North-country skiing began in the 1950s by Boyne Mountain near Boyne City, at Caberfae near Cadillac and at Bud's Hill, the future Crystal Mountain, near Thompsonville. Sugar Loaf Resort, Schuss Mountain and Shanty Creek were unveiled in the 1960s. Traverse City's Grand Traverse Resort in Acme signaled the latest generation of resorts when it entered the market in the mid-1980s. Today, tourism is big business and each community in the Traverse Bay Region has a visitors bureau or similar hospitality service. As the state has grown, each of our many Northwest Michigan communities has created its unique history.
Space limits our telling the heritage of each community.
We tried to give a broad-brush look at the overall region in this chapter, yet each particular community deserves a closer look. We urge to you do so at the many museums and historic sites that fill our regional map. To get you started on your trip back in time, read our Attractions and Daytrips chapter for ideas.