As to date and to the best of my knowledge, there are two excellent nurseries in the "larger" Traverse City area. One is Pine Hill Nursery located about 10 miles north of Elk Rapids on U.S. 31 North, which is about fifteen miles north of Traverse City on the same route. Their phone number is (231) 599-2824

The other excellent nursery is located a few miles north of Frankfort, MI on M-22. The name of the nursery is Crystal Gardens. Their phone number is 231-352-9321.

Both are very good and should be enjoyed by the members of your group.

Although it will be distance to drive from Traverse City, you might consider the Dow Gardens in Midland. It's been a long time since Sue and I have been there, but I think that they may have a small collection of Rhododendrons and Azeleas, but I would give them a call before heading in that direction. Their phone number is 1-800-362-4874 or 989-631-2677.

Their web address is:http://www.dowgardens.org/

In my opinion, it would be a long drive to see a 'young' garden area.

The Meijer Garden in Grand Rapids might be interesting to visit as well, but they are a 'young' garden as well and can't be matched by any means by either of the two places listed below - especially by the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis. Meijer Gardens' web site is http://www.meijergardens.org/ and their phone number is
(888) 957-1580 or (616) 957-1580.

However, if I were planning this trip, I'd head in the opposite direction to either of two excellent places below:

The primary places - because of the interested in specific plants - is the 1500 acre Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. In addition to 1500 acres, it has a research center; it has a nice gift shop; a very nice, but somewhat small, restaurant, and, of course, an absolutely wonderful horticultural library which is open to the public.

Of course, for your group it has the largest collection of Rhododendrons and Azeleas that I've yet seen. When these plants are in bloom, the are a delight to the eye as well as to those photographic eyes within your group. A link to their web site is listed below to "tease" your eyes, mind and soul.

http://www.mortonarb.org/

The second place to visit is the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, which is the best garden that I've had the pleasure of yet visiting. When I used to live in Peoria, IL, my daughter and I (and others) used to travel their quite frequently, especially during the Japanese Festival. This garden also has the largest Japanese Garden in the U.S.

Their web site is given below.

http://www.mobot.org

Of course, now that I live in Manistee, we don't get there as often.

Hope all of this information is helpful.

Bill & Sue

My apologies; I should have done my "homework" a little better.

After posting my reply, I noted that you're living in Illinois - so why not try either of the two better places or even the Chicago Botanic Garden, which IMHO is no way near the beauty of the Missouri Botanic Garden in St. Louis.

Of course, there is also the wonderful Boerner Botanical Garden in Hales Corners, WI, which may have a collection of plants for your group.

If you're group is coming up to this area, you and your group might wish to visit some of the wineries in the area. One of the better of the many wineries is Good Harbor Vineyards. They offer an excellent Cherry Wine. I've pasted some information below. Additional information on other Michigan Wineries can be found at this link:

http://www.michiganwines.com/

Good Harbor Vineyards

Fifty acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Vignoles and Seyval are combined with state-of-the-art processing equipment and barrels to produce white vinifera, hybrid wines and champagne. A meticulous approach rewards drinkers with wines that are a pleasure with any meal.

Web: www.goodharbor.com
Email: dbsimpson@chartermi.net

34 South Manitou Trail
Lake Leelanau, MI 49653
(231) 256-7165

Directions: Take M-22 north from Traverse City through Suttons Bay to M-204 west. Go to the end of M-204 and go south on M-22 for 3/4 mile, winery on left behind Manitou Fruit Market.

Of course, since you and your group is coming up to this neck of the woods, I would also highly recommend a stop at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. If there are some concerts going on during your visit to this area of Michigan, I'd recommend a stop. They have a small gift shop on campus, a hotel and a dining room which may or may not be open to the public.

Their web site is http://www.interlochen.org/

On U.S. 31 North - just a short distance north of the intersection that leads in to the Interlochen Center for the Arts is a very nice Italian restaurant called "Giovanni's"

On the outside, the place looks slightly unkept, but on the inside you'll find excellent food and service at moderate prices. I'm told that the violinist I. Perlman enjoyed his meal(s) while visiting and/or performing at Interlochen.

Another excellent place to stop and eat on your journey northward is the "Roadhouse Inn" or "Roadhouse Cafe". It's located on the west side of the road just as you go northward to the stop light in Bezonia (it's before the stoplight), just a few miles south of Beulah, where the Brookside Inn is located.

They serve a wide array of Mexican food, which has always been very excellent!!!! Because of the interior construction of the place, it can get a little noisy when they're extremely busy.

Since you're probably looking for housing, I'll suggest two places - a little distance south from Traverse City, but the first place is not too far from Crystal Gardens located north of Frankfort.

The Canfield House Onekama, MI Phone #: (231) 889-5756

It's an old lumber baron's home and very, very nice.

A second recommendation is the Brookside Inn Phone#: (231) 882-9688 115 US 31 in Beulah, MI 49617. Sue and I haven't stayed there, since it is only about 15-20 miles north of Manistee, but we have eaten at the restaurant several times and the food is very excellent and the dining has been generally quiet - one doesn't have to speak loudly or yell to be heard.

An interesting drive: once you hit Manistee, MI - head over the river and northward - you have to take a detour since the main bridge is being repaired/replaced starting on January 18th of this year.

Just before you come to the Burger King on U.S. 31 North, there is an intersection - west - which will link up to M-22 North - into Frankfort and up to the Leelanau Penisula. You'll travel along the Lake, which can be seen at times. From Manistee until it connects to M-22 North, the road is somewhat winding, beautified by forested areas, and Trilliums which may be in bloom on your journey.

The same can often be said on your jounney along M-22 north to Frankfort and other places.

While you and your group is in Traverse City - there are two interesting places to visit as well.

The first is "The Candle Factory" located on U.S. 31 north just a few blocks from the intersection along the bay in Traverse. The place is hidden, but located on the south or right hand side of the road. You'll see a rather large modern building along the right hand side and just beyond that is "The Candle Factory", which has an extensive and I do mean extensive array of candles and candle holders that I've yet seen.

Their web site is: http://www.candles.net/

Within a few few blocks is "Folgarelli's" a wonderful, basically Italian, food import store with an excellent and wide variety of olvies, cheeses, meats, wines, sandwiches, etc. Their incomplete web site is also listed below, but you'll have an address and a phone number available if you and your party have difficulty locating them once you're at The Candle Factory.

http://www.folgarellis.com/

Finally, it is too bad that you and/or your group is not traveling northwood.

For one, you'd miss the wonderful Bullfrog Light Company, which offers a wide array of candles that glow from top to bottom when lit. They have an outlet store on the premises. They are located east of Charlevoix and here's their web site:

http://www.bullfroglightco.com/

And secondly, you'd miss enjoy this outstanding B & B:

It is too bad that you're not traveling further northwood to the UP as there is an excellent B & B about 1.5 hours from the bridge. The women is an excellent cook, an excellent gardener with a large front yard garden area, and she and her husband live in an old, but very comfy, Sears (kit) farmhouse with a dog, some chickens, a small vegetable garden, a small array of sheep; an orchard, and several miles of hiking trails.

Here's their web site: http://www.sandtownfarmhouse.com/

Well, I believe that's more than enough information for now.

Again, hope the information is more than useful.

Bill & Sue

Mozart2 -- Thanks for the information you've provided here on Traverse City nurseries (and other attractions!). As I've just posted in the Spring in Michigan! thread, we are contemplating a move to the Traverse City area. What's the best thing and worst thing about gardening in your area?

Regards,
Sherry