10 Best Breweries in Lake Leelanau

"Thin-crusted wood-fired flatbreads and flavorful house brews revitalize the Depot.LD • BAR • $-$$ • 642 Railroad Place • 231.946.8168"

"An off-the-wall brewery that uses such bizarre ingredients as pig heads, fruit pies and asparagus, this art-bedecked place — which also includes a hair salon — is unforgettable. On our recent visit, we tried a lemon beer that owner and head brewer Russell Springsteen was testing. The recipe included lemon zest as well as juice, and it was delicious — a refreshing, more-natural-tasting departure from the uber-sweet shandies (lemonade mixed with beer) that have been rising in popularity."

"With a passion for brewing beer and cutting hair, Russell Springsteen combined both with Right Brain Brewery and the hair salon next door in 2007. Located in a large warehouse on East 16th Street, this innovative Traverse City microbrewery has an industrial style and family-friendly atmosphere. It hosts more than 150,000 patrons every year, and there are at least 30 beers on tap all the time."

"Tucked into an alleyway in the city's edgy Warehouse District, this microbrewery is paired with a hair salon next door. (Their motto is, You sip, we snip.) The 70-seat pub features at least 10 handcrafted ales, beers, stouts and porters at a time. Dress code: CasualPhone: +1 231-944-1239"

"A wide variety of mead along with some flavorful hard apple ciders.D • BAR • $$ • 119 N. Maple St. • 231.714.5028"

"Best Beach for young families and small children: This park at the city�s eastern edge is located in a quiet residential neighborhood that�s sheltered by lots of majestic pines. Here there are extensive picnic areas, restrooms, a nice play area, a lifeguard station and a shallow sloping beach. But the best advantage is that there isn�t very much automobile traffic nearby, and the water is extremely shallow for quite a long way."

"Located on East Bay Boulevard, Easy Bay Park has a lot going for it. Views of the glass tower of the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, a pleasant park area with grills and bathrooms, and a small playground all make this beach ideal for families with young children. The water of this Lake Michigan bay remains very shallow for a long distance out, allowing new swimmers as well as those who are more inclined to wade than free-style, to splash to their heart’s content."

"This quiet beach lies on the west end of the East Arm Grand Traverse Bay. This beach also has restrooms, picnic tables, and a lifeguard. Situated on the south end of the east side of and at the base of Old Mission Peninsula."

"Between Clinch Park Marina and Volleyball Beach is a lovely public green space. Open Space Park offers open space, picnic tables, a water bottle filling station, and a paved walking and biking path, all with a great view of Grand Traverse Bay. Hopefully returning to the post-pandemic world is the Open Space Outdoor Cinema, where movie lovers can enjoy outdoor films on a 65-foot screen by the water!"

"I love getting the dollar cone, it's a stellar deal.On my last visit they put the little number in my door han..."

"My mom used to go here as a kid and hang out with her friends, and we did just the same thing growing up.This old school walk-up window ice cream parlor has about a million different flavors, and they are famous for their peach frozen yogurt.Even though I’m normally a vanilla with some sort of chocolate bits kind of girl, the peach frozen yogurt makes me feel nostalgic, and so I always opt for it. You can’t go wrong with a sundae or a dipped cone, either!. Great prices, great portions, great value."

"Applebee's is the largest casual dining chain in the world, with locations throughout the U.S. and many countries worldwide. Dress code: CasualPhone: +1 231-929-2929"