Staycation in
DINE & DRINK LOCAL
ROMANTIC WEEKEND FOR TWO
Fall in Love with Michigan
Soak up the sun
one of the topics BELOW to discover your perfect activities for a staycation!
MICHIGAN
SCroll down to explore
Choose!
SPONSORED STORY A
SPONSORED STORY C
SPONSORED STORY B
START YOUR PLANNING HERE
ACTIVITIES
QUIZ
FEATURED STORY
TRIP
It’s time to look around the next bend, or perhaps at the tip of a peninsula, for your vacation plans, to discover destinations within a few hours drive or even a walk from home that may take several minutes. As we adventure out we’ve never felt better about living in or nearby Michigan, a state with such exceptional geographic, cultural and recreational diversity. Every region of the state promises abundant opportunities, whether we’re heading out with family, a small group of friends or a long-awaited romantic adventure. Like our lakes, Michigan glistens with potential from summer fishing, golf and waterparks to wine country trails, Detroit restaurant terraces and sandy beach strolls. Michigan’s cultural cache is famous across the globe, and there’s no better time to discover or revisit a favorite museum, check out a local musician or explore the trademark culinary scene. And it isn’t just Detroit that boasts a spectrum of options, throughout Grand Rapids to Traverse City and the university towns, Michigan’s cityscape sparkles too. This guide is meant to educate and excite you to many of the fascinating possibilities from Detroit to Copper Harbor.
The Great Lakes State
back to top
Seasons Up North
Golf
Urban Delights
Lake Life
Take this quiz!
Can't decide?
There hasn’t been a better time to road trip since our parents loaded up the station wagon to cart us off to who knows where way back when. Car travel just makes the most sense right now, a controlled environment where we make all the rules. The best road trips include diverse experiences coupled with a few cherished surprises, like beach lounging with wine country or excellent hiking trails beside world-class golf. Given our love for adventure and attractions, it makes sense that Michigan tops most Midwestern road trip itineraries. Click on the map and see what drives you can find in the Great Lakes State.
Road trip
Featured Partner
Each Destination hub features an interactive map. Our partners looking to drive awareness of their location and brand will enjoy placement within Destination section map. All partners included receive a hot-spot within the map as well as an informational overlay featuring an overview and contact information of their business. Partners to provide: Overview of business (50 word descriptor), Contact information, Link to business, Logo Promotion: 250k impressions driving to Destination Section 50k impressions driving to partners site
MAKE tHE MOST of a rainy day
SPONSORED CONTENT
Road Trip
Benzie
MANISTEE
MASON
Partner A
Partner B
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
The North
one of the topics to discover your perfect activities for a staycation!
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit?
The weather turns golden come autumn in the upper Midwest, which makes for sunny skies and crisp days. We just may have to plan a little more. Fortunately, the state is teeming with excellent attractions from 3rd Coaward-winning children’s museums to theater, boutiques and casinos. We’ve also added some brunch great spots to order one more mimosa when the showers start, as well as a look at art galleries across the state. With all these options, you can’t help but grab your umbrella and go, go, go.
“Playing In” at the Casinos
Gallery Galloping – Independent Art Studios Across the State
The Long Brunch – Best Spots from Detroit to Traverse City
A Day at the (Kids) Museum
Boutique Shopping in Corktown (& other trendy neighborhoods)
Live Theater (Returning this fall)
Children’s museums are sprinkled across Michigan like a summer rain shower, hands-on centers of discovery ideal for kids from preschoolers to teenagers. It’s no surprise that Ann Arbor is home to an exceptional set of exhibits that range from a preschool gallery to a light and optics gallery and media works lab. The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum also brings in nationally recognized touring exhibits so repeat visits are a must. The Grand Rapids Children Museum also keeps evolving, recently adding the Little Lake Michigan exhibit, yet another play zone, think lots of sand and water, where the learning comes naturally. Speaking of natural, the museum features many interactive exhibits that reflect western Michigan’s agricultural heritage. Marquette’s Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum also celebrates its surroundings, with active installations like The Fantastic Forest and Creature Kingdom. An ongoing series of programs adds still more edutainment to this contemporary learning space. The Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum invites kids to discover the entire spectrum of interesting play, including an expansive Art Mart, medical exploration within the Insides Out space and A-Mazing Airways, an exciting, tactile approach where children place objects in a labyrinthine air tube and watch them flow. Detroit’s Michigan Science Center is the state’s hub for interactive STEM exploration. From themed shows on the Science Stage to exhibits that range from engineering to nutrition, the MISCI reflects and benefits from Detroit’s legacy as an international technology center.
Fall In Love With MichigaN
WHERE TO START
MAP
Back
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum
Grand Rapids Children Museum
Upper Peninsula
Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum
While the coastal cities get the most attention for their dramatic arts, few cities have seen recent growth to match Detroit’s many theaters. Fisher Theater is home to the annual Broadway series, bringing in talented national casts to perform in standards like Chicago, upstarts such as Book of Mormon among other popular shows. Visiting the glorious Fox Theater is always part of the experience, the brilliantly restored landmark that showcases modern musicals like Bat Out of Hell and a broad roster of familiar visual treats, especially during the holidays. Hockey: The Musical? Yep, that would be City Theater, always home to a vanguard playbill. The artistic variety continues inside Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, home to musicals and excellent dramas such as Driving Miss Daisy. Of course, you can find classic and contemporary opera at the Detroit Opera House, student-led plays at the Bonstelle and Hilberry Theatres and live music on stages all over town. Grand Rapids also welcomes Broadway productions as well as drama at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre & School of Theatre Arts. You can also discover regional productions on the boards all across the state.
Fox Theater
City Theatre
Detroit Opera House
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre And School Of Theatre Arts
Autumn is orchard season in Michigan, when several varieties of apple tree bear ruby red fruit and the cider mills churn refreshing seasonal beverages for everyone in the family. There are U-Pick orchards in practically every county in the state, a chance to teach our kids and remind ourselves that our food comes from the hard work of our farmers. Many orchards have added special events like harvest farm-to-table dinners in addition to all sorts of pies, apple sauces, jams and other delicious results from the local provender. Come fall, orchards and farms add corn mazes, hayrides and other unplugged entertainments that soon become generational traditions. Wherever you live, there’s a pumpkin, cornstalk and mug of cider with you and your family’s name on it.
