TC Exploring

“So you’re here for a visit?” “Well, no, actually, I just moved back to the area…” This conversation has been on automatic replay since I arrived, followed by attempts to explain my Long Term Plan. And what would that be, you ask? Well, I believe my destination is Traverse City. Northern Michigan’s largest city overlooks Grand Traverse Bay, about sixty miles southwest along the Lake Michigan shore from where I grew up in Petoskey. (Here’s a “handy” trick for keeping track of Michigan geography: Hold up your right hand (palm facing you) to represent the Michigan mitten. The indentation above your fourth finger is Little Traverse Bay, with Petoskey perched on its south side. Slide down to the larger indentation above your pinky, and that’s Grand Traverse Bay, with Traverse City at its base.)

Traverse City is still close to home and family. As in Petoskey, the days are colored by the moods of Lake Michigan, and inland lakes, woods, and farms surround the town's core. It has the four gloriously distinct seasons that brought me back to the north. But it also offers me a chance to make my own life there, instead of simply stepping back into a familiar role as my parents’ daughter, still known by most as Katie. As much as I love Petoskey, Traverse City has a larger population and a few more opportunities (socially, culturally, occupationally). TC seems to have a lot going for it, in fact; more than a few pockets of progressive goings-on, as well as a small-town feel (with a thriving downtown) and an up-north flavor (with all the water and woods nearby).

But I still need to see if it adds up to a whole that resonates with me. (For example, in addition to its good points, it has a lot of sprawling development and too many shopping malls.) So I just spent a couple days exploring the area. I camped out with cousins Michael and Sarah, brought my bike, and cruised around checking out the scene.

Here’s what I came away with:

• 15 pounds of blueberries for the winter and 10 purple-stained fingers from Buchan’s Blueberry Hill out on Old Mission Peninsula, where I filled my big bucket twice over from the heavily laden bushes.
• A few more miles on my sandals, thanks to a long post-work walk with Michael and Keelie-dog to check out streets in the central neighborhoods, and later a stroll into town for dinner at Poppycocks (pita chips = yum).
• More miles on my bike, which took me on a tour that included the snazzy Oryana natural foods co-op, the super-nice public library, the post office, a small section of the TART trail (the local bike path), the waterfront, a garage sale on Webster Street, and a great secondhand-clothing shop. And I was pleased to note that I was sharing the road with lots of other bikers, too.
• One bunch of kale bestowed on me by Lou, who was prepping greens for the farmer’s market on Friday afternoon. I stopped by the Commons, a new development on the site of the old state hospital, to see what it was all about. There, I got the scoop on the bike co-op that shares space with the coffee shop, along with an enthusiastic endorsement of TC from the folks I talked to there and a lovely loaf of seedy bread from Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery. And while I didn’t find my way to the community garden that’s somewhere on the grounds, I did find a network of wooded trails that would be great for romping with Maisie.

All in all, it definitely adds up to a good feeling about making this place home. And given the number of for-sale signs I noticed, I guess it’s time to start the house-hunting game!