Although the "beaches" can be a bit rocky, I highly recommend a long weekend in Little Traverse Bay. It's a hidden gem in the Midwest, and lacks some (but not all) of the kitch factor of Traverse Bay (though there are still fudge shops and putt putt). Just the right mix of bucolic waterside town and vacation destination. Great restaurants, golf courses, sailing, and bike paths, plus a lot of local festivals. You can do day trips to the UP and Mackinac Island, the wineries on the Leelanau Peninsula, and the Boyne Mountain indoor water park. Skiing and snowmobiling in the winter months. Great people watching, including the occasional celeb. A lot of smaller inns and B&Bs (Staffords is one of the local hotel and restaurant groups), plus the Inn at Bay Harbor, which is a Renaissance property.