No road is long with good company.
— Turkish Proverb
Grab your totes, stock your cooler and fill up your tank—it’s time for a road trip.
One of the great joys of summer in Michigan is getting out and taking advantage of the beautiful nature, lively beach towns and big patios all around us. Just think: For a few precious months, you don’t have to worry about snow or ice, and can drive for hundreds of miles with the windows down and the tunes cranked up. Let’s not take it for granted.
That said, the season is already flying by and you might want some inspiration for where to take a road trip of your own, and that’s where we come in. With endless possibilities across the state during these long summer days, we’ve narrowed it down to just a few of our favorite destinations, depending on your interests.
So, take a look and see where the road might lead you.
Nature Lovers
Starting south in Portage, if you’re a fan of bogs, swamps, marshes and other wetlands—and we’re assuming you are—this is the place for you. The West Lake Nature Preserve, Bishop’s Bog Preserve and Eliason Nature Reserve are all nearby, and together offer hundreds of acres of beautiful scenery to enjoy, including rare plants and protected animal species. If you’ve ever wanted to see a flying squirrel in person, this might just be your chance.
Heading up north to the coast, Silver Lake is a beach town with big personality and its own seasonal community, largely thanks to the vast dunes which offer acres of sand for off-road vehicles (aka dune buggies) and hiking trails. Racing across the dunes in your buggy is both beautiful and exhilarating, and you can also head to the nearby Otto Nature Preserve or Crystal Valley for even more of a nature fix along wooded trails.
Not too far north of Silver Lake, Pentwater offers one of the best public beaches around, and tons of activities to boot. Go horseback riding at a local ranch, try charter fishing, or tube down a river. Plus, you can stop by the Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo, with over 100 unique animals and more than 45 attractions, like a giant slide, low ropes course, apple cannon and more.
Further up the coast is one of only National Lakeshores in the entire NPS (another being the Pictured Rocks in the upper peninsula), Sleeping Bear Dunes. This stunning natural wonder is renowned for its towering sand dunes, some rising over 450 feet above the pristine waters of Lake Michigan. The park offers a diverse landscape of lush forests, clear inland lakes, and miles of sandy beaches, making it a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts.
Well worth the trip across the bridge, Tahquamenon Falls State Park spans nearly 50,000 acres and is home to one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi, plunging nearly 50 feet and stretching more than 200 feet wide. The smaller, cascading Lower Falls are gorgeous as well, and both sites give you plenty of opportunities to hike along scenic trails.
Breweries
Grand Rapids may be known as Beer City, but the love of great breweries extends far beyond. Start in South Haven (home to 10 public beaches), where you’ll find Harbor Light Brewery, with a large list of both beer and cider; South Haven Brewpub, which also has a huge food menu; and Three Blondes Brewing, founded by three local sisters and their husbands.
Then, you can head up to Holland for a town filled with Dutch history and great beer. There’s the legendary New Holland Brewing, the lively atmosphere of Big Lake Brewing, the intimate setting of Our Brewing, the delicious experimentation of Brewery 4 Two 4, and the vast options of Tulip City Brewstillery, not to mention Coppercraft Distillery.
Further north is Grand Haven, perhaps the most popular beach town in Michigan. When you want to feel a part of a bustling summer city, this is the place to be. If you want to bring your taste buds along for an adventure, check out Odd Side Ales, producing tasty and unique beer and seltzer. Or visit Grand Armory Brewing for equally delicious brews alongside the new Gnarly Varley’s kitchen serving up burgers, nachos, apps and handhelds.
Or, step away from the coast and head up 131 from GR toward Traverse City. It doesn’t take long to reach Cedar Springs Brewing, featuring award-winning German beer and food. Head a bit further north for Newaygo Brewing, with fantastic pizza and beer, including unique options like the Crab Rangoon pizza.
Then it’s off to TC, where you can visit the spacious North Peak Brewing Co., located in an old candy factory. Nearby, Right Brain Brewery stands out by experimenting with real ingredients and unusual materials. Then there’s Brewery Terra Firma, serving artisan ales in a rural setting; Acoustic Tap Room, a music-themed mead and cider bar; Workshop Brewing, complete with Escape Rooms; and more.
While you’re up north, we strongly recommend extending your trip with a visit to Bellaire, home of Short’s Brewing Co., Bee Well Mead & Cider, Mammoth Distilling and plenty of water for boating.
