09/16/96 MICHIGAN IN ITS AUTUMN GLORY

MICHIGAN IN ITS AUTUMN GLORY

Those who live in the Great Lakes region have learned to make the most of summer's good weather, so Michigan's loveliest resorts are jammed with tourists in July and August. That's certainly true in the case of Charlevoix and Traverse City on Lake Michigan, in the northwestern corner of the state's Lower Peninsula--approximately four hours' drive from Detroit.
But after Labor Day, the crowds and traffic vanish, even though the weather usually stays fine into October. Better still, that's when the trees in this hilly orchard district put on their autumn show. Although the autumn weather is too cool for swimming at the local white-sand beaches, it is a great time for the region's other attractions: boating, fishing, antiquing, golfing, and exploring the lake-studded countryside. Furthermore, getting dinner reservations in this epicurean mecca, home to some of the state's top restaurants, becomes a great deal easier.
There are some special fall activities. On the weekend of Oct. 11-13--which is usually about the time the fall colors reach their peak--Charlevoix hosts its annual Apple Festival, celebrating the harvest from local orchards. The festival, held in the center of the town, which is perched between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix, features fresh produce by the bushel, apple pastries, and a craft show. You can also cruise around Lake Charlevoix on a schooner called the Appledore. For more information, call the Charlevoix Visitors Bureau (800 367-8557).
If you have a hankering for something more than apple pie, you might venture 15 miles south, to tiny Ellsworth, to find two of Michigan's best restaurants. Both specialize in creative presentations of the best local fish, game, and fruit: trout, whitefish, venison, duck, dried cherries, peaches, apples, and berries in season. Tapawingo presents elegant cuisine in a white-tablecloth atmosphere. Down the road, the Rowe Inn offers equally refined meals but in more casual surroundings. The waitress may be wearing jeans, and the knotty-pine walls might pass for roadhouse decor. The menu, however, lists such delights as pecan-stuffed morel mushrooms and grilled lobster in red pepper beurre blanc--not to mention a divine white-chocolate brownie and homemade ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce. The wine list is extensive and excellent.
FRESH CATCH. You might pass up Ellsworth and press on south, if not for the beauties of Torch Lake, then for the further foodie delights of Spencer Creek Landing in Alden. This lakeshore restaurant has tables scattered through the downstairs rooms of a Victorian house, with a menu that includes fresh catch from the lake.
Keep heading southwest to Traverse City, set on the Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. (Lodging and other tourism information is available at 800 872-8377.) It's a good jumping-off point for the scenic Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas, where sweeping bay views alternate with small vineyards and towns crammed with antique shops and other boutiques. The Grand Traverse Resort boasts two golf courses, including one designed by the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus. At the nearby Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire, golfers can play 18 holes on The Legend, designed by another golfing great, Arnold Palmer.
4LEISURELY PADDLE. These man-made attractions are dwarfed by the natural wonders of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on the western edge of the Leelanau Peninsula. You can see a bit of the park's 35-mile coastline, steep sand slopes, and forests by car (on a seven-mile loop drive), but it is best explored on foot. After a steep climb up the face of the huge first dune, you're rewarded with a view back at sparkling, tree-fringed Glen Lake. A three- or four-hour hike across the dunes leads to the windswept shore of the big lake and back. Through mid-October, you can rent a canoe at Riverside Canoes at the south end of the park for a leisurely paddle down the Platte River to the Lake Michigan beach.
Of course, all that exercise could make you hungry again. Fortunately, Leelanau is home to several excellent eateries, such as La Becasse at the crossroads village of Burdickville, offering the likes of elk and duck liver pate with cherry shiitake chutney. Also notable for their cuisine are Hattie's in Sutton's Bay and the Bluebird in Leland. Then, it's time to grab some Alka-Seltzer, hit the road for home, and consider starting a new diet on Monday morning.
EDITED BY AMY DUNKIN By Katie Kerwin