What a beautiful area. There are lots of lakes, Grand Traverse Bay, rivers, creeks, and of course Lake Michigan close by. There are also lots of pine and deciduous forests here, mostly maple and oak. Years ago this was a very busy and prosperous lumber area. Now the area's major industry is cherries and Christmas trees, as well as tourism.
Every summer there is a week long National Cherry Festival held in Traverse city.
Thousands of people flock to the area for the fesitivities. There are parades, art fairs, contests, an air show by the Blue Angels, musical groups, and lots of other activities. The Christmas trees that are shipped to Arizona at Christmas time come from this part of Michigan too. In addition to cherries and Christmas trees, this area has lots of other farming too. Grapes are grown here and there are several new wineries.