If beautiful beaches aer your thing look no further. Visit Traverse City Michigan! Rent a cottage or condo with Visit Up North Vacation Rentals. Call today 800-901-8922.

8. Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City’s tawny beaches and towering dunes merit the moniker Malibu of Michigan. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore features wilderness islands, trails through diverse ecosystems, and preserved historic farmsteads. This part of Michigan has a deep history and South Manitou Island, reachable by ferry, recreates pioneer days from old schoolhouse to 1871 lighthouse while area museums celebrate everything from steam railroads to Scandinavian heritage. Traverse City’s Victorian downtown boasts hundreds of galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Foodies should pick up a Tasty Traverse guide if they want to chat with brewers and bakers, fromageres and fishermen. There are also those great American summer activities like mini-golf, bumper boats, go karts, and video arcades. Early July brings the famous National Cherry Festival with arts-and-crafts fairs, air shows, and cherries baked, pressed, and jammed in every way possible.

Planning a vacation can be daunting. There are hundreds of websites and as many homes to choose from. It can be confusing at the least and overwhelming often. At “Visit Up North Vacation Rentals” we take the anxiety of planning away. How? We are a local management company that physically manages our homes. That means we are in these homes, we clean and maintain them. We live here so we know the area. We take our families to the beautiful beaches. We eat at the local diners, drink the local wine, enjoy the local festivities. We live and breathe Northern Michigan. We want your vacation to be special and as much of the guess work we take away from you allows you to enjoy what your spending your hard earned money on… a wonderful vacation.

Call us today and let us guide you through our homes, cottages and condos. We look forward to talking with you soon. 800-901-8922

Between May and October, there is no consistently better place to be fishing in America than Traverse City, Mich. Diversity is the key: Lake Michigan with salmon and steelhead; Grand Traverse Bay with some of the best smallmouth pockets and carp flats in America; and more rivers and natural lakes filled with trout, bass, and panfish than you can begin to touch in one season. The calendar in Traverse City is honest-spectacular yellow birches in the falls, frosty white winters, damp misty springs, and radiant blue-green summers. The true outdoor aficionado finds solace (and opportunity) in every month here, be it fishing, hunting, cross-country skiing, or hiking. It’s an affordable, yet polished, place to be. And the hometown culture is still a classic slice of Rockwell-esque Americana.

Field & Stream Magazine.

Visit Up North Vacation Rentals offers rentals on amazing fishing lakes. Call today and reserve your spot. 800-901-8922

http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/kentucky/2008/01/best-fishing-towns-america?photo=2

When making your wedding plans you do not have to worry about accommodations. Let Visit Up North Vacation Rentals take away the headache of where everyone is going to stay. We have homes, cottages and condos for a few or for many. Whether a summer, winter , spring or fall venue, we have something for everyone. Why not call us today at 800-901-8922. Our friendly staff are happy to assist you.

In our hurried world slowing down is often one of the hardest things to do. It is worth the effort though. Coming back to the grind may just be a little less grinding after your relaxing slow vacation.
Let Visit Up North Vacaton Rentals assist you in planning you next trip. Call us at 800-901-8922.

Help a good cause and have some fun too!

Monday, June 27-Monday, July 4: Pours for Paws to benefit Cherryland Humane Society

Participating Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association members will be each feature a special wine during a promotion to benefit the Cherryland Humane Society, with proceeds donated to the organization. Wineries have the option of running the special throughout the entire week or any part thereof. Participating wineries are Gill’s Pier (Ankle Biter), Chateau de Leelanau (Solem Farm Red), L. Mawby (Greene), Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor (Abbondanza), Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay (Red House Red with special Cherryland Humane Society custom labels), Willow (Baci Rosé), Good Harbor (Manitou), Forty-Five North (Forty-Five White), Good Neighbor Organic (Icy Apple Blend) and Bel Lago (cherry wine). For more information on the campaign, contact Gill’s Pier at (231) 256.7003. For more information on Cherryland Humane Society, visit www.cherrylandhumanesociety.org.


Need a place to stay? Visiti Up North Vacation Rentals will take 10% off of your reservation for new reservations that book during the date of June 27-July 4.

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. We can live with that.)

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.

Midwest Living placed TC in first place in its list of the Midwest’s Five Top Food Towns in 2009 and 2010.

USA Today (Oct. 2010) named Traverse City one of the Top 10 Places to Enjoy Local Wine.

Bon Appetit (Sept. 2010) named Traverse City one of America’s Five Top Foodie Towns.

NationalGeographic.com (Oct. 2009) listed Traverse City as 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.

Triathlete Magazine (Oct. 2010) said Traverse City is “one of the top Tri towns in the US”.

TripAdvisor.com (Oct. 2010) named Traverse City as one of America’s Top 10 Fall Foliage Destinations.