A-Mazing Fall Activities in Michigan
Grandpa Tiny’s Farm
Post Family Farm
AJ’s Berrry Farm
The Omelette Shoppe
Detroit has always served as an aesthetic hub for visual artists, musicians and other creative types, inspired by world-class museums like the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Museum of New Art, and many smaller galleries and coops such as the Library Street Collective. The city offers days of exploration spent visiting the many public museums to districts that serve up many artist studios. As it has since its 1065 founding, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History remains in the vanguard, hosting intellectually vigorous exhibitions like “Visions of Our 44th President,” a sculptor’s interpretation of Barak Obama. Of course, the major universities and colleges also house tremendous classical and contemporary art. The Grand Rapids Public Museum takes visitors inside all things Michigan from the indigenous Anishinabek heritage to the natural history of the region.
Gallery Galloping – Art Across the State
Avalon Café & Kitchen
Beggars Banquet
Detroit Institute of Arts Museum
Rainy days make for great “play-in” days inside Michigan’s sparkling casinos, beginning with Firekeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek. Offering one half-dozen restaurants, great shopping, including a Swarovski shop, Firekeepers is also a cultural go-to for musicians and comedians. Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel presents an ideal rainy day haven for visitors to Traverse City and other points north. The contemporary hotel features a variety of updated rooms and suites, a perfect starting spot for wine tasting or game playing. You can also head over to nearby Grand Traverse Resort to play one of three golf courses or, when the sun comes out, hang by the pool. The Upper Peninsula hosts a casino in seemingly every corner, from Bay Mills Resort, a waterfront retreat, to the Northern Waters Casino Resort near the Ottawa National Forest. If you love adult gaming, you’ll find a Michigan casino calling you.
Firekeepers Casino Hotel
Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel
Grand Traverse Resort
Bay Mills Resort
Where to See the Dazzling Colors of Fall
Imagine autumn’s paint brush swathed across 19 million acres of forests and you can see why Michigan’s canvas is as vibrant as anywhere in America. Fall is the perfect season to embark on a road trip along the Whitefish Bay and Black River National Forest Scenic Byways, just two of 22 National Scenic Byways in the state. Whitefish Bay courses through the majestic Hiawatha National Forest. Catch the autumn color’s reflection on sparkling Monocle Lake, ascend to the Mission Hill/Spectacle Lake overlook, or pop on one of several trails to wander through the woods. Black River abounds with trails, including North Country National Scenic Trail, part of the National Scenic Trail. Pick a waterfall path and you’re off. The Lower Peninsula also abounds with State Recreation Byways from the Sunrise Coast to West Michigan Pike.
Hiawatha National Forest
North Country Trail Assoc.
Huron-Manistee National Forests
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
M-22 on the Leelanau Peninsula
Crane Orchards & Corn Maze
Sunny days arrive in great number in Michigan, a chance to hit hundreds of beaches, paddle thousands of river miles and explore three Great Lakes by whatever means you choose. Nature lovers flock to the Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary to look for wildlife or search through crystal-clear water for some of the infamous shipwrecks that dot the deeps. Manistee County alone offers four rivers and 25 miles of lakefront for sun-filled frolicking. Michigan has always been synonymous with sportswomen and men, where Ludington alone counts fisheries for king salmon, steelhead, and all the familiar sporting species like smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike. Families will find just as many play habitats to call their own, beginning with the indoor and outdoor waterparks at the Double JJ Resort. Lake and river cruises seem to depart from every port in Michigan, a great way to spend a Sunday, a sunset or both. Romantics might choose to visit the Northern Natural Cider House and Winery for an evening show or picnic of fresh tacos. Wherever you choose to soak up the sun, Michigan landmarks are ready for you.
Lake Cruise
Northern Natural Cider House & Winery
Gold Rush Waterpark
Lake Huron Shoreline
Ludington Fishing
Watersports in Manistee County
Ask someone who lives outside the upper Midwest to name all the Great Lakes and one body inevitably goes missing, Lake Huron. With 30,000 islands, 3,872 miles of shoreline, and Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world, overlooking Huron is hard to imagine. Nicknamed the “Sunrise Side” by east-facing insiders, visitors will discover every aquatic element here, from Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary to ruggedly pristine Negwegon State Park, that we associate with the world’s most diverse seascapes. Lake Huron is also famous for dozens of picturesque beach towns such as quaint Lexington and Port Austin to resort locales like Tawas and Alpena. This diversity makes road tripping along the coast a culture lover’s dream, whether pausing to hike in Huron National Forest just outside Oscoda or enjoying a mellow evening picnic on the quiet Harrisville beach. Dependably warm summer temperatures near shore and renowned clear water make Huron an ideal habitat for kayaking, standup paddleboarding, and sailing, among other outdoor recreational pursuits.
Soak Up the Sun
Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary
Huron National Forest
Harrisville beach
Negwegon State Park
Outdoor recreational diversity is a hallmark of Michigan, no more so than in Manistee County. From four sublime rivers to 25 miles of shoreline along Lake Michigan, the region bursts forth with a water world of cinematic possibilities. You don't have to be an adrenaline junkie to explore a Manistee waterway, you can always hop in a tube and float lower Bear Creek without packing so much as a paddle. Should you prefer a little effort to your motion, the Betise, Pine, Little Manistee, and Big Manistee Rivers form a quartet of excellent passages. The Pine’s whitewater, the only rapids in the Lower Peninsula, is a favorite annual pilgrimage among experienced paddlers. Eight marinas spread among three harbors also provide access to Lake Michigan, the setting for everyone from windsurfers to big game fishermen and women. You can also launch your kayak or SUP board at one of ten public beaches, a true aquatic paradise for the active.
