Harbor Springs
Where to Stay
When you wake up, you’ll find yourself enveloped in luxurious linens and surrounded by museum-quality antiques at the Veranda in Harbor Springs. It may be tempting to lounge in bed and daydream about the day nearly a century ago when this gorgeous place was pulled across the ice from Petoskey by horses, but please, rise for the gourmet breakfast. Go again for afternoon tea and fresh-baked cookies. And once more for evening appetizers and wine. You’ll need all the fuel you can get if you’re spending the moments between hitting all the antique shops around Little Traverse Bay. 231-526-0202 or harborspringsveranda.com
Where to Browse
Pooter Olooms Antiques339 State Street
Harbor Springs231-526-6101
L’Esprit Antiques, Inc.195 West Main Street and
220 State Street
Harbor Springs231-526-9888 & 231-526-9644
Joie de Vie Antiques1901 M-119
Harbor Springs
231-347-1400
joiedevieantiques.com
Traverse City
Where to Stay
Spend a night at the Warwickshire Inn, and you won’t have to go far to feed your fine antiques cravings. The 1902 farmhouse is not only loaded with its own classic furnishings, it sits next door to the former dairy barn that’s home to Rolling Hills Antiques (231-947-1063), a veritable showplace of Early American pieces. You can easily spend a full day inside, mentally filling the armoires, running your hand over mahogany pedestal tables and imagining that Victorian carved-walnut bed in your own house, so consider making it a weekend at Warwickshire. That way you can spend Day 2 wandering downtown Traverse City’s other antique gems: the four-story Wilson Antiques (231-946-4177) and shamelessly fair-priced Bay West Antiques (231-947-3211). Room rates at the Warwickshire Inn start at $85 nightly. 231-946-7176, warwickinn.net
Where to Browse
Bishop Antiques378 East Third Street
Traverse City
231-526-8075
Ludington
Where to Stay
Here’s an antique jewel box you can spend the night in. Ludington’s Cartier Mansion is a stunning neoclassical mansion built by Ludington lumber magnate Warren Cartier in 1903. Featured on A&E’s Historic Homes of America and Grand Homes of the Midwest, this B&B boasts a nearly 1,000-book library lined with black walnut cabinetry, five fireplaces, gorgeous geometric parquet floors and guest rooms that’ll leave you awestruck. Rates start at $125 nightly, 877-843-0101.
Where to Browse
Always Antique Mall 2144 Johnson Road
Ludington231-843-8781
Cole’s Antiques Villa322 West Ludington Avenue
Ludington231-845-7414
Sunset Bay Antiques404 South James Street
Ludington231-843-1559
The Antique Store127 South James Street
Ludington231-845-5888
Emily Betz Tyra is associate editor at Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine.etyra@traversemagazine.com
Note: This article was first published in August 2006 and was updated for the web February 2008.