cathee

My husband and I are 50's ---- love to hike, bike, golf and the water. We are trying to decide on renting at the Homestead in Glen Arbor or a condo on the coast near Traverse City. Has anyone been to both places who could compare/contrast them? Is Traverse City too commercialized, or is it a lovely quaint town---we loved Charlevoix and Petosky. We are looking at the first week in June. Also, will we need A/C in a condo at that time?

ruwithme

I haven't "stayed" in Traverse City but we did drive thru on our way to the Homestead. To me, Traverse City was more commercialized than the Homestead. I remember while driving north the views from TC were breathtaking (kind of a teaser) there was more beauty to come! The lakes in Glen Arbor are awesome.

artman

The difference between Charlevoix,Petosky and TC is that more than likely if you stay on the water in TC
( which is beautiful) you are completely removed from any hiking, biking and shopping in TC. Downtown TC is charming and has great restaurants and the new State Theater but your going to have to drive there from any of the beach resorts where you will stay. Also on one side you will have your hotel,beach and the other side of the road is a very very commercial strip.
The Homestead is much more of a peaceful setting. It is close to Glen Arbor and the heart of the Sleeping Bear Lakeshore. Hiking, and biking and golf will abound.
You may want to also check out the Jollie Lodge resort between Glen Arbor and Leland. Its a very quite old style resort/cottages. Very peaceful. The Homestead is fine if you like more modern condo type of stay.
You will not need AC the first week in June. More likely you will need the heat!

Keith

You will only need AC if there is near record hot weather. Normal highs in TC for the first part of June would be in the mid 70s.

Keith

SuzieTrue

One drawback to the Homestead is that you have a limited choice of restaurants without considerable driving. On the plus side, you are close to some wonderful wineries in the Leelenau Peninsula.

As Keith said, early June is not usually A/C weather. In fact you may very well need jackets/sweatshirts.

cathee

I will check out the Jolie lodge or one of the condos in the Homestead. It definitely sounds like we will prefer that to TC. Maybe we'll drive up there for a day. thanks for the suggestions

mikesmom

My husband and I are in our mid-50's and go to Traverse City every year. We stayed at the Homestead once many years ago, and it was very nice. If you like to hike, bike and golf, the Homestead is probably a good choice for you. We stay in Traverse City because we like to be right on the water and I enjoy going into downtown Traverse City for shopping and restaurants. We also take day trips to Leland, Suttons Bay, Northport, etc.

If you are doing research on accommodations in Traverse City, be sure to check out The Tamarack Lodge (tamaracklodgetc.com) I can highly recommend - it is beautiful.

cathee

I did see the Tamarack, infact it is my first choice if we stay in TC---What is right there, other than the water? Can we walk right to TC--is there any kind of a boardwalk or bike path nearby? I do love a water view----The homestead does appear to have some waterside condos, though. Do you remember where you stayed at the Homstead? We like to bike, hike etc---but we don't like to be out in the middle of nowhere, either.

mikesmom

Cathee:

The Tamarack Lodge is beautiful, but, unfortunately, you can't walk to downtown Traverse City from there. You can, of course, walk on the beach a long way. There are lots of restaurants near the Tamarack Lodge on US 31, but nothing really special, except Don's Drive-in right across the street - great burgers! However, there are many great restaurants in the area to discover - within a few minutes drive. Since my husband and I don't hike or bike, I'm not aware of any paths right there. If your husband wants to golf at the Grand Traverse Resort (the Bear, I think), that is about a five minute drive.

We did not have a water view at the Homestead. Our accommodations were fine (not really special), and we prefer to be right in TC -- but that's us.

Our accommodations at the Tamarack Lodge were fantastic. We had a two bedroom, two bath condo. It was 1,500 square feet, beautiful kitchen with granite and stainless. Arts and Crafts decor. Two flat screen tv's. Just beautiful. We would be going back today actually, but my husband is very seriously ill and it is not to be.

Have fun on your trip.

cathee

Thanks so much for your quick response and all of the information---we do have a hard decision to make!! Sorry about your husband.

mikesmom

Cathee:

Thank you.

ruwithme

My family of 4 stayed in a 1 bdrm condo in Stony Brook. Yes,the condo itself was not right on Lake Michigan, but we had a beautiful view of the lake. It was either a short walk to the Homestead beach or they offer a shuttle. Stony Brook also had a pool area and a fire pit.

Since we booked our room through Homestead we were able to rent bikes and kayaks. My 9 y.o. daughter and biked aprox 12 miles outside of the Homestead while my DH and 6 y.o kayaked.

Good luck in your planning!

dmkujat

It really IS a matter of personal choice. I lived in the area for 13 years, and the Homestead is beautiful, quiet and scenic. You can take several day trips from there, but you are not close to a real city-type town. If you prefer the quaint, small towns, you will be fine. Empire and Leland are very cute small towns, a lot like Petoskey and Harbor Springs. Traverse City is definately touristy, though lucky for you, early June will be a good time to go. It doesn't get crazy until the Cherry Festival which is fourth of july weekend. Then, it is maddening to even drive through there! You will enjoy some nice weather, though probably on the cool side. Its really a perfect time, outside of september, to travel that area. The Mission and Leelanau Peninsulas have lots of wineries, quaint towns (a lot like Petoskey and Harbor Springs) and there are great places to bike on both peninsulas. There is also a paved bike path in TC. You will be road riding near the HOmestead, but the traffic will be generally lighter in early June. I hope you enjoy your stay. It is a special area and one I miss now that I have moved away!

kismet04

The Homestead itself is pretty quiet and peaceful in comparison to Traverse City, which can be mobbed by tourists. But it is also a great town. Depends on whether or not you want natural beauty or a hopping resort-type town. The Homestead beach is beautiful with a view of the Manitou Islands and is never crowded. If you stay at the Homestead and then venture into Leland, Traverse City or Glen Arbor, you can have both the natural beauty and the shopping and dining choices of a larger area.

We have been staying at the Homestead for more than 25 years and have stayed in many different condos. My favorite areas are Beach Comber and South Beach. I also like Hawk's Nest, which does not have direct beach access, because it is high above the lake. But you have a view of the lake from your deck and can hear the waves at night.

Many of the units at the Homestead have ceiling fans (but no A/C), which will be all you would need in early June.

cathee

thanks for everyone's great advice. we decided to book a suite at the Inn, (homestead) close to the lake. It looks perfect for us---a view of the lake, right across from a pool-- I"m sure we will take in a winery and definitely spend a day and eening in TC. We are looking forward to a relaxing few days.