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Where to vacation in southern Michgan? (1 Viewer)

dancer

Footballguy
I need to visit someone in Marshall, Michigan at some point between July 7th and August 14th. Trying to figure out the best way to turn this into a week-long vacation. Thinking I want to stay some place that is within 2 hours of Marshall. What are some good options?

Will be with my wife and teenage daughter. We like the beach, good restaurants, biking, walking around some nice town, parks, kayaking, relaxing. 

I know nothing about Michigan at all...simply looking at the map I am guessing there should be good options along the cost of Lake Michigan, something between Grand Haven / Holland / Saugatuck / South Haven / Lake Michigan Beach / Benton Harbor. Are there any nice resorts at any of these locations? 

I guess another option would be some AirBNB along one of the many smaller lakes that seem to be all over the interior of the state. Are there any particular areas that would be good? 

And wherever I end up staying, and recommendations for day-trips in that general area? Any specific sites to see? 

Thanks for any help!

 
I need to visit someone in Marshall, Michigan at some point between July 7th and August 14th. Trying to figure out the best way to turn this into a week-long vacation. Thinking I want to stay some place that is within 2 hours of Marshall. What are some good options?

Will be with my wife and teenage daughter. We like the beach, good restaurants, biking, walking around some nice town, parks, kayaking, relaxing. 

I know nothing about Michigan at all...simply looking at the map I am guessing there should be good options along the cost of Lake Michigan, something between Grand Haven / Holland / Saugatuck / South Haven / Lake Michigan Beach / Benton Harbor. Are there any nice resorts at any of these locations? 

I guess another option would be some AirBNB along one of the many smaller lakes that seem to be all over the interior of the state. Are there any particular areas that would be good? 

And wherever I end up staying, and recommendations for day-trips in that general area? Any specific sites to see? 

Thanks for any help!
Scratch Benton Harbor off the list right away.    All of the others are beautiful.  If you want to keep it 2 hours the west coast areas are 2 hours or less from Marshall.   Northern would be 3-4 hours.

Saugatuck, Grand Haven, Ludington are all nice on Lake MI.

I am busy now but will get back to you.

 
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My wife's family has lake house at Manitou beach on devil's lake near Adrian Michigan but it is one of the small interior lakes you mentioned.   It is a lot of fun but mostly private residences so probably not what you are looking for.

 
Grand Haven will be packed that time of year.. And with the construction on the drawbridge, I wouldn't go anywhere near there this Summer..

 
Grand Haven or Muskegon. You will be in between Saugatauk and Ludington. Grand Haven state park is consistently rated the best family beach in Michigan and plenty of shopping and restaurants. 

 
I’ll be in Ludington in mid-June and it’s a nice relaxing beach town. Technically I’ll be at Hamlin Lake, just north of there, fishing and family cabin time. My brother lives by Grand Haven and really anywhere around there on Lake Michigan is going to be nice. Coincidentally I have family that lives in Marshall. Not much there. heh 

 
Maybe you should go to Northern Michigan.  I hear you can try different things while smoking funny things while making love out by the lake to your favorite song.  Sounds like a good time.

 
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Southwest MI is fine.  There are not a ton of hotels or traditional resorts in close proximity of downtowns.  Best bet is going to be AirBnB or VRBO.  I'd add South Haven as another good option to the ones listed above (nice bike trail is Kal-Haven Trail).  You can make day trips to check out the various towns as they are all a little different. 

If it were me, I'd consider driving up to Traverse Bay area.  The natural scenery gets a lot nicer than Southern MI and has a more relaxed vibe.  Worth the drive if you are spending a week. 

 
Definitely a year to consider taking Lake Michigan Drive (M-45) off I-196 instead of taking M-104 via I-96.
Definitely.. I'm right by the new 231 bypass so I can take that to M-45 and M-45 to US-31 just South of Grand Haven. The problem is, traffic gets backed up all the way thru GH with the drawbridge shut down to one lane both ways. It's going to be a nightmare in the Summer

 
Definitely.. I'm right by the new 231 bypass so I can take that to M-45 and M-45 to US-31 just South of Grand Haven. The problem is, traffic gets backed up all the way thru GH with the drawbridge shut down to one lane both ways. It's going to be a nightmare in the Summer
I was gonna suggest 231 but it’s too complicated to explain. My brother has riverfront on Green St (which becomes Mercury Drive), he refuses to ever take 131/drawbridge no matter where he’s going.

 
Scratch Benton Harbor off the list right away.    All of the others are beautiful.  If you want to keep it 2 hours the west coast areas are 2 hours or less from Marshall.   Northern would be 3-4 hours.

Saugatuck, Grand Haven, Ludington are all nice on Lake MI.