Mention fishing to a Midwesterner in the know and Ludington will come readily to the lips. Anglers arrive every spring to cast their fly rods for steelhead on the Pere Marquette River, the perch arrive later in the season on numerous inland lakes and just offshore in Lake Michigan. King salmon draw plenty of attention come July and last into August when steelhead also appears in Lake Michigan. The salmon spawn bulges in early September straight into October in the Big Sable River and elsewhere, as the inland lakes feature bluegill and smallmouth bass among other species. Of course, winter temperatures don’t halt fishing in Michigan, as ice fishing on Hamlin and other lakes heats up for walleye, northern pike and many others. Pick your season, any season and Ludington has the habitat for you to fish.
Manistee waterway
BEAR CREEK
The Pine’s whitewater
LAKE MICHIGAN
Pere Marquette River
Lake Michigan
Big Sable River
HAMLIN LAKE
ANGELO'S
Occasionally a business changes the surrounding cultural landscape by taking advantage of public space and an excellent product to establish an institution. Northern Natural is one such enterprise. In addition to producing a variety of award-winning ciders from traditional apple to cranberry ginger, the Kaleva-based destination presents concerts, literary readings and other aesthetic celebrations. The cooperative venture has recently added the Roaming Harvest Food Truck for tacos to go with its handmade pizzas. The wine vintages have also received their share of gold medals, including a crisp Chardonnay, rosés, and Rieslings. Visit Northern Natural and you quickly learn why agritourism is trending all over the country.
The Great Lakes State offers, not surprisingly, a cornucopia of blissful boat cruises. The Star of Saugatuck II conveys Sunday and sunset cruisers upon the Kalamazoo River and into Lake Michigan on a traditional paddle wheeler. Mackinaw City is home to several boat tours that course beside lighthouses, beneath the Mackinac Bridge and near the famous Straits of Mackinac, the natural channel that technically joins Lake Michigan and Huron into one. The Upper Peninsula borders three Great Lakes, as day sailors embark out of Munising to survey Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore or peer into the remarkably clear Lake Superior through the glass bottom boat in search of shipwrecks. Shipwrecks also abound in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a wonderful excuse to research maritime history and natural history at the same time.
The Star of Saugatuck II
Mackinaw City
LAKE SUPERIOR
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
It may not make its way into the history books, but the indoor waterpark is one of the great inventions of modern times, an aquatic playground for all ages that offers physical exercise, refreshment and fun 12 months a year. Home to Michigan’s tallest indoor waterslide, Gold Rush Waterpark at the Double JJ Resort gets it right, offering numerous pools and slides for all ages to go with food and treats. No need to worry about missing a warm sunny day, the resort’s outside Swimming Hole includes another waterslide, two pools and plenty of space to relax. There's also mini-golf, a championship golf course and horseback riding to round up an ideal resort holiday.
What do you look for in a romantic getaway? Perhaps you prefer the traditional, booking into one of America's "grandest" hotels for a weekend of garden strolls and carriage rides. An island setting only accentuates the love. Or you might equate romance with the beach, any beach. Well, Michigan has more beaches than every state but Alaska. And many beaches, especially in the UP, involve a forest saunter as well. Why not add in some wine touring, Michigan’s wine country continues to expand with vineyard tours, food truck weekends, lawn concerts, and tasting rooms galore. Of course, nothing says love like a shared adventure. The Midland area features everything from bike to horse saddles, kayak to sup paddles. Should you prefer an urban outing, Detroit or any one of a dozen college towns come up roses.
Adventure in Midland
College Town Downtime
Urban Romance in the Cultural Center
Best Beach Strolls
Weekend at the Grand – Mackinac Island
Wine Country Getaway
It's almost impossible for beach lovers not to find an ideal stretch of sand in Michigan. The Upper Peninsula alone possesses more than 100 miles of beach, part of the state's abundance of shoreline that ranks second only to Alaska. Cheboygan State Park exemplifies what a dreamy beach looks like here, a broad expanse of sand before glistening Lake Huron where romantics will also find plenty of hiking trails and a spectrum of accommodations from cabins and campsites to an updated lodge. Across the state, Grand Haven hosts a bevy of B&B's, bistros, and a lovely beach to great lapping Lake Michigan Waves. You can also watch the sunset over Lake Michigan from several classic inns located right in town. One can't explore the beaches in Michigan without mentioning Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, an exceptional habitat with 60 miles of shoreline, a historic lighthouse, and gorgeous flora, in short, a romantic's dream. The 2,000-acre Silver Lake Dunes offers a still more secluded beach that is well worth the hike.
Romantic Weekend
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam.
Activities Map
Cheboygan State Park
Lake Huron
Grand Haven
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Michigan’s wine country continues to grow in size and reputation. It is now possible to find tasting rooms in every corner of the state, including the Upper Peninsula. How you choose to tour the wineries and tasting rooms is equally varied, whether you visit one estate for a vineyard tour and tasting experience, survey several onsite tasting rooms or visit Traverse City, among other destinations, for an urban tasting room opportunity. Many wineries go beyond an excellent tasting flight, hosting weekend concerts, vineyard dinners among other enhancements. The Inn at Black Star Farms caters to Michigan’s adventurous spirit with a package that includes cycling, e-bikes are available, kayaking or paddleboarding in Suttons Bay, breakfast, a picnic lunch and, naturally, sampling of the winery’s vintages. Pick your direction, then uncork your holiday.
“We’re spending the weekend at The Grand” sounds as magical today as it did when the landmark hotel debuted in 1887, touting the "longest front porch in the world." The set of romantic movies, historical lectures, and artistic expression, the Grand has long held court with a select group of storied lodging peers across America and the world. From exclusive access on the Jewel Golf Course to an afternoon in Astor’s Salon & Spa, romance exudes here. Survey thousands of annual blooms in the gardens, settle in for afternoon tea in the Parlor, hire a horse and carriage to ride along 40 miles of bridle trails, you'll find a picnic basket – yes, they are available also – of romantic experiences when staying at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.