Art & Culture
Down in St. Joseph is the beloved Krasl Art Center, which is, quite notably (especially in 2024), FREE! While you’re welcome to make a donation, you can also enjoy this museum and it’s permanent collection of 41-plus sculptures at no cost. Not to mention the rotating exhibitions and the annual Art Fair on the Bluff, which takes place July 13 this year, hosting 172 artists alongside a variety of food trucks and family activities. If you’re ready for more free art, you can also head to Box Factory for the Arts, a former factory now used as a multi-use arts facility.
Up the coast is Saugatuck Center for the Arts, a renowned art museum, market and theater bringing in innovative art year-round. Their current exhibitions feature Michigan-based artists producing fascinating work. In Holland, the whole family will love the Windmill Island Gardens, featuring a working 250-year-old windmill, towering 125 feet over acres of gardens, dikes and canals. There’s also an antique street organ, antique carousel, and a 14th-century inn replica.
Away from the coast, head to Kalamazoo for world-renowned arts organizations. While in town, see if you can’t catch a piano master at The Gilmore, or head to the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts for an incredible museum with three exhibitions in July, ranging from West Michigan artists to Indigenous glass art to a diverse selection of Chinese and Japanese art. For heavier fare, you can journey up to Big Rapids for Ferris State University’s free Jim Crow Museum, which shines a spotlight on America’s intolerance to teach tolerance and understanding going forward.
Or, head east to Lansing for the annual ArtPath, an incredible undertaking spanning 2.5 miles of the Lansing River Trail. ArtPath showcases public art installations along the trail every summer, from sculptures to murals to yarn bombing and more. While in town, you’ll want to visit the stunning Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, a champion of contemporary art.
Canna-tourism
Down in New Buffalo near the border of Indiana, you’ll find not just Four Winds Casino but also Rolling Embers Lounge, one of the only consumption lounges around. Inside, you can buy cannabis, outside, you can smoke it in a comfy chair or couch by a firepit.
Or, head to Muskegon for Indigrow, a special place where you can experience the whole cannabis journey with one visit. Get a tour of the facility to see where they grow and process all their plants onsite, then head back to the shop, pick up your products, and walk out to The Bowl, Indigrow’s consumption lounge! You can soak up the sun and play yard games while puffing and passing before trekking out to the beach.
Also in Muskegon is The Nest, a private home on 5 acres, just off a private road in Muskegon, boasting six bedrooms and three full baths, and a private pool. You can book the whole house for up to 20 guests or one of the smaller suites (with cute names like the Ganja Suite and Mary Jane Suite) for an intimate getaway. Plus, you can book special experiences like Infusion Dinners, Puff & Paints, and Paraphernalia Parties.
In Kalkaska (due east of Traverse City), you’ll find Kalkushka. This once-public lounge is now rentable (staffing and drinks included) for private events, but with space for groups from 10 to 72, it’s easy to make the booking worth it. You can actually smoke inside here, while drinking coffee and chatting or playing games with friends. It’s sleek and modern, yet welcoming and comfortable.
Lighthouses
The 1903 South Haven Lighthouse, known for its red color, stands at the end of the south pier. Easily accessible, it offers stunning sunrise and sunset views, with nearby maritime history at the Michigan Maritime Museum. Head up to Grand Haven for the incredibly iconic red South Pier Lighthouse, with plenty of space to walk to the end and experience the waves crashing up against the pier. Plus, you get to see huge ships come in and out of the Grand River.
Heading north to Mears, you’ll find the 107-foot brick Little Sable Point Lighthouse built in 1874, which means it’s celebrating 150 years on the shore. It’s within Silver Lake State Park, perfect for a day of hiking and history. Climb to the top for panoramic lake views. Up in Ludington you can visit its sister after a two-mile walk through dunes: The Big Sable Point Lighthouse from 1867, featuring distinctive black-and-white bands.
Between the two, you’ll find the North Breakwater Lighthouse, celebrating its centennial birthday this year. Its unique square, pyramidal design sits at the end of a pier popular at sunset. Head inside daily for tours—just 53 steps to the top! Finally, you’ll want to visit the Manistee North Pier Lighthouse to experience this striking white, iron-clad 1873 lighthouse at the mouth of the Manistee River.
Oddities
Tucked away in Muskegon State Park, the Block House is a historical wooden structure offering panoramic views of the surrounding forest and Lake Michigan. Built as a replica of a frontier fort, it’s a fascinating little spot to explore and learn about the area’s history while enjoying a scenic overlook.