I am busy now but will get back to you.
I live in Harbor Country.  No one is going to Benton Harbor, but many go to St Joseph.  South of Bridgman is Chicago-priced.  There are many wineries and breweries in this area if thats your thing.  A lot of hotels in Stevensville and New Buffalo also.  Red Arrow Highway runs along Lake Michigan.

 
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There are a ton of nice cities and towns all along Lake Michigan. Sagatuck is super nice - but its not the only place along there. So I'd probably just search a good airbnb or something along the water and then - if you have multiple cities to choose from, just pick one. 

Lake Michigan is awesome. A great place to vacation.

 
I need to visit someone in Marshall, Michigan at some point between July 7th and August 14th. Trying to figure out the best way to turn this into a week-long vacation. Thinking I want to stay some place that is within 2 hours of Marshall. What are some good options?

Will be with my wife and teenage daughter. We like the beach, good restaurants, biking, walking around some nice town, parks, kayaking, relaxing. 

I know nothing about Michigan at all...simply looking at the map I am guessing there should be good options along the cost of Lake Michigan, something between Grand Haven / Holland / Saugatuck / South Haven / Lake Michigan Beach / Benton Harbor. Are there any nice resorts at any of these locations? 

I guess another option would be some AirBNB along one of the many smaller lakes that seem to be all over the interior of the state. Are there any particular areas that would be good? 

And wherever I end up staying, and recommendations for day-trips in that general area? Any specific sites to see? 

Thanks for any help!
Marshall has some nice historic homes and not much else, but definitely hit Schuler's Restaurant & Pub before you blow town. They've been there over 100 years and it's awesome.

Grand Haven is exactly two hours NW of there. Avoid going through Grand Rapids and taking I-96 because 1) it's painful going in on M-104, a two-lane state road with traffic backed up, and 2) immediately after going through Spring Lake you'll hit a drawbridge that should be avoided even when they aren't in the middle of a two-year rebuild. So, I-94 West, US-131 North, exit 55 for the M-222. Follow your navigation and if you ever get lost (impossible with smartphones) just remember the whole friggin' state is a N-S/E-W grid.

Saugatuck has the best arts scene and some good restaurants and it's my favorite place to go via boat. Holland is a nice family town and if it were springtime I'd recommend the tulip festival. I don't think it's anywhere near as charming as the smaller beach towns. South Haven is another good beach town.

Grand Haven gets the most traffic from Chicago because they have awesome beaches. The dining is just good but not OMG that was amazing. Lots of quaint shops downtown for all these Lakeshore towns, but Holland is a bit more spread out and sprawling (something of a bedroom community for Grand Rapids.)

There are no big resorts that I'm aware of, the hotel lodging is hit or miss, I think the best option is a BnB like Looking Glass Beachfront Inn (across from the state park beach), Boyden House (bit longer walk), or Harbor House if you would like to be within walking distance of everything. Or find a house/apartment on VRBO, that's what I do when I visit my hometown.

There's a musical fountain with nightly concerts and a laser/light show. Try to be impressed, they think it's a big deal. Really nice riverwalk / boardwalk to the beach. The lighthouse has a lighted catwalk and it's beautiful at night. Tons of great beaches. Rosy Mound recreational area south of town is worth visiting for a few hours to walk through the dune woods, great vistas from the dune bluffs. It's not a town full of attractions but it's perfect to unplug and enjoy natural beauty.

 
Just an FYI on Saugatuck..  There's a reason the nickname is "sausagetuck".. NTTATWWT

https://www.saugatuck.com/blog/posts/2019/july/saugatuck-named-one-of-the-10-hottest-gay-destinations/
That's been the case for NLT 50 years. That said, my hetrosexual nuclear family had awesome summers there from 1969-79. It's a progressive bastion in a sea of red. My home county last voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in '64. That was Major General George McClellan in 1864, running on a peace platform during the American Civil War.

 
it's got a really laid back, welcoming vibe as a result we've felt. 

everything there feels way more relaxed.

cool little shopping district, good food options. seems a popular place for boaters to tie up and hop on shore.
Fully agree, my cousins have lived there forever and love it. Another option if the OP really wants to relax and be away from crowds, try to find a riverfront place in Douglas, which is a sleepy hamlet adjacent to Saugatuck. 5 minute drive into the better known town for breakfast/brunch/gallery hopping.

Same kind of deal with north shore/Ferrysburg which is across the river from Grand Haven - also puts you on the wrong side of the big, bad drawbridge but it would be fine if you're going for a beach house rental and don't really want to do the touristy things.

 
it's got a really laid back, welcoming vibe as a result we've felt. 

everything there feels way more relaxed.

cool little shopping district, good food options. seems a popular place for boaters to tie up and hop on shore.
I didn't say it like it was a "bad" thing.. lol.. Just throwing information out there.. One of my best friends (gay) constantly calls it "sausagetuck".. lol.. 

