11. Visit a republic (no passport needed) where cherries are the currency. For cherry lovers, Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor is heaven. "The world's largest cherry retailer" offers more than 150 cherry products, from dark sweet cherry jam to cherry salsa to cherry trail mix. Take a stroll through the English-style gardens while chomping on dark chocolate-covered cherries.

12. Eat at Traverse City's favorite breakfast spot. The Omelette Shoppe & Bakery has been voted "Best Breakfast in Traverse City" ever since 1985 – well over 20 years running. You'll have to choose between 13 different omelettes (plus the design-your-own option) – all of them delicious. Save room for a warm slice of glazed cherry pecan bread.

13. Party with 250,000 cherry lovers. The National Cherry Festival is Traverse City's biggest event. For eight days in July, the "Cherry Capital" celebrates the cherry harvest with music, contests, parades, pageants, and, of course, lots of cherries.

14. Tour the wineries of the Old Mission Peninsula. Jutting some 20 miles into Grand Traverse Bay, this thin strip of land enjoys a microclimate that's ideal for growing certain types of grapes. The peninsula is home to several wineries, most notably Chateau Chantal. In the Chateau's Great Room, you can sip award-winning chardonnays, Rieslings, and pinot noirs while taking in amazing views of the Old Mission Peninsula and both arms of the surrounding bay. On Thursday evenings in summer, take a picnic dinner and listen to jazz on the lawn.

15. Do some grocery shopping in Petoskey's historic Gaslight District. Your first stop should be Symons General Store on Lake Street. This gourmet food shop, bakery, and delicatessen masquerades as an old-time general store, complete with ornate tin ceiling and well-worn wooden plank floor. Pick up some locally made cherry butter or fresh-baked croissants. A few doors away is American Spoon, where $7.95 will get you a jar of delicious "spoon fruit" (like preserves, but thicker and sweetened only with fruit juices) made from Michigan-grown fruit. Try blueberry or strawberry. Or blackberry. Or … well, they're all good.

16. Soak up some local history. What do passenger pigeons and Ernest Hemingway have in common? Well, of course, they're both extinct. But they're also the subjects of fascinating exhibits at the Little Traverse History Museum in Petoskey. The museum occupies a restored 1892 train depot on the town's beautiful waterfront.

17. Take in a "million-dollar sunset." Petoskey is justly famous for its amazing sunsets. As the highlands across Little Traverse Bay darken to blue and then black, the waters of the bay sparkle and shimmer with gold. What an excellent way to end what will surely be an unforgettable road trip.