Grand Traverse Bay#Culture

Grand Traverse Bay earned its name from 18th-century French voyageurs who made {{lang|fr|la grande traverse}},{{refn|In modern standard French, {{lang|fr|traverse}} no longer has the sense of 'crossing'—which is now {{lang|fr|traversée}}.{{cite web |url = http://cnrtl.fr/definition/traverse |title = traverse |publisher = Centre national de ressources textuelles |language = fr }}|group=lower-alpha}} or "the long crossing", across the mouth of bay. The area was owned by the French, followed by Great Britain as the Province of Quebec. After 1776, the area was owned by the Americans.{{cite web |title=Grand Traverse Bay |url=http://www.michmarkers.com/pages/S0042.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020320104038/http://www.michmarkers.com/Pages/S0042.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 20, 2002 |access-date=October 28, 2010 |publisher=Michigan Historical Markers}} On Old Mission peninsula, Rev Peter Dougherty started the first permanent settlement in 1839. This was called "Grand Traverse",{{cite web |last=Norton |first=Mike |date=April 15, 2014 |title=Exploring the Past in Historic Traverse City |url=http://www.michigan.org/blog/guest-blogger/exploring-the-past-in-historic-traverse-city/}} but was later renamed to Old Mission.

File:West Grand Traverse Bay, Traverse City, Michigan, USA 2014-07-12 17-56.jpg

File:Inferior Mirage Grand Traverse Bay.jpg over the bay]]

Traverse City is situated at the south end of the bay where the Boardman River empties into the west arm. Cherry orchards line the bay region, giving rise to Traverse City's claim to be the Cherry Capital of the World. Several nationally known companies offer cherry-based products made with Northern Michigan tart cherries including Traverse Bay Farms, Cherry Central, Fruit Advantage, American Spoon, Cherry Republic and Old Mission Traders (formerly Cherry Stop). The region is the center of cherry production in Michigan.

The most notable feature of the bay is that it is bisected into East{{GNIS|625111}} and West{{GNIS|1616011}} arms by the Old Mission Peninsula. In addition, Grand Traverse is divided further into several important smaller bays, including Northport Bay, Suttons Bay, Omena Bay, Bowers Harbor, and Old Mission Bay. Northport Bay, located at the northwest corner of Grand Traverse Bay is about {{convert|10|mi|km|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|4|mi|km}} wide. Northport Bay open to the east, except inside the arms at each end, with the Leelanau Peninsula on the West side. There are several shoals in Northport Bay marked by buoys. Bellow Island, a low gravel island covered by shrubs and located near the middle of Northport Bay, is owned by the Nature Conservancy; it is primarily known as a bird rookery, and is sometimes locally called Gull Island.

There are several marinas on the bay, including the large marinas in Northport, Greilickville, Traverse City, and Elk Rapids.

• Antrim City
• Eastport
• Elk Rapids
• Torch Lake

• Norwood

• Acme
• Old Mission
• Traverse City
• Yuba

• Greilickville
• Northport
• Northport Point
• Omena
• Suttons Bay

The Grand Traverse Bay is divided by the Old Mission Peninsula into two arms:

The East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay (colloquially known as "East Bay") is the deeper of the two arms. The arm is flanked to the west by the Old Mission Peninsula, the south and southeast by mainland Grand Traverse County, and to the east by southwestern Antrim County. The arm's primary inflow is the Elk River, which drains the Chain of Lakes.

The West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay (colloquially known as "West Bay") is the shallower and more urbanized of the two arms. The urban core of Traverse City is located at the head of the West Arm. The arm is flanked to the west by the Leelanau Peninsula, and to the east by the Old Mission Peninsula. Power Island is located within the West Arm. The primary inflow of the West Arm is the Boardman River.

