No. 03
Experience
Leelanau Curling Club + Broomstack
Maple City · 172 W. Burdickville Rd · 20 Min from TC
Tucked inside a converted 1920s schoolhouse in tiny Maple City, Leelanau Curling Club is the only dedicated private curling facility in Michigan — connected to Broomstack Kitchen & Taphouse, which has stone-fired pizza, local taps, and truffle fries that people drive 45 minutes for. A Learn-to-Curl session takes about an hour: an instructor runs you through the slide, the delivery, and the basic rules, and within 20 minutes you're playing a real game. It's one of those things where everyone in the group is terrible at first and then someone makes an improbable shot and the whole place erupts. The combination of the sport, the old building, the food, and the centuries-old tradition of both teams gathering for a drink after — it's a full afternoon that becomes a story people tell for years.
VibeUnexpected, genuinely fun, and completely unlike anything else in Northern Michigan
What to DoBook a Learn-to-Curl session online. Then eat at Broomstack after — the peanut butter bacon burger is legendary.
Insider TipOpen year-round, but it's best in winter when the vibe is right. Book ahead — group sessions fill fast on weekends.
No. 02
Snow Tubing
TimberLee Hills
Leelanau County · 10484 S. Timberlee Dr · 10 Min from Downtown TC
Michigan's largest no-lane snow tubing hill, tucked ten minutes from downtown Traverse City in the rolling hills of Leelanau County. No lanes means no waiting your turn in a queue — you go when you're ready, at whatever angle looks most terrifying, and the handle-tow rope pulls you back to the top without making you walk. From ages 4 to 84 it works, and it works the same every time: you get in the tube, you go down, you laugh, you do it again. The lodge at the base has pizza, hot chocolate, a full bar, and fire pits outside. Friday nights run until 9pm for those who want to tube under the lights.
VibePure fun — the kind where you're grinning before you even reach the bottom
What to DoBook the 2-hour session. Get the hot chocolate. Go Friday night for the lights-and-lodge atmosphere.
Insider TipTickets must be booked online — no walk-ins. Friday evening sessions run until 9pm and are noticeably less crowded than Saturday.
No. 01
Snowshoe Experience
Old Mission Snowshoe Wine & Brew
Old Mission Peninsula · Every Sunday · January–March
Every Sunday from early January through mid-March, the TC Brew Bus runs the best version of a winter wine tour you'll find anywhere. Park at Jolly Pumpkin, strap on your snowshoes, and spend the afternoon making your own way between four stops: Jolly Pumpkin for soup and a beer to start, Brys Estate for two snowshoe trails through snow-covered vineyards, Old Mission Distilling for locally crafted spirits and cocktails, and Bowers Harbor Vineyards before looping back to Jolly Pumpkin for a meal and a final pour. Tickets are $15, beverages not included. Snowshoe rentals available for $15/pair, limited to 20. This is the one that feels least like a tourist activity and most like what the locals actually do on a Sunday in January.
VibeActive, beautiful, and genuinely relaxed — the perfect Up North winter Sunday
What to DoTake the intermediate loop at Brys — the frozen lavender fields are worth the extra half mile. Pace yourself; it's a long, happy afternoon.
Insider Tip$15/person at tcbrewbus.com. Snowshoe rentals book out — reserve in advance. Runs regardless of snow conditions.
