Old Mission Peninsula is a slender, 20-mile finger of land reaching north from Traverse City, splitting Grand Traverse Bay into its two arms. The drive out the peninsula is one of northern Michigan's finest: the bay is visible on both sides for most of the route, flanked by cherry orchards and vineyards that turn spectacular in blossom season in late May and again at harvest in September. The road terminates at Mission Point Lighthouse, where you can picnic on the rocky shore and look back down the length of the peninsula.
The peninsula sits almost exactly on the 45th parallel — halfway between the equator and the North Pole — and the latitude, combined with the moderating effect of the bay on both sides, creates a microclimate ideal for cool-climate grapes. Winemakers began planting seriously in the 1970s, and the peninsula now has around a dozen wineries producing Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris that compete with the best of the Great Lakes region. Chateau Grand Traverse, Bowers Harbor Vineyards, and Brys Estate are among the most established, each with tasting rooms and views over the vines. The Rieslings — both dry and semi-dry — are the regional specialty and worth seeking out.
A half-day tour stopping at two or three wineries before ending at the lighthouse is the classic Old Mission itinerary. Come in May for the orchards in blossom, or in autumn for the harvest and the colour. Unlike the longer, more varied Leelanau Peninsula to the northwest, Old Mission is compact and easily done in an afternoon.