• Bowers Harbor{{Cite web |title=Geographic Names Information System |url=https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/a9386474-ba6c-5d78-8c20-bc036dd2267e/summary |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=edits.nationalmap.gov}}
• Ingalls Bay{{Cite web |title=Geographic Names Information System |url=https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/137e35da-40ce-5b84-ab01-76273c0f5218/summary |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=edits.nationalmap.gov}}
• Northport Bay{{Cite web |title=Geographic Names Information System |url=https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/2638b2ad-624e-5785-a520-26c8dd79c23d/summary |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=edits.nationalmap.gov}}
• Old Mission Harbor{{Cite web |title=Geographic Names Information System |url=https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/8c520915-2689-5032-859d-1f3452f90019/summary |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=edits.nationalmap.gov}}
• Omena Bay{{Cite web |title=Geographic Names Information System |url=https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/7697472f-b7fd-5776-b241-a154973ad7d5/summary |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=edits.nationalmap.gov}}
• Suttons Bay{{Cite web |title=Geographic Names Information System |url=https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/9794e199-e4ad-5af8-8f69-3c0b62f2a89a/summary |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=edits.nationalmap.gov}}

• Bassett Island
• Bellow Island
• Power Island

Besides cherries, the surrounding countryside produces grapes and is one of the centers of the Michigan wine industry. Known for its shimmering blue water and golden sand beaches, the Grand Traverse Bay region is a popular vacation destination.

In September 2007, Mark Holley, an underwater archeologist with the Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve Council who teaches at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, said that they might have discovered a boulder {{convert|3.5|to|4|ft|m}} high by {{convert|5|ft|m}} long) with a prehistoric carving in the Grand Traverse Bay.{{Cite web|title="Stonehenge" Lake Michigan by Dr. Mark Holley – Dr Mark Holley – Underwater Archaeologist|url=https://holleyarchaeology.com/wordpress/index.php/the-truth-about-the-stonehenge-in-lake-michigan/|access-date=2020-09-23|language=en-US}} The granite rock has markings that resemble a mastodon with a spear in its side. Confirmation that the markings are an ancient petroglyph will require more evidence.{{cite news |last=Flesher |first=John |title=Possible mastodon carving found on rock |publisher=Associated Press |date=2007-09-04 |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070904/ap_on_sc/mastodon_carving |access-date =2015-04-06 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070904232125/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070904/ap_on_sc/mastodon_carving|archive-date = 2007-09-04}} The stone can be seen in a TV documentary,{{Cite web|title=Video of Underwater Lake Michigan – Dr Mark Holley – Underwater Archaeologist|url=https://holleyarchaeology.com/wordpress/index.php/underwater-videos/|access-date=2020-09-23|language=en-US}} and is pictured on page 9 of New Scientist Magazine of July 19, 2008.

File:Grand Traverse Bay.jpg|The East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay from the east, with the Old Mission Peninsula in the background. Hills of the Leelanau Peninsula are faintly visible on the horizon.

File:Old Mission Peninsula.jpg|The West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay, seen from Chateau Chantal on the Old Mission Peninsula.

File:OldMission-MI-lighthouse.jpg|Mission Point Lighthouse sits at the end of the Old Mission Peninsula, which divides the bay into its East and West Arms.

File:TS State of Michigan on Grand Traverse Bay.jpg at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, on the shore of the bay]]The Grand Traverse Bay is home to the following shipwrecks:{{Cite web|title=Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve|url=http://www.michiganpreserves.org/grandtraverse.htm|access-date=2019-02-24|website=www.michiganpreserves.org}}

• A.J. Rogers
• Metropolis
• Shale Scow
• Yuba Wreck
• Tramp
• Elmwood
• Nyord
• Barge
• Flora {{Cite web|title=George N. Fletcher Public Library|url=https://greatlakeships.org/2894360/data?n=9|access-date=2023-04-05|website=www.alpenalibrary.org}}

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{wikivoyage|Grand Traverse Bay Area}}

• [http://www.michiganwines.com/ Michigan Wines Website]
• [http://www.wineriesofoldmission.com/ Wineries of Old Mission]
• [http://www.lpwines.com/ Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail]
• [http://www.miwinetrail.com/ Southwest Michigan Wine Trail]
• [http://www.traversebaycherryfarms.com/ List of cherry farms located in the Traverse Bay Region]
• [http://www.michiganfreediving.com/ Underwater photographs of Grand Traverse Bay's West arm]
• [http://www.gtbay.org/ Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay]
• [http://www.schoolship.org/ Inland Seas Education Association]
• [https://greatlakeships.org/2894360/data?n=9/ George N Fletcher Public Library]

{{Protected areas of Michigan}}

{{Northern Michigan}}

{{Great Lakes}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Bodies of water of Antrim County, Michigan

Category:Bodies of water of Charlevoix County, Michigan

Category:Bodies of water of Grand Traverse County, Michigan

Category:Bodies of water of Leelanau County, Michigan

Category:Bays of Michigan

Category:Bays of Lake Michigan