Courtesy Traverse City CVB

Although springtime is too cold for beaches and swimming, the season still brings plenty of reasons to visit Traverse City, Michigan, destination that comes alive with color and flavor early in the year.

“Spring here means cherry blossoms,” said Mike Norton, media relations director for the Traverse City Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Millions of trees on the hillside here bloom in May. And it means morel season — all of the moisture in the ground makes morel mushrooms pop up all over the place.”

Groups that visit in the spring can take tours of areas where wildflowers grow or visit local orchards to see the cherry trees in bloom. Many of the orchards also have areas where mushrooms grow, and guides can take guests out to find morel deposits and teach them about the intricacies of the popular fungus.

Springtime also brings great bird-watching opportunities in the area.

“Because our peninsulas stick out toward the opposite lake shore, migratory birds often cluster there before they make their big jump across the water,” Norton said. “So you see a lot of birds on the peninsulas in May and June.”

www.traversecity.com