It's a perfect time for a getaway in Michigan to see the gorgeous spring blooms. Here are four stays that I highly recommend.

A really special place is The Wellington Inn in Traverse City. It is an old mansion, now b&b with nine beautiful rooms. The inn keepers are wonderful and the inn is a few blocks from downtown where many of Traverse City's best restaurants are located.

Another place I love is Crystal Mountain Resort and Spa. They have everything at the resort including a beautiful new "Green" Spa and an outdoor Art Park with sculpture. Although it's in between seasons, Crystal Mountain is in Benzie County and there are many cool biking trails in the area, great access to Lake Michigan where rock hunting is now big as the winter brings new petosky stones on shore, and forests for foraging wild mushrooms and wild leeks. The locals there will be good about helping you out with going to the right places to look for mushrooms. I've been told to check out the south side of a hill after a rain as well as forested places where ash trees are abundant. See the following website to learn more about how to find the rare and covetted morels! http://www.northerncountrymorels.com.

A third place for a relaxing stay is the Grey Hare Inn on Old Mission Peninsula. It sits within a vineyard up a private road from one of the cool wineries on Old Mission. You can do a wine tour during the day close to where you're staying and probably hit all seven of the wineries there if you're up to it! There are some nice restaurants on Old Mission, too.

And finally, for a more active cultural experience highlighted by a world class art museum and Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, soon to feature a spectacular Chihuly exhibition, stay at the historic, elegant Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids. My suggestion is to book a corner room in the historic part of the hotel, have cocktails and dinner at Cynus 27 overlooking the Grand River one night. Explore downtown Grand Rapids and the Grand Rapids Art Museum and the many art galleries, riverwalk and abundance of friendly sidewalk cafes, bars and coffee shops on day 1. Day 2 visit Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, just six miles east from downtown and splurge for dinner at the only 5-diamond restaurant in Michigan, the 1913 Room located at the Amway Grand Plaza.

These are my picks for this spring. Travel, Explore and best of all Dine at these places that dot the wonderful Lake Michigen coast of Michigan!

There's lots more at www.greatfoodandtravel.com

Savor Spring!....Sally