The Votes Are In for NoMi!

Local attractions, activities, and flavors sweep the competition

By Alexandra Dailey | Oct. 29, 2022

It’s election week, and while most news stories out there take a more political approach, we’ve decided to share some less controversial, more down-to-earth votes from around northern Michigan. Here are the Up North spots that have hit No 1. in competitions across the country. (We recommend reading while you enjoy a scoop of Cherries Moobilee from Moomers Homemade Ice Cream, which was named the No. 1 ice cream parlor in America in 2016.)

Mackinac Island: Best Island in the Continental U.S.
This past July, Travel + Leisure named Mackinac Island the best island in the continental U.S. (And the famous Grand Hotel took sixth place in the magazine’s 2022 list of Best Hotels in the Midwest.) This mere four-square-mile piece of land in the heart of the Great Lakes is jam-packed with restaurants, unique shops, art galleries, and fudge parlors. There are also golf courses to play and the option to take in the island’s beauty by foot, bike, or horse. With peak visiting months past, the Star Line Mackinac Island Ferry Company still makes trips to the island, weather permitting!

Charlevoix: Best Small Town in Michigan
Last year, Charlevoix was named the Michigan Best Small Town to Visit in 2021 by Smithsonian Magazine. With a popular front street shopping district, an array of restaurants, easy access to the water, fun annual festivals like Venetian Festival and recent Apple Fest, craft shows, and farmers markets, Charlevoix offers many ways to while away a day or summer vacation. Stay tuned for their Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting (Nov. 25) and Merchant Open House (Dec. 3), where you’ll get your fill of holiday cheer (and gifts!).

Boyne Mountain: Best Winter Recreation
Earlier this year, Midwest Living again placed Boyne Mountain at the top of its list for winter recreation. With 415 acres available for downhill or cross-country skiing and 60 trails for snowshoeing, your legs are in for a workout. (Best solved by a post-mountain trip to the spa.) Northern Express recently reported on the resort’s newest attraction: the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge, which you can get to by chairlift or skis. Winter is coming, folks, and Boyne is ready.

Chateau Chantal: Best Winery Hotel
According to USA Today, the B&B lodging at Chateau Chantal is the best winery hotel in the United States in 2022. Located on Old Mission Peninsula, Chateau Chantal offers not just a winery, vineyard, and tasting room, but also includes suites and rooms with fantastic views of the vineyards or Grand Traverse Bay. Spacious with elegant decor, many of the accommodations have private patios, balconies, wet bars, and fireplaces. (And honorable mentions to the Inn at Black Star Farms of Suttons Bay and Hotel Walloon of Walloon Lake, which came in second and fourth in the contest!)

Aurora Cellars: Best Riesling
A European-style winery, Aurora Cellars presents award-winning wines from locally grown grapes, offering a wide variety of reds, whites, and rosés. At the 2022 Texsom International Wine Competition—which saw 2,000 entries from 24 countries—Aurora Cellars was one of 14 Traverse City area wineries to receive awards. The highest honor, a Platinum Medal, was bestowed upon their Riesling, while they also received accolades for their Riesling Dry, Blaufränkisch, Radiance, Gruner Veltliner, and Luminous. If you find yourself on the Leelanau Peninsula, swing into Aurora Cellars and see what winning tastes like!

Stormcloud Brewing: Best Brewery
This summer, Stormcloud Brewing was voted the 2022 Best Brewery in the country by USA Beer Ratings, a prestigious award for the nine-year-old Frankfort brewery and restaurant. Known for its handcrafted beers, Stormcloud specializes in Belgian-inspired ales. One such ale, Rainmaker, their signature beer, was awarded a Gold Medal by USA Beer Ratings, along with Sunrunnr Summer Ale and Birdwalker Blonde each receiving medals (silver and bronze, respectively). USA Beer Ratings bases their decisions upon quality, value, and appearance, and Stormcloud and its brews stand out in all three categories.

Arcadia Bluffs: Best Public Golf Course in Michigan
Called the Top Public Golf Course in Michigan by Golf Digest, Arcadia Bluffs is a 265-acre course with arresting views of Lake Michigan. On this inarguably scenic course, you’ll be reminded of the sweeping courses of Scotland and other seaside courses by Arcadia’s rolling terrain and ever-present lake vistas. Golf Digest named this public course No. 1 based on its seven criteria: shot values, resistance to scoring, design variety, memorability, aesthetics, conditioning, and ambiance. It also includes Arcadia Bluffs in America’s 100 Greatest Courses. No joke, no mulligan: That’s a pretty big deal.

McCune Nature Preserve Trail: Number One Trail
According to All Trails, an international trail-finding website for outdoorsy types, the McCune Nature Preserve Trail is the best in Petoskey. A 4.1-mile loop with a moderately challenging route, this trail is used for birding, hiking, mountain biking, walking, dog walking, and snowshoeing. The area comprises hardwood forest, red pine plantations, a meadow, creek, and cedar swamp, and is included within the Allan and Virginia McCune Nature Preserve. Just a short drive southeast of Petoskey, this trail is an excellent option for year-round outdoor activities and appreciation.

Sleeping Bear Dunes: Most Beautiful Place
An oldie but a goodie! As many of you know, in 2011, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was named Good Morning America’s Most Beautiful Place in America. Tens of thousands voted online for this pristine example of northern Michigan beauty, and though this title was bestowed over a decade ago, it still holds today, as Sleeping Bear Dunes has long become more popular. As we approach winter, the national lakeshore will be open for snowshoeing, sledding, and cross-country skiing. Trust us—it’s just as beautiful in the winter months, and there are far fewer tourists on the trails!

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich