It could be that a doctor’s prescription might simply say “visit Leelanau.” Actual scientific data now supports what we here in Northern Michigan already know. The Leelanau Peninsula is not only a wonderful place to visit, to dine, to have fun, but it is also physically good for you. A study conducted by the University of Wisconsin and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation named Leelanau County the healthiest in Michigan and third healthiest in the entire country. The data they used included factors like the physical environment, which we know is conducive to getting off our duffs and getting active. It also doesn’t hurt that you can drive, hike, snowmobile, canoe, ski, boat, snowshoe, skate or run all throughout the peninsula and never find one single fast-food restaurant. Up here, we say, “what obesity epidemic?”
2012, Yahoo.com calls Sleeping Bear Dunes one of the Top 5 ‘non-ocean
beach” destinations in North America. Touring & Tasting called the Old
Mission Peninsula one of its Seven Top Wine Regions to Watch. USA
Today named Sleeping Bear Dunes one of the Top 10 Places to Watch
Wildlife. The list goes on and on and we’ll post the list below (hat
tip to Mike Norton at the Traverse City Convention & Visitor’s
Bureau).
region, what might we win in the future? So, the government of the
Cherry Republic held a special parliamentary session to decide what
“best of” list we list should include us next:
Mortuary Today: Best place to breathe your last breath.
Island Life: Best place to be stranded
Survivalist Times: Top places to live off the grid
Forbes: Best place to own a second home
Dogman Days: Top spot for mythical animal sightings
Journal of the American Medical Association: Best place to hold clinical trials for asparagus pee cure.
“Healthiest Place in the State” and third in the nation from a
University of Wisconsin study.
Budget Travel (Feb. 2012) named Traverse City one of the 11 “Coolest
Winter Places in America”
Draft Magazine (Feb. 2012) named Traverse City one of its three
“emerging beer towns” for 2012.
Best Places USA (Oct 2011) gave Traverse City the top spot in its list
of 10 of America’s Best Beach Towns.
US News & World Report (Oct. 2011) named Traverse City one of the Top
10 Places to retire in 2012.
Livability.com (Oct. 2011) named Traverse City one of the top 10
Cities for Book Lovers.
Outside magazine (Oct. 2011) listed Traverse City as one of 18 towns
where “Life is Better.”
Yahoo.com (Sept. 2011) named the Sleeping Bear Dunes one of the Top 5
‘non-ocean beach” destinations in North America.
Touring & Tasting (Aug. 2011) called the Old Mission Peninsula one of
its Seven Top Wine Regions to Watch. (The only non-California region
on the list.)
BootsnallTravel.com (Aug. 2011) listed Traverse City as one of eight
“Best American Small Towns for Foodies”
Viewers of Good Morning America (Aug. 2011) voted the Sleeping Bear
Dunes National Lakeshore as the “most beautiful place in America.”
“Dr. Beach” (July 2011) listed the Sleeping Bear Dunes National
Lakeshore as the best beach on the Great Lakes.
Bicycling Magazine (July 2011) listed Traverse City as one of the “Six
Best Cities for a Bike Vacation”
Links Magazine listed Traverse City as one of America’s Top 20 Golf Cities.
Boating Magazine (June 2011) named Traverse City one of 10 Best Places
to Live & Boat
USA Today (March 2011) named Sleeping Bear Dunes one of the Top 10
Places to Watch Wildlife
USA Today (Oct. 2010) named Traverse City one of the Top 10 Places to
Enjoy Local Wines.
TripAdvisor.com (Oct. 2010) named Traverse City one of America’s “Top
10 Fall Foliage Destinations.”
Triathlete Magazine (Oct. 2010) said Traverse City is “one of the top
Tri towns in the US.”
Bon Appetit (Sept. 2010) named Traverse City one of America’s five top
foodie towns.
AOL Travel News (June 2010) gave Traverse City the #8 spot in its list
of America’s Top Ten Beach Towns, and named Traverse City one of the
Top 10 “Coolest Towns in the States.”
TripAdvisor.com (May 2010) listed Traverse City in second place in
“Our Top 10 Charming Small Towns.” (First Place went to Carmel, CA.)
Livability.com (April 2010) listed Traverse City in first place in its
Top 10 list of Surprising Foodie Towns, after surveying 200 American
cities..
TripAdvisor.com (Oct. 2009) listed Traverse City as one of America’s
Top 10 Wine Destinations.
National Geographic.com (Oct. 2009) named Traverse City one of
America’s “Top Adventure Towns.”
Money Magazine (Sept. 2009) listed Traverse City as #3 on its list of
25 Best Places to Retire.
USA Weekend (July 2009) listed Traverse City as #4 in its list of Five
Great Towns to Retire to.
Midwest Living placed TC on its list of the Midwest’s Five Top Food
Towns in 2009 and 2010.
Field & Stream named Traverse City one of America’s top 20 fishing
towns in 2008.
The Great Towns of America (Revisited) 2008 listed Traverse City as
one of the top 100 “best getaways for a vacation or a lifetime.”
Relocate-America.com, a Web site for people on the move, ranked
Traverse City second in its 2008 list of the country’s top 100 places
to live.
