Gaylord is a small city of 3,700 people (2019) in Northern Michigan. Gaylord styles itself as an "alpine village" and the city center features many buildings with Tyrolean traverse style motifs. Receiving abundant snowfall and experiencing mild summer temperatures, the area around Gaylord has long been known for its many skiing and golf resorts, one of the largest such concentrations in the Midwest. It is the seat of Otsego county.
Understand
[edit]Get in
[edit]
Map of Gaylord (Michigan)
By bicycle
[edit]- 1 North Central State Trail. Bike trail.
By private plane
[edit]- 2 Gaylord Regional Airport (GLR IATA). A general aviation airport.
By car
[edit]- I-75 passes to the west of the city and connects with the Mackinac Bridge to the north and Saginaw and Detroit to the south
- BL I-75 is a loop route that runs through Gaylord then returns to I-75.
By bus
[edit]Indian Trails provides daily intercity bus service between St. Ignace and East Lansing, Michigan.
Get around
[edit]See
[edit]
- 1 St. Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral. A small Catholic cathedral.
Do
[edit]- 1 Gaylord Cinema West, ☏ +1-989-731-9766.
- 2 Alpenfest. Annually during the 3rd week of July. Alpenfest encourages participants to dress in traditional Swiss fashions. Carnival rides and games, music, shops, and a local 'Queen's Pageant'. A parade takes place on the final day.
- 3 Otsego Lake State Park (Southern outskirts of the County.).
- Much of the old rail system has been converted to trails for biking or snowmobile riding. The North Central State Trail north to Mackinaw City is a Rails to trails converted remnant of a spur line of the Michigan Central Railroad that used to serve Gaylord.[21]
Fall colors and snowshoeing are highlights in several of the local parks.
- Cross-country skiing is an important tourist activity near Gaylord. With two of the top-rated cross country venues in Michigan, namely Hartwick Pines State Park Trails and Mason Tract Pathway nearby. Forbush corners in nearby Frederic, Michigan is a world-recognized center for education and training in cross -ountry skiing, and benefits from early and late snow due to a 'snow belt micro climate.'
- Downhill skiing and snowboarding: There are several resorts in the area.
- Water skiing, wakeboarding, and jetskiing are available on Otsego Lake.
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]Drink
[edit]- Snowbelt Brewing Co., 132 W Main St, ☏ +1-989-448-7077. W-Su noon-8PM. Offers craft beer and food.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Hampton Inn, 230 Dickerson Rd, ☏ +1-989-731-4000. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Includes complementary Wi-Fi, breakfast, and indoor pool.
- 2 Best Western, 1201 W Main St, ☏ +1-989-732-2200. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Includes complementary Wi-Fi and breakfast.
Connect
[edit]- Gaylord Herald Times. Local newspaper.