USA Weekend (July 2009) listed Traverse City as #4 in its list of Five Great Towns to Retire to.

You want to reconnect with nature

For those looking to escape the bustle of busy city life, this area boasts wide open spaces of lush areas of natural beauty, big blue water, twinkling starry nights and cool fresh air. Climb the Sleeping Bear Dune, hike the Boardman River natural area, rent a bike and tour on the Tart Trail. These are just a few of the opportunities to reconnect with nature. At the end of the day you will feel relaxed, stress free ready for the next exciting adventure.

Explore your artistic side

The Traverse City and surrounding area is home to more than 35 art galleries. Featuring local and national artists you will be more than inspired by the creative force that lives in this community. Art festivals are featured at different times of the year in each small waterfront village thru the fall months. Need to be even more inspired? Take one of the many one and two day art workshops. Visit www.artcentertraversecity.com for more information.

You want to drink wine

Traverse City & the surrounding area are home to 24 wineries and counting. The wines of this area are rivaling some of the countries most tasteful wines. You will not be disappointed and surely will bring home a bottle or two of one of the many delicious wines. Start your wine journey on Old Mission Peninsula. Currently hosting 7 wineries make sure to visit them all. 2 Lads Winery, Chateau Chantal, Bowers Harbor and Peninsula Cellars to name a few. Enjoy free tours and tastings!

After your tour of Old Mission travel over to Leelanau Peninsula. Here you will enjoy 17 wineries. Also offering free tours and tastings you will not be disappointed when sampling the tasty nectar of the vines. Your tour takes you along the M-22 corridor along Grand Traverse Bay. Your first stop heading north will be Shady Lanes Winery featuring excellent reislings and chardonnays. Right down the road visit Willow Vineyards, Ciccone Wineries (yes Madonnas Dad owns this) L.Mawby, Chateau Leelanau and Black Star Farms. Continue north to visit the 12 other wineries waiting for your visit.

Unleash you wild side

After enjoying all the day time fun it is time to put on your party shoes and enjoy a little night life. Park you car downtown and walk to the many venues that offer something different behind every door. North Peak Brewery offers casual dining and micro brews. Favored by many locals the weekend finds standing room only but is worth the wait. Union Street Station & Shimmers offer music and dancing. Lil Bo’s and Mackinaw Brewery also offer a little local flare to hang out and meet a new friend. Check local listings to see where live music and specials are in this great town.

Indulge yourself

All this fun starts to sound like work! Treat yourself to some local treats of heavenly chocolate confections at Phils on Front (great drink specials too) or Jacque Torres Chocolates (goes great with all that wine you purchased) also downtown Traverse City on Front St. Enjoy local spa services or have them come straight to you at your location. See local guides for details. Visit Up North Vacation Rentals Cottages and Condos has a perfect place for you to stay. Relax in front of a fireplace looking over one of the beautiful lakes this area enjoys. No matter which way you look at it this is a perfect location to get away for a few days with friends. The last reason to come? Take $100.00 off of your new reservation by mentioning this post. Good on new reservations from Nov 22 2010- March 15 2011.

Visit Up North Vacation Rentals has been host to many happy guests enjoying the vacation of their dreams. Today, many long for that slow vacation far from the frantic pace of what life has become. You can experience that here in Northern Michigan under big blue skies, clean air, tranquil waters, trees that stretch to the sky and peaceful calm that embraces you when you least expect it. Meet one of our “guests” that have spent many happy years doing the slow vacation…

We have been renting the same cabins called “Brookhaven” on Glen Lake for the last 17 years. We started going there when are kids were 2,5 and 7.
The group has gradually expanded to include another family our extended family members, random friends, various romantic partners of our kids and their best friends. Glen Lake is at the base of the Sleeping Bear Dunes and the area is filled with rolling hills, sand dunes and lakes every few miles, all situated along the banks of Lake Michigan.


It’s a week of grilling out, wakeboarding, poker playing, hiking the dunes, biking to town and eating all cherry products created under the sun.
There are no TV’s, minimal wireless access, and poor cell phone reception.
The air is fresh and clear, albeit at times crisp. The water is as blue as the Carribbean and invigorating. The choice we face every day is whether to run, bike, swim, hike, kayak on the Crystal River or just sit in a lawn chair on the side of the lake with a stack of books. If we are really energetic we will pick our way up the dune climb and hike to Lake Michigan. At sunset though we can go to the Overlook and watch the teenagers race down the 400 foot drop in 30 seconds, then pick their way back up over the next hour! Nearly every day is finished off with ice cream from either the Pine Cone or Cherry Republic. Of course there are some rainy days but those are generally answered with a trip to the Cottage Book Store for more books.