 
Fully agree, my cousins have lived there forever and love it. Another option if the OP really wants to relax and be away from crowds, try to find a riverfront place in Douglas, which is a sleepy hamlet adjacent to Saugatuck. 5 minute drive into the better known town for breakfast/brunch/gallery hopping.

Same kind of deal with north shore/Ferrysburg which is across the river from Grand Haven - also puts you on the wrong side of the big, bad drawbridge but it would be fine if you're going for a beach house rental and don't really want to do the touristy things.
Trolls live South of the bridge... I like to think anything North of the bridge is the "right" side ;)   Just like the how Yoopers feel about the Mackinac..  

 
Trolls live South of the bridge... I like to think anything North of the bridge is the "right" side ;)   Just like the how Yoopers feel about the Mackinac..  
lemme hear ya pronounce sauna

(we weren’t discussing the mighty Mac but right now is always a good time for regionalism)

love it up there, my son just finished up at Tech last year

 
mr. furley said:
it's got a really laid back, welcoming vibe as a result we've felt. 

everything there feels way more relaxed.

cool little shopping district, good food options. seems a popular place for boaters to tie up and hop on shore.
My brother and his wife were married at the park in that little arts/shopping district.  Big draw for the chicagoans.  The area really took off after the article in the NYT some time ago about a top gay destination.  

 
Also @dancer you are talking about Western Michigan. Nobody really calls any part of the State "Southern Michigan"
Probably because there isn't anything there. It's been a long time, but is there anything beyond Devils Lake that's worth going to anywhere in the state south of 94? And even that place may be nostalgia too. 

 
Probably because there isn't anything there. It's been a long time, but is there anything beyond Devils Lake that's worth going to anywhere in the state south of 94? And even that place may be nostalgia too. 
No, not really. Irish Hills is nice if you have a house on the Lake but not really a vacation destination.  But if you just looked at a map of Michigan, you might think Southern Michigan nearly anything South of Lansing, maybe even further North if you factor in the UP. 

 
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No, not really. Irish Hills is nice if you have a house on the Lake but not really a vacation destination.  But if you just looked at a map of Michigan, you might think Southern Michigan nearly anything South of Lansing, maybe even further North if you factor in the UP. 
My kids hear me talk about Michigan all the time and don't understand why we haven't been there.

We go to NW Ohio all the time, dad. Michigan's right there. You say it's awesome. Yet we don't go. 

Well, yeah. It is awesome. It's just that Adrian, Monroe, and Ypsilanti aren't.

 
 if you just looked at a map of Michigan, you might think Southern Michigan nearly anything South of Lansing, maybe even further North if you factor in the UP. 
As someone who knows nothing about Michigan and did just look at a map before starting this thread, yup.

I assumed the best places to go were on the west side, but if someone wanted to convince me the best place to vacation was Devils Lake or Ann Arbor or Lansing or Kalamazoo or whatever else is within 2 hours of Marshall, I was happy to listen and learn!

 
As someone who knows nothing about Michigan and did just look at a map before starting this thread, yup.

I assumed the best places to go were on the west side, but if someone wanted to convince me the best place to vacation was Devils Lake or Ann Arbor or Lansing or Kalamazoo or whatever else is within 2 hours of Marshall, I was happy to listen and learn!
Nah Lake Michigan is where you want to go. Ann Arbor is a great city but worth a vacation unless you are going for a college football game.

 
As someone who knows nothing about Michigan and did just look at a map before starting this thread, yup.

I assumed the best places to go were on the west side, but if someone wanted to convince me the best place to vacation was Devils Lake or Ann Arbor or Lansing or Kalamazoo or whatever else is within 2 hours of Marshall, I was happy to listen and learn!
The West side is the Best side ;)

 
I live in Harbor Country.  No one is going to Benton Harbor, but many go to St Joseph.  South of Bridgman is Chicago-priced.  There are many wineries and breweries in this area if thats your thing.  A lot of hotels in Stevensville and New Buffalo also.  Red Arrow Highway runs along Lake Michigan.
Thanks for clarifying.  SW Michigan is a nice destination, although the specific city of Benton Harbor is not.  Breweries and wineries galore.  Silver Beach in St. Joseph, Weko Beach in Bridgman, or Warren Dunes State Park beach near Sawyer.  I live in Stevensville here.

 
Thanks for clarifying.  SW Michigan is a nice destination, although the specific city of Benton Harbor is not.  Breweries and wineries galore.  Silver Beach in St. Joseph, Weko Beach in Bridgman, or Warren Dunes State Park beach near Sawyer.  I live in Stevensville here.
Shhhhhhh.  We don’t let the masses into Weko ;)

 

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