Southwest Michigan Girls Weekend
My friend Laurie and I decided last summer to go to Michigan on a whim. We fell in love with everything we saw and knew we wanted to go back this year. Our schedules were so busy but we knew we needed to make it happen. I wrote a blog about our experience last summer in the Northern towns of Traverse city and Mackinac Island so check it out if you’ve never been.
On this years itinerary were the Dunes in Silver Lake and the towns of Muskegon, Saugatuck & Douglas. We flew into Chicago instead of Detroit, but honestly either airport would have been fine and about the same driving distance. Here are the details of where we stayed, what we saw and did and where we ate!
Sunset over Lake Michigan
Day One
We drove from Midway Airport to Mac Woods Dune Rides In Mears, MI (about 3 hours, 45 mins and right on Silver Lake). Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for kids and are not sold in advance so plan on waiting a bit. It was so much fun that we tried to bribe our driver into letting us ride again but it didn’t work haha!
We got some delicious ice cream treats from Whippy Dip while we waited to be called for our ride (our wait was about 45 mins)
Stopped at Cherry Point Farm & Market to see the store and labyrinth.
Drove an hour to Muskegon and had a late lunch and a cocktail at The Deck. This is a must stop if you are in the area! It is right on the beach and was so fun. Great food menu and an even better drink menu with frozen options, tons of brewskis and mocktails.
Checked into our hotel. We opted for the Delta by Marriott right in Muskegon because of its proximity to the sunset cruise we booked. There are no Ubers in this area so we walked to the pier. It was about an 8 minute walk. Our hotel room was perfect. It was spacious and clean with easy parking.
We grabbed a drink to go from the hotel bar and started our walk to the pier. Many towns in Michigan have something called the Social District and that is an area where you can legally walk around with to go cocktails as long as you remain in the designated area.
Time for our sunset booze cruise! My friend and I love these! We booked this cruise through Aquastar and saw the most incredible sunset. I can’t recommend these cruises enough. We met some nice people and just really had a great time. Tickets are $30 per person for adults and should definitely be booked in advance.
Day Two
We got up and checked out of our hotel. Made our way to Drip Drop Coffee and walked Western Avenue to check out the Chalets. So many unique shops! We found these tasty Michigan made ice cream bars by Ice Box Brand and bought some stickers for our collection.
We left Muskegon and made our way South to Saugatuck! Stop at Reenders Blueberry Farm on the way if you have time. They offer U-pick berries, home made blueberry donuts and every other kind of blueberry item you can think of.
We stopped at Isabel’s Market & Eatery in Douglas for lunch before we checked into our Bed & Breakfast. This was one of our favorite places and we actually stopped here again on our way home. Everything was delicious and fresh! They offer coffee, baked goods, sandwiches and cold salads. It is also a market where you can grab snacks, cheeses and wine.
I didn’t take any photos but another must stop is Lulu Cadiuex in Saugatuck on Blue Star Highway! This eclectic shop has everything from antiques to kitchen wares to French cooking classes. They also offer a classic French picnic basket for the beach or whatever occasion and they looked beautiful! I wish we would have known about this ahead of time because they do require a 24 hour notice order. Cost is $95 for two and you get to keep the adorable picnic basket.
The highlight of our trip was the beautiful Bed & Breakfast we stayed at! The Wickwood Inn was top notch. The room was beautifully decorated, the social hour was so fun with wine and cheese, we met lovely people from all over and the farm to table breakfast was great each day. The location couldn’t have been better.. walking distance to all the restaurants and shops.
Since we had a busy travel day we decided to do a casual dinner our first night. We sat at the bar at the BARge and it was perfect with just appetizers and drinks.
One thing I will say is that restaurants tend to close on the early side in Saugatuck so keep that in mind when planning your evening.
Day Three
We had an amazing farm to table breakfast at our B&B and then ventured out for the afternoon.
Our first stop was supposed to be at Pier Cove Beach but there wasn’t any parking so we drove a mile to West Side Park in Fennville. This is a quiet park with access to a beach. The beach was very rocky and hard to walk so we didn’t stay very long but I am glad we checked it out. This would be a beautiful place for a sunset. We were also going to check out Oval Beach but we heard it was very crowded so we didn’t make it there. I do know this beach is a favorite spot for sunsets also.
Next it was on to Crane’s Pie Pantry to sample their pie flight. You could spend hours here! There are fields for U-pick fruit, a full service restaurant and a winery. We loved all of the flavors in the flight but the cherry definitely took 1st place.
Next we drove to check out the town of Douglas and hit some of the shops. Make sure you visit Endora. It is the cutest Bohemian boutique and stop in Coastal Society for small plates and the most insane Bloody Mary.
Another must see spot in Douglas is the Root Beer Barrel!! They are famous for their hot dogs and root beer floats and I can see why. Feeling adventurous, I ordered the Chicago style hot dog and it was great!
After our lunch, we went back to Saugatuck so we could park and walk the town and get ready for the evening.
Some things that we didn’t get to do in Saugatuck that I would suggest are riding the Chain Ferry, The Saugatuck Dune Ride and the Saugatuck Sailboat. All of them require an advance ticket or reservation except for the Chain Ferry.
On our last night we rented a Retro Boat named Ruby to take out in the Kalamazoo River and I am so glad we did! They have a few models to choose from and the time slots definitely sell out so reserve in advance. The cost for the rental was $145.00. We had the boat for 90 minutes and half way through, we anchored in a place called The Cove so we could hang out and watch the other boats. Retro Boat Rentals will provide a cooler and ice for drinks but you must purchase any beverages through them. I really can’t recommend doing this enough!! So fun!
After our boat ride we grabbed a wonderful dinner at Taverna Rossa right in town and then called it a night!
Both of us were sad to see our Michigan trip come to an end. And of course we are already talking about our trip for next summer. Southwest Michigan is the perfect location for everything from a girls weekend to a week long family vacation. There really is that much to do there!
Have you been to any of these towns before? What did we miss?
Leave me a comment below and let me know!
x, Julie