TRAVERSE CITY’S TART TRAIL: A “LINEAR PARK” THROUGH THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY
A Press-Ready Travel Feature
From the Traverse City Convention & Visitors BureauPlease feel free to use this material in any way that fits your needs. You may run it in part or in its entirety (with or without byline), or use it as a source for stories of your own. If I can be of any additional help, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Mike Norton
Media Relations
Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau
mnorton@mytraversecity.com
231-947-1120
101 W. Grandview Parkway
Traverse City, Michigan 49684
PHOTO CREDIT: www.mytraversecity.com
(LARGER FORMAT PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST)
CUTLINE (1) At its western end, Traverse City’s recreational TART Trail cuts through the Clinch Park Marina and Zoo on its way to the city’s West Bay beaches. (2) The TART Trail is connected to over 55 miles of trails, including the new Boardman Lake Trail, whose first two-mile stretch was completed in the summer of 2005.
By MIKE NORTON
TRAVERSE CITY, MI – This charming lakeshore town’s most popular park is only eight feet wide – but it’s nearly 11 miles long.
It’s the TART Trail, a paved non-motorized pathway that crosses Traverse City from east to west and encompasses the community’s amazing variety of landscapes -- shaded woodlands, bird-filled marshes, residential neighborhoods, city streets and sun-drenched bayfront beaches. Since it opened in the 1990s, the trail has become a favorite way for visitors to get some exercise, escape the traffic and enjoy a few sights that can’t be seen from the seat of a car.
But what makes the TART Trail particularly special is that it’s a vibrant, “interactive” pathway, easily accessible at almost any point along its considerable length and constantly immersed in the life of the community around it. People are constantly getting on and getting off – bicycle commuters, dog-walking kids, star-struck lovers and stroller-pushing moms. And since it’s all on relatively flat terrain, the going is never difficult.
“That’s the nice thing – you don’t have to do the whole trail if you only want to walk or ride a three- or five-mile section,” says cyclist Bob Otwell, who heads the nonprofit group that manages and supervises the trail. “You can leave your car behind and take the trail to the store or the library or the beach, or just sit down on a bench and watch the water. And you’re always going to be seeing other people. Usually twice.”
Most of the pathway – even the parts that seem fairly wild -- lies within a stone’s throw of at least one major road, so trail users have access to any number of nearby businesses, lodging properties, restaurants and attractions. You can rent a bicycle, buy a box lunch and pick up a free trail map without going more than a block out of your way, or take a break midway through your trip for a pizza, an ice cream cone or a game of miniature golf.
Near its eastern end, the trail runs behind the beachside hotels that line Traverse City’s East Bay resort district, and many hoteliers advertise it as a selling point for guests who want a safe, stress-free route to nearby restaurants, stores and other attractions. One resort, the Traverse Bay Inn, even keeps a fleet of bicycles on hand for the free use of its guests.
“It’s unbelievable how popular it is,” said owner Jeff Weaner. “We get a big response whenever we put it up on the marquee. People from the city get kind of funny when we tell them the bikes don’t come with locks – they want to know what to do if one gets stolen. I tell them we’ve never lost one yet, but if they come out of the store and it’s missing they can call me and I’ll go pick them up.”
But some of the best attractions along the TART Trail are absolutely free. At its western end, the pathway leads to some of Traverse City’s most popular beaches, and on the east it borders the 83-acre George and Ada Reffitt Nature Preserve, where one can sometimes spot a beaver, a shy whitetail deer or even a bald eagle. It meanders through small city parks where one can linger on a bench to watch ducks swimming and children playing, and through quiet neighborhoods where it’s easy to be drawn into an unexpected conversation about anything from composting to Victorian architecture.
Walking the trail can even be an educational experience. Along the city’s West Bay shoreline, one can learn about Traverse City’s early history by pausing at any of dozens of illustrated plaques placed at the side of the pathway – or brush up on one’s knowledge of the solar system, thanks to a local physics teacher and some of his friends, who’ve mounted models of the sun and planets at scientifically appropriate distances along the route.
The TART Trail attracts an estimated 200,000 walkers, bicyclists and in-line skaters every year. Some find it the perfect setting for an early-morning workout, an afternoon adventure or a gentle evening stroll. For others, it’s a route that leads deep into the “real Traverse City” – a place whose gentle rhythms and unspoiled charms are best experienced by those who take the time and trouble to seek them out.
ATTRACTIONS: From the village of Acme, just north of Traverse City, the trail skirts the edges of East Grand Traverse Bay, an area known locally as the “Sugar Sand Mile” because of its fine beaches. This district is full of lodging and dining choices; two family favorites are Don’s Drive-In, an authentic 1950s-style diner, famous for their malts, and Red Mesa Grill, an eclectic South-of-the-Border eatery. There are lots of pizza places, too, as well as the ever-popular Pirate’s Cove miniature golf.
Hull Park, on the northern shore of Boardman Lake, forms the midpoint of the trail and the stepping-off point for the newly-opened Boardman Lake Trail, which heads southward along the eastern shore of this long narrow lake. Nearby is the handsome Traverse Area District Library (a cool place on a hot day) and two bicycle shops, Brick Wheels and McLain Cycle & Fitness, where it’s possible to rent bikes. Just across the street is Picnics, a small eatery that specializes in tasty box lunches for trail users.
From here the trail meanders briefly through Traverse City’s quaint downtown district, with over 150 small shops, galleries, coffee shops and restaurants, then heads along the popular swimming beaches of West Grand Traverse Bay before turning north to link up with the Leelanau Trail. Here, too, there are several good places to enjoy a good meal without going very far from the trail; two local favorites are the Freshwater Lodge, a cozy establishment known for its steaks and fish dishes, and the Silver Swan, an eclectic gift shop and restaurant whose owners specialize in Middle Eastern dishes.
OTHER OPTIONS: The TART Trail is actually the hub of a large trail network that includes more than 55 miles of connecting pathways -- including the 15 Leelanau Trail that leads from Traverse City to the artsy village of Suttons Bay, the rugged 18-mile Vasa Pathway in Acme (a cross-country ski route in winter and a mountain-biker’s paradise during the rest of the year) and the gentle Boardman Lake Trail, whose first 10 miles were paved during the summer of 2005.
WHEN TO COME: Late summer is the most popular season in Traverse City, since everyone waits as long as possible for the deep bay waters to get warm enough for swimming. But it’s not necessary to wait until July to enjoy the TART Trail; in fact, it’s enjoyable from early April into November, with the best cycling weather usually in May and October.
For more information about the TART Trail and other recreational opportunities in and around Traverse City, call the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-TRAVERSE or visit their Web site at www.mytraversecity.com