THE INN AT BLACK STAR FARMS
What makes university towns such great romantic habitats? Is it the affordable culture, the student energy, or perhaps the local penchant for just hanging out? Whatever your reason, Michigan boasts some of the best uni-tourism in the U.S.A. Though the Big House gets the most attention and watching the Wolverines play at home is certainly bucket list-worthy, there are scores of other events in Ann Arbor every week. Take in a film at the Grand Theater, sip on cocktails and slurp up oysters at the Black Pearl, wander the 30 unique gardens at Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Conservatory, Ann Arbor has your heart covered. Kalamazoo also possesses a bouquet that comprises the historic State Theatre, a Nature Center, and a mansion, Henderson Castle, that serves a great brunch after a sumptuous night’s sleep.
If you prefer a little exertion in your romantic weekend, set your compass for Midland. With every outdoor environment, from the 9,800-acre Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge to mile upon mile of Rails to Trails bike path, Midland’s reputation as an outdoor adventurer’s dream location continues to grow. Located about 15 minutes from Saginaw Bay, you can ride in the morning and sail away into the sunset on the schooner Appledore IV, berthed in Bay City. Mountain Bikers don’t have to travel out of town at all, thanks to over 13 miles of riding trails in City Forest. You can even ride horses in the Forest. Road cyclists can ride for hours on the Rails for Trails paths or pedal beside Saginaw Bay. Of course, every water recreation imaginable is available on the Bay.
Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge
Bay City
Midland City Forest
SAGINAW BAY
It’s not hard to find Detroit’s romantic side, given some of our greatest love songs originated in studios here, not to mention the portable home of romance, aka the automobile. You can combine car-accessed entertainment at the 5-screen Ford Drive In, located in nearby Dearborn. It’s not all song and rolling steel however, the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory on Belle Isle provides an exotic escape among one of the largest orchid collections in America. After swooning among the flora inside the country’s oldest conservatory, step into Baker’s Keyboard Lounge for an evening of jazz. Like a weekend at the Grand, dinner at the historic Whitney is a must. Start out upstairs at The Ghostbar. An evening aboard the Detroit Princess Riverboat brings the skyline and your romance well into focus.
Ford DRive-in
Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
Baker’s Keyboard Lounge
The GHOSTbar
Michigan Stadium
Grand Theater
BLACK PEARL
Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Conservatory
There is no better way to learn about a place than through your stomach. The best food, brewery, and wine tours focus as much on local lore as they do showcasing the menu, providing insights about what's on our plate has to say about history, local culture, and culinary trends. Wine has mirrored history for two millennia and, though Michigan's grapevines are much younger, touring through Wine Country here provides an opportunity to experience history in the making. With over 350 breweries, Michigan has always pioneered the national craft beer movement. Visit Detroit to join in on the sudsy fun, and don’t forget to sign up for a food tour where you can sample the city’s best deep dish pizza, square-shaped naturally, or some forward-facing soul food. Two other trends are blooming away in Michigan, agritourism, and craft distilleries. It makes sense, given local distiller's in Grand Rapids and elsewhere swear by local ingredients. Family-friendly farms are also thriving with bakeries, farm-to-table meals, gift shops, and other attractions. Taken together, right now is a great time to be hungry and thirsty in Michigan.
Grand Rapids Distillery Row
Meet the Producers at Michigan Farms
Traverse City Food Tour
Wine Trail Treks
A Taste of Detroit Tour
Brewery Crawl thru Detroit
It sounds too good to be true, a wooded bike trail that links together ten wineries. But wait, it gets better. Grand Traverse Bike Tours, the bike rental company that designed the self-guided trip, actually collects your purchased bottles for when you return. The bike tour is fully supported, and you can customize your trip to include fruit stand visits and even a picnic basket for a vineyard view respite. Should pedaling sound too arduous for your personal tasting tour, Chateau Chantal Winery, Chateau Grand Traverse, and Black Star Farms each offer lovely lodging options. Pioneer Wine Trail, the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula and Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail each offer self-guided tasting tours. Should you find yourself sequestered in the city, visit Michigan by the Bottle Tasting Room in Detroit or Reserve Food and Wine in Grand Rapids to see what the Great Lake State’s wineries are pouring.
Dine & Drink Local
Grand Traverse Bike Tours
Chateau Chantal Winery
Chateau Grand Traverse
Reserve Wine & Food
The Motor City is certainly sudsy these days as dozens of breweries have arisen to establish Detroit hops cred among other major U.S. cities. Atwater however, enters its third decade as the beacon of the brewing scene, with novel blends like a vanilla java porter to keep tastes interesting. The trendy Corktown neighborhood has a brewery, of course, Batch Brewing, a small output specialist that’s thinking big with the “Feelgood Tap” a single pour that charges $1 extra for charity. The Detroit Beer Co. is a great pre or postgame spot convenient to the stadia. Motor City Brewing Works remains the granddaddy, stretching all the way back to 1994 at its midtown location. Motor City Brew Tours convey the thirsty throughout the city via bus, walk, bike and boat.
ATWATER BREWERY
batch brewing
Detroit Beer Co.
The rise of agritourism indicates our increased desire to learn about how and where our food is grown. Visits to local farms have proven just as entertaining as they are educational. Located in Falmouth, Maple Leaf Farm & Creamery demonstrates just how fun farm visits can be, home to a market, gift shop, demonstrations, hayrides, and a petting zoo, among other amenities and entertainments. The Brookwood Fruit Farm invites us to fill our bushel with cherries, peaches, and more than 50 varieties of apples. There's also a bakery, market, and dining area should you wish to leave the prep to local experts. 9 Beans Row grows seasonal vegetables for sale along with baked goods at its Suttons Bay location. You’ll find thriving farms like this to visit all over the state.
Given Grand Rapids is already known as the Midwest's craft brewery epicenter, it shouldn't be surprising that distilleries are sprouting up like ryegrass and juniper trees. Distillers across the city are using regionally grown fruits, grains and other elements to craft exceptional blends. Bier Distillery has created a "bottled-in-bond" rye whiskey that speaks to 1897 traditions in addition to bourbon, brandy and gin. Calling itself a grain-to-glass distillery of “good hooch made local,” Eastern Kille Distillery draws water from Lake Michigan to make its spirits. Michigan ranks 4th as a state in local distilleries. Libation lovers can sip from several of the state’s best spirit shops when visiting Grand Rapids.
