One of the highlights within Traverse City that I was actually really looking forward to seeing was the National Cherry Festival. The region is known for providing “70 to 75 percent of the tart cherries grown in the United States” (1). That being said, the residents and businesses love to proclaim their love for the cherry. So the festival would presumably be an excellent way to take in some of the regions cherry splendor.

Upon our arrival to the downtown area, we learned of the cherry parade happening later in the day. So we set out some chairs on the curb to hold our spot and headed further into the heart of the business district. It was a great tourist town with the majority of shops open on the holiday.

Eventually we made it down to the festival area, and after learning the silly amusement park rides were approximately $3 per kid per ride, and our two year old could ride practically nothing, we went to further explore the festival.

Here was my moment…to see all kinds of fabulous cherry foods, art, and history of the region.

Lets start the day with some samples of Snapple flavored Jelly Bellies, then how about some Chobani Greek yogurts. Perfect, the boys were ecstatic of their new treats on a warm day.

What is that there around the corner? Did someone, actually Landshark, the two year old, recognize environmental print with the word Lego? Yeah, you have that right. The boys caught instant wind upon seeing the Lego Road Trip show.

So within moments of visiting the heart of the festival, we were off the play with those timeless bricks and mini-figures with a higher population that the human race.

Lets take part in the race to build something with only 13 bricks. How about we build a car out of Lego and race them? Or what about trying out the new Lego Chima zip vehicles?

All that playing with Lego fantasticness, and we were even given a Chima set for each boy to take home. Great!

Well look at the time…it is about time we head back to our seats to enjoy the parade. With that, we were soon seeing the back of the Welcome to the National Cherry Festival sign.

That my friends is why Lego is to blame for us not getting to see any of the Cherry Festival. I swapped my indulgence for the splendor of our boys. So in addition to not seeing a single cherry tree in the region, we have yet to really see any of the cherry festival due to the conveniently placed free sample booths and Lego. I guess I really did not need that cherry soap scrub and loofah.

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Sources: InACents
(1) Traversity

On our day trip to Traverse City, we had no idea what to expect other than the Cherry Festival. We were visiting on the fourth of July and were not even sure exactly what would or would not be open for the holiday. However, the City was a bustling metropolis ready to celebrate the holiday and ring in the countries independence.

As we drove into town and then through the City to scope out what we would do for the day, I eventually saw a sign for a distillery in the area. Not know exactly what I would find, we decided to venture off to see what the distillery was all about.

Located in a light industrial park area was the Grand Traverse Distillery. Once inside, one instantly smelled the wonderful aroma of the various grains used to distill the whiskey, vodka, and gins.

During our visit, we were the only ones there and were fortunate they were open for the holiday. We were allowed to sample the various spirits before beginning a tour of the complex.

Getting to go behind the scenes at wineries and distilleries happens to be one of the most remarkable aspects of visiting these craftsman. Where else are you allowed to physically see where the product you are trying was actually made. Most factories and manufacturers are not so gratuitous. Getting to see where your product was made provides a romantic intimacy with the raw materials and craftsmanship that goes into creating whatever we purchase and use.

Grand Traverse Distillery is Michigan’s largest micro-distillery. The large copper still was purchased from Arnold Holstein in Germany, which contains 16 plates and processes 1200 liters.

One of the major things I learned was that the liquid alcohol is clear. It is not until it sits in the barrels that it picks up their distinct color. Vodkas are ready after distillation; however, the whiskeys age in the barrels.

The barrels are not just wood. The insides of the barrels are charred, which contribute to the coloring process.

We also learned that the impacts of the barrel on the aging process really only has a life expectancy of ten (10) years. Therefore, companies that advertise aging over ten years really have gained no additional benefits, and you are simply paying for age.

The Traverse City area is distinctly known as the cherry producing capital of the world. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there were cherry flavored vodka and whiskey. While I am a rare drinker, my favorite spirit is Three Olives Cherry Vodka.

So imagine my surprise with the delightfully aromatic Grand Traverse Distillery Cherry Vodka. The smell of the vodka was clean with a great cherry smell. When I got home and compared the aromas, the Grand Traverse Vodka had less of an alcohol smell then the Three Olives Vodka.

The taste was, well, vodka. I just can not brag about the outright taste of any alcohol, because it is terrible. I am more of a mixer, and prefer to have the vodka mixed with coke or some other clear pop.

Overall, I was quite impressed with the Grand Traverse Distillery. The employees were super delightful and friendly, the vodka was great, and I learned a tremendous amount of information from our visit. I also liked that they sold half size bottles, which I elected to purchase the cherry vodka to bring home.

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Source: InACents