

sunrise view from inside

Misc.

There is one bathhouse located in the center of the park. Each room is a toilet and shower combination. We did not use the showers during our stay. Below is a picture of the stream behind the restrooms that runs out to the lake.

There is a large lodge/activity room connected to the office/check-in area where coffee is available in the morning. There is a recreation area behind this building, with things like horseshoes and a volleyball area, although we did not check it out. About half of the lots in the park are seasonal.

We stayed at the park to attend the Hunt for Red October wine event in the Leelanau peninsula. This was a great location for the event, and we plan to attend next year, too!

Michigan Fall Color Tour -- NW lower peninsula

We enjoyed a wonderful drive around northern lower Michigan  the first weekend in October. We visited a couple wineries and saw some beautiful scenery and colors, although I think the second weekend would yield better colors.

The drive around the Leelanau peninsula through Suttons Bay, Northport, and Leland is a nice trip. The roads are hilly, which provides many great views of Lake Michigan, Lake Leelanau, and many different trees. Each town offers quaint shopping, wineries, great fish, and local dining options. 

Black Star Farms winery has three tasting rooms in the Grand Traverse Bay area. They sell a souvenir glass for $5, which you use to sample six wines. You can then reuse the glass for five more samples at a different time or location. We visited the tasting room in Grand Traverse Commons, and the winery on Old Mission peninsula. We were disappointed with the service and knowledge shared at the Commons location; however, we thought the Old Mission visit was great! The young man serving at Old Mission provided excellent and brief information about each product he poured, he provided bland crackers for in-between tastes (which we did not receive at the Commons location), and he provided chocolate truffles with the excellent raspberry dessert wine we sampled. We, of course, made a purchase at this location! If this was my business, I would implement a way for employees to receive credit for each purchasing customer (he could have provided a business card, or the cashier could have asked who assisted us). The service we received at Old Mission made an impact on our decision to purchase.

One reason I wanted to visit Black Star Farms is because I am an avid champagne lover, and had found this review of their 2008 sparkling wine: "Recently released and oh so bubbly our 2008 Sparkling Wine was reviewed by Tony Brueski on thetastespot.com.  As Tony notes this is not a sweet style sparkling wine but a rather dry one made in the classic brut style.  This wine pairs well with an assortment of dishes as well as being wonderful on its own." 

Brut is my preference, so I was excited to try this wine, especially since the price was under $15. I am sad to say that I did not like this product. It was more flat than bubbly, and lacked flavor. Two positive words that describe it are clean and crisp--much like many inexpensive white wines.  

We enjoyed beautiful fall colors alongside the 131 expressway through the Cadillac area on our way home. I was surprised that the colors in this area were more peaked than the ones in the Grand Traverse Bay area. I assume the bodies of water in the Bay area have an impact on this.