Bier Distillery
EASTERN KILLE DISTILLERY
With great local flavors, more than one dozen breweries, and Michigan’s best-known wine country located just outside town, Traverse City carries plenty of culinary intrigue for visitors. Not surprisingly, you’ll find several excellent tours to lead you into foodie and libation paradise. Traverse City Wine and Beer Tours stops several times over the 4-hour route, a great way to get to know the local scene. Michigan Food Tours pauses at local culinary institutions during the walking tour. Haunted Traverse’s TC Food Baby Tour strolls one mile and at least six stops over 3 hours. Given Traverse City’s rising reputation, Bon Appetit labels it a Top Five Foodie Town, whatever else you do in this resort town, make sure you eat!
Traverse City Wine & Beer Tours
Michigan Food Tours
Haunted Traverse
Maple Leaf Farm & Creamery
The Brookwood Fruit Farm
9 Beans Row
Motor City Brewing Works
The pizza is square here, you put zip sauce on your steaks and don’t forget the Boston Cooler, a float made from ginger ale and vanilla ice cream. And make sure you order that deli sandwich on double-baked rye. These are just some of the signature foods that originated in Detroit. The best food tours give us a sample of these morsels and others, as well as insights into the cultural history of this dynamic and famously complex city. Detroit Eats leads visitors through Corktown for 2.5 hours with plenty of focus on BBQ, soul food, and craft beer. Feet on the Street Tours regularly schedules a “Come Hungry, Leave Happy” brunch tour though the Midtown Cass Corridor. Detroit History Tours blends food and folklore flawlessly on several regular tours.
Feet on the Street Tours
Detroit History Tours
You can explore Michigan without ever crossing a city line, but you would miss out on a ton of culture, cuisine and fun. The adventure naturally begins in Detroit, a renaissance city with exquisite cuisine, dynamic neighborhoods like Corktown and the Cass Corridor, as well as cultural icons that have influenced America and the globe. To get to know the Motor City intimately, take one of several cultural tours. You’ll also find bountiful boutiques almost everywhere you look, rare artwork and the largest collection of African American artifacts in the world. Detroit also stands tall among our best culinary cities, a place where you you’ll find any cuisine you can imagine, but make sure you have some soul food. And don’t forget Grand Rapids, where you can explore “Beer City” among the 80+ breweries, independent boutiques and restaurants.
A Trip Down the Cass Corridor
A Museum Goers Guide to Detroit
Best Urban Cultural Tours
Boutique Blitz
A Motor City Dine Around
Explore Detroit’s Trendiest Neighborhoods
Boutique shopping is wildly different than selecting clothes off a rack at a department store or clicking “buy” online. When we step inside we enter the mind of the independent shop owner, wherever item of clothes or accessory carries a narrative like a short story. Bird Bee exemplifies the virtues of this boutique browsing, a playful environment where every fashion-forward item, no matter how small, has been curated just so. If bright and bold is in your sign, check out Frida, a spectrum of women's clothing that expresses your insides in fashion. Sibling stores Nest and City Bird both demonstrate the power of accent, specifically with hand-chosen household items at once practical and whimsical. Don't miss Detroit Vs. Everybody if you want to take a little city pride back with you.
Urban Delight
Bird Bee
FRIDA
Nest and City Bird
Detroit Vs. EverybodY
Exploring Detroit’s neighborhoods provides the best insight into the city’s cultural resurgence and makes for a great excuse to support independent restaurants, bars and stores. The city’s oldest neighborhood, Corktown, is a great place to start. Established in 1834 by Irish Immigrants, today’s Corktown includes craft breweries, amazing food at Slows Bar BQ, record stores and Trumbull and Porter, a 144-room boutique hotel. Midtown is also a must. Home to the city’s most prestigious museums, including the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Midtown is thriving with day hangouts and nightlife spots like Bronx Bar and The Old Miami.
SLOWS BAR BQ
Trumbull & Porter
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Like every great American city, Detroit plays hosts to an exceptional landscape of museums and art galleries. The Detroit Institute of Arts presents a world-renowned collection of fine art across 100 galleries. The pop arts are also well represented, specifically within the Motown Museum, where you can visit the offices, memorabilia rooms and, of course, Studio A. The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit rotates relevant exhibitions that drive our intellectual curiosity and challenge us to contemplate different perspectives, all set in an abandoned, graffiti-covered auto dealership. The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History furthers the conversation with a collection that features over 35,000 artifacts and archival materials, the largest such collection in the world.
Detroit has never stopped changing, a revving engine that has given us a musical genre, muscle cars and dynamic urban culture. Cass Corridor reflects this movement perfectly, a jazz row, nightclub stack, rock avenue, and former Chinatown. Situated adjacent to Wayne State University and the city's premier museums, the area has transformed once again as the site of the Red Wings and Pistons, as well as the home base of Third Man Records. Though arenas can thwart a neighborhood, the Cass Corridor's resilience over decades shines through, a vibrant environment that today is a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood with food halls, diverse independent restaurants and, of course, an abundance of nightlife from old school bars to modern cocktail lounges. And everywhere, there is music.
In terms of cultural impact, Detroit has few urban peers in America. Home to Motown, the U.S. automobile industry, and scores of entertainers, an urban tour here is almost mandatory. The Detroit Walking Tour takes small groups all over the city, a rarity in a walking tour, by using the People Mover to access sculpture parks and landmarks. The Backseat Detroit Tour is even more innovative, your guide hops in your car for a customized tour of the city. The 2.5-hour Undiscovered Beauty of Detroit tour takes you through many of the city’s historic art deco buildings, several of which have limited public access. The Detroit Urban Exploration and Photography Tour adds a different focus, specifically a camera-ready, 4-hour experience. The Detroit’s Rise, Fall and Renewal tour is one of several options that conveys visitors deep into the city’s troubled past and celebrates the current renaissance.