Not too far north in Shelby is Cherry Point Farm and Market, which boasts the stunning Lavender Labyrinth. Wander through the fragrant lavender fields arranged in a beautiful labyrinth pattern. It’s a peaceful retreat where you can also enjoy fresh produce and baked goods from the farm market, and it typically peaks in full bloom during mid to late July!
In Manistee are (at least) two oddities, including Old Facefull, a beloved artesian well that gushes out pure, cold water straight from the earth with impressive force. Then, experience the mind-bending phenomenon of Gravity Hill, where cars appear to roll uphill. This optical illusion, created by the surrounding landscape, is a fun and puzzling experience that will leave you questioning the laws of physics.
Whether you’re on the way to Cedar Point or just up for an adventure, a trip all the way to Onsted is well worth it for the Prehistoric Forest Amusement Park, where life-sized dinosaur statues and a recreated prehistoric environment await. Though the park is now closed, its remnants provide a nostalgic and eerie glimpse into mid-20th-century roadside attractions.
In the Upper Peninsula, Kitch-iti-kipi, known as “The Big Spring,” is Michigan’s largest freshwater spring, located in Palms Book State Park. The crystal-clear waters allow you to see deep into the spring, and a self-operated raft lets visitors glide across the surface, offering a unique perspective on this natural wonder.
Staff Picks
Eric Mitts
Take a trip back in time this summer with a visit to either of the two historic drive-in movie theatres still going strong in West Michigan. Family-owned and operated, The Capri Drive-In Theater (119 W. Chicago) in Coldwater offers the full authentic experience, with a choice of double features on each of its two screens starting at dusk. The Getty Drive-In (920 E. Summit Ave.) in Muskegon, meanwhile, shows four different double-feature pairings each night. With streaming having altered the landscape of cinema, the evening-long experience of the drive-in doesn’t just feel like a fun, retro throwback, it’s a way to reconnect with what’s made movie-going such a magical slice of summertime Americana for nearly a century.
Kelsey Shoemaker
If you're headed north, Lake Mitchell in Cadillac is a great peaceful getaway, with some perfect sunset-watching spots like Mitchell State Park. Be sure to grab ice cream from Thirsty's to take with you to the park, or grab takeout from The Pines Sports Bar & Bowling Center (definitely recommend the pizza!) or Chico's Taco House! Or if you're craving a beach day, you can't go wrong with a trip to Grand Haven. (Stopping at the Pronto Pups corndog stand is a must!)
John Kissane
Not long ago, I traveled with my family to downtown Detroit. Detroit sometimes gets a bad rap, especially from people who've never been there (or who haven't been there in years). But you really need to see it for yourself. One highlight: John K. King Used & Rare Books, packed tight with over a million volumes; traveling through its twists and turns, you can find more or less every book ever written--and maybe some that weren't. Another is the Detroit Zoo, at which peacocks saunter by, royally. But the crown jewel is the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum. Whether you're looking for modern masterpieces or treasures passed down from the ancient past, you'll find them there. The best of it is awe-inspiring.
Zachary Avery
For your next trip to Lake Michigan, how about visiting Muskegon! Enjoy lakeside views from the outdoor bar and restaurant, The Deck, which sits a conveniently short walk away from both the South Pierhead Lighthouse and the USS Silversides Submarine Museum, with a real-life submarine parked right on the water. What?!? Submarines are awesome.
Allison Kay Bannister
There’s enough to do and see in Traverse City to fill a whole issue, but if there’s one place that stands out as a must, it’s Right Brain Brewery. It’s become a tradition as the first place to stop whenever we head north. Go for the 30-plus beers on tap (and more) and stay to play vintage arcade games and pinball machines—or just sit around and enjoy the atmosphere. It definitely has a locals vibe. I’ll take a pint of the Cherry Bomb, Bloodletter, or Nitro Blue Magic, while the mister will order whatever’s hoppiest. If you’re especially adventurous, try the Pig Porter, which definitely earns them the motto “Keep Beer Curious”!
Sarah Suydam
When I'm on the east side of the state, I love grabbing food and drinks at Octopus' Beer Garden in Mt. Clemens. Situated on the Clinton River, it's a great spot to catch some live music (which happens multiple times a week), enjoy the views, and soak up the "food + drink, peace + love" motto they've got going on. It's a summer staple for us.
