OLD MISSION PENINSULA - WOMP FESTIVAL

Traverse Bay RV Resort where we have purchased our RV lot, is about 3 miles East of East Grand Traverse Bay. The downtown area of Traverse City is on the water at the South end of West Grand Traverse Bay.

Old Mission Peninsula is eight miles long in the middle of Grand Traverse Bay. It is full of cherry and apple orchards, wineries, Bed and Breakfasts, restaurants, antique shops, and beautiful views of East and West Traverse Bay.



One of seven vineyards on the Peninsula. The Peninsula is mainly rolling hills.
The WOMP Festival is held at Bowers Harbor Park in the middle of the Peninsula. Five wineries and four restaurants from the Peninsula are represented. Each winery offers three of their varieties for wine tasting and the restaurants offer three items from their menu. We tasted for the first time, from Chateau Chantal Winery, a sparkling cherry wine which was absolutely delicious. We have since purchased several bottles of this wine. We didn't know that Michigan had wineries let alone outstanding wines.

There was a local band playing soft rock with a backdrop of orchards and vineyards.

At the very tip of the Peninsula, we walked this beach that once had water caressing the shore. At this point, you are looking at Lake Michigan which has dropped 24 inches in the last couple of years. Now a walk of about one mile gets you to a place where you can stick your toes in the water.

This is the view were land and water now meet and where you can touch Lake Michigan waters. Along the peninsula, we spotted houses with docks, but their boats are now anchored about 1/2 mile or more out from their property. Now that must be an inconvenient truth!

This is the former light house and keeper's home on the tip of the peninsula where many a ship has sunk in strong storms with waves hitting the ships again and again with no chance for the ship to right itself.
Standing on the 45 parallel as the sign says. The tip is at the same parallel as Seattle, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Toronto, Bangor (Maine), Nova Scotia, and Zurich (Switzerland).

1800s cabin built by Americans moving westward.

This side of the cabin shows the bedroom area. They made their own clothes, grew what vegetables they could, and fished and hunted for meat.
This area has the warming and cooking stove, table, and rocking chair. There was a loft for the children to sleep.

This is Chateau Chantal winery, bed and breakfast, and spa.

This vineyard reaches to the shore of West Grand Traverse Bay.