Last Updated on April 3, 2024 by ETC Team
It may come as no surprise to many Michiganders, but for those who live out of state, this prized area has received some much deserved national attention. All thanks to being name-dropped on a major publication’s list of the best places to visit in the world in 2024.
To be more specific, the area of Northwest Lower Michigan is listed with the likes of Panama, Greenland, Turkey, Morocco, Greece, and Indonesia, as a top travel destination in CNN’s “Where to go in 2024: The Best Places to Visit” list.
With international tourism reaching about 90% of pre-pandemic levels in 2023, you may find yourself hoping to find places to visit that are a little less crowded. For this list, the publication expressed a desire to find places that are still largely undiscovered, or alluring in the offseason, or frequently overlooked for their larger first cities or neighbors. With that in mind, they compiled their list.
In depicting Northwest Lower Michigan, it was written as: “Refreshing, unsalty Lake Michigan lures boatloads of tourists in summer, but the shoreline, quaint towns and rolling countryside of Northwest Michigan have plenty to offer year-round.”
“On Grand Traverse Bay, Traverse City makes a great home base for exploring wineries on the Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas or picking cherries or apples in season. Then fall’s foliage is ripe for peeping, followed by winter’s inviting blankets of snow.”
The publication also heralds the M-22 highway, which is considered one of the most scenic routes in the country. You will not be disappointed at the sights of this drive during a fall color tour. The publication goes on to say, “From Traverse City, the scenic M-22 highway winds up the Leelanau Peninsula and hooks back down through Leland, home to a historic fishing village and a collection of interesting shops and galleries.”
But without a doubt, the crown jewel of Northwest Lower Michigan has to be The Sleeping Bear Dunes. After making your way through Empire, MI to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, just off M-109 an all-sand, 3.5 mile hike over massive dunes awaits. After a hardy hike you are a short trip back to town for a delicious dinner.
CNN’s “24 Best Places To Visit In 2024”
- Sumba, Indonesia
- Turkey’s Black Sea Coast
- Tarth, Estonia
- Tainan, Taiwan
- Northwest Lower Michigan
- Trans Dinarica Cycle Route, Balkans
- Culebra, Puerto Rico
- Angola
- Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
- South Korea
- Albania
- Chile
- Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia
- Macedonia, Greece
- Panama
- Galicia, Spain
- Singapore’s Offshore Islands
- Mérida, Mexico
- Morroco
- Florida’s Freshwater Springs
- Texas Hill Country
- Fujairah
- Greenland
- Uzbekistan