The Detroit Walking Tour
THE BACKSEAT DETROIT TOUR
Detroit Urban Exploration & Photography Tour
Detroit’s Rise, Fall & Renewal tour
Detroit Institute of Arts
Motown Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit
The OLD MIAMI
To start, you have to try Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles, the recently renovated comfort food staple on the Avenue of Fashion founded by former NFL player Ron Bartell. Kuzzo’s is one of numerous “Only in Detroit” culinary destinations, institutions like Bert’s Market Place, home to theater, jazz, and outrageously good BBQ in the Eastern Market. Over on the Westside, Sweet Soul Bistro offers crazy good dishes like a pork chop sandwich and more familiar fare such as catfish and grits. Can’t decide? Go with the Best of Sweet Soul Platter. Up on the north side try out the cayenne-dusted chicken inside Parks Old Style Bar-B-Q. Le Culture Café successfully elevates standards like mac n’ cheese and po’boys by adding lobster claws, shrimp and other delicious accouterments. From Detroit Soul to Ivy’s Kitchen & Cocktails, Detroit is one hot foodie destination.
Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles
Bert’s Market Place
Sweet Soul Bistro
Le Culture Café
Considering it has the second-longest shoreline in America and three of the world’s largest lakes in the world, it's no wonder all roads lead to freshwater in Michigan. Whether you choose to dip into Lake Michigan, Superior, or Huron, you'll find giant dunes, mile upon mile of beach, and a romantic lighthouse of every stripe. It’s hard to select one perfect beach town here, but if your itinerary calls for independent restaurants, boutiques, and galleries, boardwalks and breweries, we’ve got you covered. Even among these stars, Saugatuck and Traverse City sparkle bright for getaways. Should you prefer pedals and paddles to paintings and pints, you’ll find every human-powered recreation from kayaks to beach cruisers among a bevy of beaches, hiking trails and other adrenaline-fueled locales.
Couples to Families – A 3rd Coast Guide
Take the Cross-Lake Ferry
Outdoor Adventure on the 3rd Coast
Best Beach Towns
Traverse City
Saugatuck
With all this shoreline you can see why Michigan has bejeweled beach towns around virtually every corner. Holland showcases its prime Michigan lakefront at Holland State Park and Tunnel Park. You can camp, play and picnic beneath the big red lighthouse at Holland State Park, rent paddleboats and explore the new playground. Yes, there are windmills here as well, in addition to Nelis’ Dutch Village, complete with canals and wooden shoemakers. The Ludington area offers 28 miles of shoreline and several parks, the state beach is a local favorite, with easy access to the beaches. A visit to Muskegon’s Lakeshore Trail discloses two lighthouses and plenty of sand for play. Strollers and shoppers love the Grand Haven Boardwalk, a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. The 1,151-foot pier, including the recently renovated catwalk, is a must-visit.
Lake life
Holland State Park
TUNNEL PARK
Nelis’ Dutch Village
Grand Haven Boardwalk
From beach cruisers to rolling dunes, Saugatuck demonstrates why this region is commonly called the “3rd Coast.” Settled upon 10 miles of Lake Michigan beach, Saugatuck is often mentioned among the world’s best beach towns. Outdoor recreation rules the day here, where adventurers can paddle, sail or cruise to their heart’s content. Hikers head to Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area leads from hardwood forest over the dunes. Ascending Mt. Baldhead gets serious cred from active peers. Home to the Ox-Bow School, an extension of the Art Institute of Chicago, Saugatuck also provides a palette of artists and artisans, with galleries and working studios sprinkled throughout town. Not surprisingly many excellent chefs have built their kitchens here, a relaxed atmosphere that takes full advantage of the adjacent bounty found in western Michigan’s agricultural lands.
Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area
Ox-Bow School
Mt. Baldhead
By definition, ferries are considered commuter vessels, a way to transport us from Point A to Point B first and foremost. Taking the Lake Express ferry across Lake Michigan offers a different perspective, an opportunity to observe wildlife and other features of this magnificent body of water throughout a high speed 2.5-hour crossing from Muskegon to Milwaukee. And yes, you head west without hitting a single traffic jam. The S.S. Badger may not be a speed demon, but her legacy as a National Historic Landmark is secure. The 600 passenger (& 180 vehicle) ferry carries passengers on the 4-hour crossing from Ludington to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, plenty of time to relax and scan the waters for seabirds, famous Great Lakes cargo ships and sailboats.
Walking hand in hand to a lighthouse has always polled high on ‘Most Romantic’ lists. Not surprisingly, given the Great Lakes’ reputation as a navigational challenge, vibrant lighthouses dot the entire Michigan coastline. Frankfort packages a small town lined with independent shops and Victorian homes with the Betsie Point Lighthouse, set like so many beacons in a majestic locale. Kids love lighthouses too, and walking to one of the two Ludington’s lighthouses provides a perfect chance for family time and energy expenditure at the same time. Romping over adds still more outside excitement to the vacation mix, especially when you add biking, swimming, and camping, all readily available here.
Betsie Point Lighthouse
Ludington lighthouses
Frankfort
Whether kayaking for 3-plus miles to Turnip Rock or hiking out to Point Abbaye, a vista of rocky outcroppings, sandy shoreline and pine forests that perfectly reflects why Michigan’s natural beauty is second to none. Outdoor adventure thrives in the Great Lakes State. There are so many ways to combine physical exercise with some select adrenaline rushes here, like hiking up Hogback Mountain then heading to Black Rocks for a little cliff-diving into the, um, “refreshing” Lake Superior water. Speaking of chilly dips, Menominee River offers excellent whitewater rafting for any experience level, an excellent introduction to a great family and friend activity. Southern Michigan boasts plenty of hiking options as well, like trekking along the arduous 15-mile trail in Bald Mountain Recreation Area. Wherever you turn in Michigan, you’ll find a trail, lake or river to explore.
Turnip Rock
Point Abbaye
Lake express Ferry
S.S. Badger
Traverse City exemplifies what a summer beach town is all about, whether sitting on the many beaches, paddling the Boardman River through downtown to the lake, or cycling on a beach cruiser through town with a terrace stop, or two. Whether visiting the many galleries or stepping outdoors to admire the sculpture in Michigan Legacy Art Park, you'll find Traverse City's aesthetic world glowing with established and new painters, sculptors, and other artists, many drawn to the same sublime landscape of Sleeping Bear Dunes, the deep forests at Miller Creek Nature Preserve or the stately Empire Bluffs. This is outdoor country, where more than four score of restaurants and two dozen wineries and breweries offer al fresco experiences. Pick your patio, then enjoy.
