Check out where to stay, what to eat and how to relax during a couples summer getaway in Traverse City. You’ll come back refreshed and want to come back year after year!
There is still plenty of time to enjoy temperate weather here in Michigan and enjoy a couples getaway to relax, refresh and spend some quality time with your significant other in the fantastic area of Traverse City located in Northern Michigan. And although this is titled “Summer Getaway” you can easily do the following activities in the fall and spring as well! Thanks to my parents, Dan and I had an opportunity for a two night getaway to celebrate our anniversary this summer. We decided that since we loved visiting Traverse City last year with the kids (and 11 years ago pre-children), it was time to head back without kids.
Now there are a ton of activities to do in Traverse City all year round, and I like to do practically all of them. However, since we only had 3 days and 2 nights, we had to not only choose a few but also seriously focus on relaxing and not come back home more exhausted than when we left. This is harder than you may think for us. And since the weather was more fall-like than summer, our weekend was geared more toward fall and spring activities.
WHAT TO DO AT THE GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT & SPA
Grand Traverse Resort & Spa does not disappoint with it comes to hospitality, entertainment and convenience. Being a resort, it definitely has more than enough to do on the property including several restaurants, shops, a health club and even three 18 hole golf courses.
SPA
We arrived in Traverse City in the early afternoon and started our getaway in the most relaxing way possible…a couples massage at the spa! The Spa Grand Traverse offers a ton of different services including nail care, facials, several kinds of massages and more. They also offer a selection of wine and specialty drinks for purchase after your spa treatment which I thought was an excellent addition to the experience. We had the “relaxation” massage and it was exactly that. We weren’t exhausted after nor did we feel extremely sore. We were refreshed and ready to start a few fun days together. And although Dan is not one to get massages, he thought it was amazing too!
INSIDER TIPS:
- Make sure to arrive at least 20 minutes early for your spa treatment to give yourself time to relax and get comfortable in their cozy lounge.
GOLF
Since I recently started taking golf a bit more seriously, we thought this getaway would be the perfect opportunity to fit in a round of golf. This was especially true since we were staying at the Grand Traverse Resort which includes three 18 hole courses which are ranked in the top 75 of golf courses in North America. 
We played the Wolverine course and although it was one of the most difficult courses I have played so far, I thoroughly enjoyed the well designed course. Of course Dan was in heaven being the avid golfer that he is, and is thrilled that his wife has begun to enjoy golfing too!
Everything from the golf carts with USB outlets, to coolers and a club/ball washer on each cart, to the pristine greens, it was the perfect round of golf. Newly added this year, the clubhouse is offering rangefinders free to use on the course. If you’ve never used one, I would highly recommend it, but be warned, you may just need to buy one after trying it out!
INSIDER TIPS:
- If you’re able to, try visiting during the week when it’s much less crowded. We started our round early Monday morning and practically had the course to ourselves.
- Check out the convenient snack shack at the turn. It’s not just full of snacks, they have sandwiches, snacks and all sorts of beverages. Dan and I both enjoyed their egg, bacon and salsa breakfast burrito. It was the perfect snack midway through our round.
PLAY
Did I mention we love to be physically active practically every vacation? Surprisingly this vacation we were less active compared to other trips. But this was not for the lack of opportunities. The Grand Traverse Resort has a phenomenal health club including indoor tennis courts, a weight room with cardio machines and a large enough pool for lap swimming. Of course there are also tons of trails around Traverse City to hike, bike and walk for outdoor exercise.
EATS
After golf we had lunch at The Grille restaurant, located inside the Resort’s clubhouse. It’s conveniently located at the end of the 18th hole of The Bear course (the most difficult of the three courses). The menu includes everything from sandwiches, salads and burgers, to shrimp and filet to please pretty much anyone’s taste buds.
I’m all about shrimp appetizers so I couldn’t resist ordering this crispy shrimp with a sweet cilantro lime sauce. I also enjoyed these delicious chicken lettuce wraps loaded with vegetables and a thai ginger sauce.
Dan enjoyed this hearty minestrone soup and protein-packed tasty cobb salad.
Even if you’re not playing golf, The Grille is a must try restaurant with an excellent view and even better tasting food.
Grand Traverse Resort also has a few other conveniently located restaurants within the resort including the Aerie Restaurant and Lounge and Sweetwater American Bistro. We enjoyed dinner at the Sweetwater American Bistro the first night we arrived. It’s casual atmosphere makes it a great place to take kids or grab a bite to eat for a quick breakfast, lunch or dinner before heading out to explore Traverse City. The menu includes a variety of sandwiches, salads, pizza, hot dogs and entrees. The Sunday breakfast buffet is also quite popular. Dan and I shared this creamy spinach dip served with warm pita bread. It was definitely one of my favorite spinach dips I’ve had.
Dan ordered the Salmon BLT sandwich served with a pita wrap and I ordered the Perch served on a Ciabatta Roll with variety of fresh fruit as a side dish. Both entrees were delicious and hearty meals.
And since both Dan and I enjoy french fries, we decided one of us should order the fries and the other order the fruit so we could share. This is one way to eat just a bit healthier while on vacation yet still enjoy your favorites.
And for an even quicker bite to eat, you can find grab and go sandwiches, pastries and specialty coffee drinks at Marketplace, located on the first floor of the Grand Traverse Resort. Dan and I enjoyed coffee (cherry flavored was their seasonal blend) and a whole wheat bagel the morning of our golf round. Our tee time was for 7:30 am so this was the perfect place to grab a quick breakfast to take with us. 
Of course we couldn’t resist visiting Dylan’s Candy Bar located on the resort’s main level which is stocked with a plethora of sweets including hard candy, specialty candy, fudge, ice cream and more! I chose the peanut butter and chocolate truffle (I know, shocking), and Dan picked their chocolate turtles. As you may imagine, we loved the chocolates and wished we had purchased more!
WINE/BEER TASTING
We couldn’t come to Traverse City without kids and not do some wine or beer tasting. Old Mission Peninsula which is only about 10 minutes from Grand Traverse Resort is well known for its wineries. We visited two on this trip and had a great time just exploring the peninsula by car. We then headed downtown Traverse City where we visited two breweries, Mackinaw Island Brewing Company and the North Peak Brewing Company.
I am pleased to say we actually came back from our trip relaxed and refreshed. Then we decided to head to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan two days later with our whole family, but that’s another story.
This post was of course geared toward an adult-only getaway, however, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa has a ton of activities geared toward kids (including a childcare facility), that Dan and I can’t wait to head back soon with the entire family to enjoy.
Disclaimer: I was not compensated to write this post, however our lodging, along with some meals and activities were provided by Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. And as always, all the opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.
This Couples Summer Getaway in Traverse City post first appeared on Chocolate Slopes.
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