Grand Traverse Resort and Spa

It takes a few minutes to get used to the lighting, but once eyes adjust, you understand why Low Bar has developed such a reputation for cool. The underground cocktail lounge on Union Street feels like the type of place where business deals were done by handshakes, not contracts. It harkens back to a time when elbow length gloves completed a woman's outfit and men wouldn't be caught dead in public without a drape-cut suit and fedora, and it's an ideal place to sip a '30s era cocktail and have great conversations (lowbartc.com). Hand-crafted "cocktails and culture" can also be found at The Parlor (theparlortc.com) in downtown Traverse City. If you're a fan of bourbon and Michigan maple syrup, "The Smoke Stack" is a must try.