Michigan Legacy Art Park
Sleeping Bear Dunes
Miller Creek Nature Preserve
Empire Bluffs
In an ever-changing tourism market, the Upper Peninsula hasn’t transformed very much over the decades. Step onto Mackinac Island and you discover a pedestrian-friendly world accented with simple pleasures like nature hikes and afternoon tea at the Grand Hotel. The UP itself showcases 1,700 shoreline miles, autumn sees gorgeous crisp, sunny days, and winter brings an average of 17 feet of snow for skiers and snowmobilers who revel in near-infinite options on hill and trail. Ultimately, the Upper Peninsula is about its wilderness, be it ascending the Porcupine Mountains or gazing upon the Pictured Rocks. And never forget the Great Lakes, sites of outstanding outdoor recreation, and the graveyard for thousands of historic vessels that draw scuba divers from the world over.
Diving Sites
Discover Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Explore the Porcupine Mountains
Discover Mackinac Island
North for the Winter – Ski Hills & Snowmobile Trails
Off the Beaten Path in the Upper Peninsula
Mackinac shares company with an exclusive club that includes Catalina, Nantucket, and Sanibel, a rarified group of America’s most prestigious islands where a mere mention of their name conjures up a vacation fantasy. Like its peers, Mackinac Island features an iconic hotel, spectacular beaches and exceptional amenities. There’s a refined wild here, a world free of cars and chain businesses that offer outrageously exciting outdoor recreation. The car-free environment is naturally a cyclist’s dream, from the 8-plus mile “highway” to over 70 miles of designated trails. No visit to Mackinac is complete without exploring Mackinac State Park, the diverse habitats that encompass 80% of the island. The superlative lodging, historic resorts that convey us to another time, include Mission Point Resort, Hotel Iroquois and, of course, the world-famous Grand Hotel.
Seasons UP nOrth
Mackinac State Park
Mission Point Resort
Hotel Iroquois
Grand Hotel
We all know the “Off the Beaten Path” paradox, sharing secret spots for all to tread upon. Fortunately, the UP's bounty exceeds even the most curated list, a land laced with waterfalls, drenched in the wilderness and so authentic that virtually every amenity has a story to tell. Isle Royale remains a bucket list destination for every nature lover, another car-free habitat that's hardly changed since the moose and wolves first arrived. With 1,700 miles of shoreline abutting three Great Lakes, there's as good a chance of finding a deserted beach here as anywhere in the continental U.S. Ditto for waterfalls, many of which, like Yellow Dog River Falls, require a little hoofing to get there.
The numbers are dazzling, 75,000 acres, 42 miles of Lake Superior coastline. If ever you need evidence of this being the 3rd Coast, Pictured Rocks is it. While the brilliant sandstone understandably draws most visitors, there’s plenty of actual sand too. The North Country Trail leads through the forest, past Au Sable Light Station, then onto a sparsely visited beach. The UP is on every birdwatcher’s list for good reason, and Pictured Rocks is a must. The Birch Trail is inhabited by resident merlin and ravens as well as the great gray owl, among other alpine species. Beaver Basin combines Superior and inland lakes, in addition to mixed deciduous and conifer forests. Back on the shoreline, naturalists encourage us to admire the sandstone sculptures beneath the water’s surface via a kayak, paddleboard or even a swim.
The Great Lakes shipwreck legacy has served as a beacon for scuba divers for well over a century, as thousands of schooners, steamships and other vessels met their demise during the horrific storms and other elements. This underwater museum led the state to create the Michigan Underwater Preserve System in 1980, securing an astounding 2,300 square miles for exploration over artifact exploitation. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary holds more than 100 shipwrecks alone. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is the site of multiple shipwrecks as well as spectacular underwater sandstone structures. You can also embark from Munising to seek the wooden schooner Bermuda, the 251-ft long Kiowa and other stunning ships who lay in perpetual sleep.
Great Lakes shipwreck
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
The natural highlights spill all over the Upper Peninsula, perhaps nowhere more so than in the Porcupine Mountains, the 100-square mile northwestern wilderness that is home to Manabezho, Manido, and Nawadaha Falls, among many other cataracts. 60,000-acre Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park features old-growth forest, almost 100 miles of hiking trails and Lake Superior shoreline, a rare combination even for the UP. There’s habitat for practically every strand of outdoor adventure here in Michigan's largest state park, paddling or fishing the Presque Isle River corridor in summer, mountain biking on designated trails, or, come winter, Nordic and alpine skiing.
With over 3,000 miles of groomed trails – yes, you read that correctly – the UP is, simply put, snowmobile paradise. Many roads lead to and away from Marquette, where you'll find more snowmobiles than cars in the many trail-adjacent winter lodges. Paradise is just that, the gateway to 100s of miles of groomed trails as well as access to the dazzling Tahquamenon Falls State Park. If you want to immerse yourself in snowmachine culture, enter Paradise. Paradise would suffice in most places, but Munising adds 10 trails over 300 miles, yet another locale to bask in the Upper Peninsula’s reliable snowfall. Big Powderhorn Mountain also embraces an average of 17 feet of natural snow across 33 downhill ski runs. Skiers and snowboarders look out upon the Ottawa National Forest when visiting Indianhead’s 28 runs. With more than one dozen ski resorts, the UP remains the Midwest’s leading alpine winter destination.
Tahquamenon Falls State Park
Big Powderhorn Mountain
Ottawa National Forest
With 650 public courses, Michigan can stake its claim as golf mad against any state in America. You don’t have to drive far to find an exceptional 18 or 36 to play. Like the terrain itself, golf design diversity sparkles like the three Great Lake that comes into view on dozens of courses. You can play a century-old nine at the Grand's Jewel on Mackinac Island or embrace Michigan's golf course renaissance upon Arcadia Bluffs, a Top 100 Course in America, that challenges every club in the bag. Central Michigan touts just as many greens as the shores, with parkland, woodland, and links-style options. The Detroit area has seen its share of PGA Tour Major Championships at private clubs, however the public courses from names like Palmer and Jones shine just as bright as the Wanamaker Trophy.