We plan our year around our time at Glen Lake which happens the first two weeks of August. We fanatasize every year about buying our own place up there, but nothing compares to our Brookhaven Cabins, so we just put our deposit down as we roll out of town and say “See ya next year!”

It really is the Simple Life!

]]> http://www.visitupnorth.com/blog/slow-vacations-glen-arbor-glen-lake-michigan-ask-someone-who-knows/feed/ 0 http://www.visitupnorth.com/blog/top-8-misconceptions-of-the-vacation-rental-category/ http://www.visitupnorth.com/blog/top-8-misconceptions-of-the-vacation-rental-category/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:03:41 +0000 visitupnorth http://www.visitupnorth.com/blog/?p=1702 Vacation rentals are for the wealthy, I could never afford it, especially during the economy today.
In fact, vacation rentals often provide a huge cost savings as compared to the typical hotel stay for a variety of reasons, and many rental properties cost less than even one single hotel room. First, by allowing guests to make just one reservation rather than multiple, groups and/or families can save on the costs associated with booking multiple hotel rooms. Rates for some three-bedroom vacation homes start at just $120 per night, but sleep up to 8 travelers versus just one or two.

Next, having a fully equipped kitchen in-home offers great value to travelers who want to save on dining out for every meal. Rather than spending hard-earned vacation dollars on a full restaurant breakfast every morning, vacation rental guests have the exclusive ability to simply stock up from the supermarket on their favorite cereal, snacks, eggs, or pancake mix.

Vacation rentals aren’t secure or reliable forms of lodging – the quality of services and facilities are always a gamble.
On the contrary – When choosing a vacation rental from an established property management company, one that is a member in good standing with the Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA) travelers can be assured that there’s a reputable business maintaining and servicing the property and its guests each day. This includes all of the proper inspections, housekeeping, landscaping, laundry, reservations and much more. Furthermore, when staying in a vacation rental that’s managed by a professional, guests often experience better guest and concierge services they’d expect in a hotel stay.

Guests are encouraged to look for the AAA Ratings of vacation rentals when seeking accommodations, as well as a designation of membership with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the long-standing Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA).

If I need assistance during my trip, I’ll have to handle it myself.
When choosing a vacation rental through a professional management company, guests are offered an emergency contact to call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for any questions, maintenance issues and more. Nearly all members of the VRMA staff a team of both customer care and maintenance professionals solely to assist with guests’ needs.

Someone will approach me and ask if I want to buy something, watch a two–hour presentation, or worse, pressure me if I rent from a management company.
Vacation rentals are not like timeshares, as they don’t involve any type of ownership, maintenance fees, or commitments of any sort. Travelers can simply rent a vacation home for their getaway rather than staying in a hotel, with no pressure and no presentations.

However, if a renter is interested in receiving information about owning a second home, whether for investment or leisure, many professional management companies can assist in this regard.

I’m going to have to make my bed, cook and do my own dishes through my whole trip.
While each vacation rental is thoroughly cleaned and prepared for guests’ arrivals, management companies often offer mid-stay or daily housekeeping services, upon request, for an additional fee. However, because of the convenient, comfortable and money-saving qualities provided by the vacation rental category, most guests don’t consider this privacy and freedom to be a negative element.

In fact, many travelers choose vacation rentals, in part, for the ability to dine in-home rather than out on certain days during their trip. It can be as simple as an oven-baked lasagna, breakfast cereal, sandwiches or snacks on some days, which require little to no, or even disposable, dishes and flatware.

Only large families and groups find the best value in vacation rentals.
While there are some vacation home rentals that accommodate scores of travelers under one roof, there are many options offering value for single travelers, couples and small groups of just two or three guests. Available options range from studio-size condo rentals in metro areas to one- or two-bedroom town homes and bungalows fit for any accommodations lifestyle or occasion.

I’ll have to stay for a minimum of seven nights – Weekend trips need not apply!
As the habits and preferences of travelers change through the passage of time, the vacation rental category has adapted, as well, to best meet the needs of today’s traveler. Guests seeking a two- or three-night getaway can often find established rental companies with little to no minimum stay requirements – especially during off-season time periods, when booking last-minute specials or even in specific rental properties.

I can’t get the same luxuries in a vacation rental as I can in a hotel.
Professional vacation rental management companies provide guests with the opportunity to experience all the benefits of a traditional hotel stay with additional amenities and an inherent value that can’t be matched by even the highest quality resort, often including a concierge, as well as options for in-home massages, spa treatments, butlers, a personal chef to cook meals, pre-arrival grocery delivery services, child care and more.

Most vacation rental management companies also boast partnerships with local vendors to offer guests discounts on area activities, shopping, restaurants, golf courses, as well as special rates on car and equipment rentals, to name a few

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