Golfing the UP
Where to Play in Detroit
The MI Bucket LisT
A Midland Golf Trail
A 3rd Coast Golf Trail
It's should be no surprise that Michigan hosts some of the most picturesque golf courses in America, given the landscape, vistas, and summer climate. Of course, Michigan is home to Oakland Hills which has hosted six U.S. Opens, three-time PGAs, and the 2004 Ryder Cup. If that's not enough, Walter Hagen was the exclusive club's first Head Professional, back when PGA tournament players also worked as teaching professionals. With over 650 public courses situated across the state, it can be challenging to create a bucket list, but here’s our attempt to chip in a few you don’t want to miss. Each of these courses resides in the revered “Golf Digest Top 100 Public Courses.”
Intro to Golf in Michigan
Arcadia Bluffs
Forest Dunes
Tullymore Golf Resort
Greywalls
There may be no view more majestic in golf than a fairway that doubles as a water viewpoint. Okay, perhaps this perspective is only second to a birdie or, gulp, eagle putt diving into the hole, but gazing out upon a vast aquatic horizon brings both the natural beauty and golf’s history into focus. With the most shoreline of any state in the Lower 48, Michigan golf courses offer vistas aplenty. Jack Nicklaus's Harbor Shores Golf Club winds 'round the Paw Paw River while offering a trio of traditional environments, but it’s the view gazing out upon the coastal dunes and Lake Michigan while putting on 7 that will take your breath away. Arcadia Bluffs is one of those rare courses where every single hole qualifies as “Signature.” One reason? You can see Lake Michigan the entire time. Seven holes sidle up beside Lake Michigan at Bay Harbor Golf Club, a perennial Top 100 Course where the Quarry’s 8th hole par-3 requires a shot over the lake to a peninsula green. Club up, it can get a little windy.
Jack Nicklaus's Harbor Shores Golf Club
arcadiabluffs
Bay Harbor Golf Club
There is something about playing golf in The North that captures you and never lets you go. It could be the golden sunlight coming through cathedral forests, the fir scents and immovable glacial boulders, or just the sense that your walk among tees is equal parts wilderness trek. In terms of wild golf, the Upper Peninsula more than delivers. The Graywalls Course at Marquette Golf Club adds yet another element, magnificent, i.e. distracting, views of Lake Superior. Sweetgrass Golf Club courses along a rare plateau and open terrain, not that there aren’t challenges – see the 15th’s island green. TimberStone Golf Course carries us back into the deep woods, from vegetation to wildlife as natural a golf experience in Michigan. Of course, you can’t mention golf in The North without admiring The Jewel, the Grand Hotel’s heritage track, yes, a horse and carriage really do convey you between the nines, that dates back more than 100 years. Wherever you play in the UP, you may want to pack your tent
Let’s assume you’re not friendly with an Oakland Hills member and lack Wolverine cred to access Alistair McKenzie’s masterpiece at the University of Michigan, this doesn’t mean you should stow your clubs when you come to Detroit. In fact, the Motor City is home to an abundance of exceptional courses you can play, beginning with The Orchards Golf Club, a Robert Trent Jones Jr. masterpiece located in Washington. Former host to the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, The Orchards offers a classic parkland layout with several RTJII signature touches. Northville Hills Golf Club meanders through wetlands and other natural areas to set up the best of Arnold Palmer's low impact, natural golf designs. Moose Ridge also conveys golfers deep into the woods without a house in sight, a true escape. Home to the “Coyote Trap,” Coyote Preserve is a golf gamer’s perfect track with water carries and risk-reward holes. Somehow the UP showed up at Shepherd’s Hollow Golf Club, a hike up and down terrain with plenty of deep forest drives.
Orchards Golf Club
Northville Hills Golf Club
Shepherd’s Hollow Golf Club
Marquette Golf Club
Sweetgrass Golf Club
TimberStone Golf Course
While Tullymore tops any duffer's list when golfing in Michigan, there's a large bucket of other noteworthy 18s located in Central Michigan. Former PGA Tour player Dan Pohl designed Pohlcat as his homecoming after his playing career, which included two wins and an exciting playoff loss at the 1982 Masters. The challenging track skirts around and, intimidatingly on the #1 rated, 2nd hole, over the wild Chippewa River. No layout is truer to its natural setting than a Tom Doak design. His Stoatin Brae soars within the Kalamazoo Valley, a links design that offers a brilliant landscape on every hole. Grand Rapids is well known for its course variety, ideal for a golf getaway. Thousand Oaks also shows why Central Michigan is a woodland golf lover’s paradise, each fairway is collared by forest for a sublime day at play. How much time you spend in those woods is up to you, and your swing coach.
Pohlcat
Stoatin Brae
Thousand Oaks
The jEWEL
Consistently ranked in the top 15 courses on America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses, these links-style, fescue tracks settled high above Lake Michigan harken back to golf’s Scottish genesis. Arcadia Bluffs is also rated in the Top 100 among the best courses, public or private.
Rare is the course that is mentioned in the same breath as Pine Valley, but Forest Dunes’ blend of punitive bushy borders and native sand waste areas has drawn such comparisons. British Open Champion Tom Weiskopf created this design, ranked #23 in the Top 100, to be tough, but in a fun way.
Tullymore’s two courses achieve what few premier 18’s can pull off, designs that are enjoyed equally by the experienced and novice alike. You definitely know you’re in a Michigan forest when you play either St. Ives or Tullymore, the latter a unique layout featuring five par 5s and five par 3s.
Like Arcadia, Graywalls demonstrates a design doesn’t have to be ancient to be outstanding. A consensus “Top 100 Courses You Can Play,” this Mike DeVries masterpiece doubles as an outdoor adventure in the UP forest, exceptional views of Lake Superior included.
The Bear Golf Course
We think of places like Florida and Arizona as golf vacation meccas, but come summer Michigan deserves equal mention. The Bear Golf Course at Grand Traverse Resort solidifies this reputation, a links-style layout that is truly one of Jack’s most arduous tracks anywhere.
moose ridge golf
