West Michigan LOVE: A Travel Post

My husband and I were fully booked and paid to go to Italy for our 5 year wedding anniversary in August 2020. We had an epic 2-week trip planned that was going to take us from Venice, to Florence, to Rome and the Amalfi Coast. We were sooooooo pumped!

But then…..yep, you guessed it: F’ing COVID. Trip cancelled.

Noooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t even lie – We. Were. Heartbroken.

So when our anniversary date started sneaking up, we did what we could to mend our broken hearts by planning a trip that was much shorter (1 week trip), cheaper, and closer to home: West Michigan.

I don’t think it ever quite stood a chance at replacing our Italy trip but….we do LOOOOOVE West Michigan! And I’m writing this travel-inspired post because I think you should too 🙂

If you’ve never explored West Michigan, I HIGHLY recommend it. Hopefully this post will give you a couple ideas of where to start. If you’re already familiar but have never explored the spots we checked out this time- definitely go check them out!

Before I share some of the awesome places we visited, I want to share a few planning strategies that worked out well for us this trip:

Circle Tour: We wanted to visit a few different places in just a week time but without spending our whole time in the car. We picked a route and general daily itinerary that kept our drive time to 1-2 hours between destinations. Basically this meant we did a big circle but it seemed to work out perfectly!

Flip-Flopping between Camping and Hotels: I LOVE camping and being outdoors in Michigan but we were also feeling a little bummed about not being in beautiful Italian lodging. Including some hotel nights that let us feel a little splurgy and spoiled was a nice touch for this luxury-vacation turned budget-trip. We had a total of 4 destinations and we flip flopped between camping and hotels (2 nights camping, 2 nights hotel, and repeat) which let us get nice and cleaned up in between our grungier days. I liked this so much we will definitely be repeating it on future trips!

New adventures bookended by familiar faves: There were a couple spots we were going to hit no matter what….just because we love them and wanted to. But we also wanted to add in a couple of Michigan classics that neither of us had experienced yet. We planned it out so our faves were the bookends (that way we KNEW the trip would start and end on high notes) and stuck the new adventures in the middle. We ended up loving everything – so it may have been irrelevant – but I have to say it was nice to have the assurances of starting and ending the trip with a great time.

Combo of Chill and Active: My husband and I have different tolerances for relaxing. I could sit poolside, on a beach, or chilling on a campsite for several days in a row and be perfectly content. I love a good adventure as much as anyone, but I have no problem embracing some pure chill time. Not my husband- he has a day or 2 of relaxing in him and then he gets restless. He does WANT (and I would argue NEED) some chill time though….so it’s all about the balance for us. We’ve learned that it’s helpful to plan our trips with this in mind if we want to get the most out of it and not end up driving each other crazy. This trip was no exception so we made sure to have a good combination of days with leisurely-paced activities and days with active exploring or adventures.

COVID-conscious activities: We were in a pandemic. We wanted to enjoy ourselves- not end up in the ICU. So we took advantage of this BEAUTIFUL state we call Pure Michigan and made sure that our activities were outside enjoying its beauty. The weather was on our side and we couldn’t have been more grateful.

Breastfeeding Mama Planning: A week away from your baby when you are a breastfeeding mama can be stressful. I planned ahead by adding extra pump sessions in ahead of time and saving extra milk so our parents would have enough to cover while we were gone. I even made sure to save extra so there was some to spare for when we got back because I knew I wasn’t planning on saving the milk I produced while we were gone. I thought about trying to bring a cooler and saving some but I knew that we would be having drinks throughout the week and honestly – it just felt stressful and I didn’t want to be stressed. I made sure to bring my Kindred Bravely Sublime Hands Free Pumping and Nursing Bras so that I could easily pump in the car. I swear by these all the time but ESPECIALLY when I’m on the go. You can find them on Kindred Bravely’s website: HERE or on Amazon: HERE. And equally as essential, was my Medela breast pump car charger. I preferred pumping in the car between activities so I didn’t have to interfere with any of them. I bought mine on from Amazon: HERE.

Alright – without further ado… Check out the details and highlights below from our:

West Michigan LOVE Trip

Stop #1: Canoeing the Pere Marquette River in Baldwin, MI

What we did and what we LOVED:

• Camping: Being outside and camping in Michigan puts me in my my happy place. Sitting next to a fire always ends my day right. And waking up to the sounds of nature always starts my day right.
• Canoeing: We have NEVER been let down by a trip down the Pere Marquette River. The scenery is gorgeous, its fun to navigate but easy enough for beginners, everyone is happy and friendly, and there are tons of places to stop and take breaks. Absolutely NOTHING beats the sun on your face, a drink in your hand, and just….floating.

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Lodging: Tent Camping at Ivan’s Campground. We LOVE Ivan’s. It is simple, has the amenities you need (but not so many that you no longer feel like you are camping) and you can get picked up and dropped off for your Pere Marquette River activities by Baldwin Canoe Rental right at the front of the campground! We’ve had great experiences on our own, with side by side friend sites, and with a large group on the back group sites. Check them out here: Ivan’s Campground & Cabins | Baldwin, Michigan (ivansmichigan.com)

Food: Cold Sandwiches and snacks for the river and sandwiches over the fire for dinner. And Beer. We tried to go light on the cooler packing and meal expense budget so we sacrificed some variety in options. It was all we needed for just the two of us!

Helpful Tips for Canoeing the Pere Marquette:

• Be friendly. Have fun. Drink Responsibly (aka don’t be an idiot and ruin everyone else’s good time).
• You CANNOT bring disposable coolers on the river. You can bring food/beverages in the bus from Ivan’s, and on the river, but make sure you bring a real cooler. And make sure it will fit in/on your floating device of choice 🙂
• We’ve had some couple friends really give their relationships a test by trying to canoe together. It’s not always for the faint of heart. It IS a great way to practice teamwork, or practice managing personal control issues – haha. But, if you’re not sure and don’t want to ruin your day – perhaps come up with a game plan before you go OR just go with the kayaks option. <3

Stop #2 – R&R and Exploring at Sleeping Bear Dunes: Glen Arbor, MI

What we did and what we LOVED:

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• M-22: After we packed up camp in Baldwin, we headed Northwest to drive on the famously scenic M-22 on our way to the Sleeping Bear Dunes area. We ate lunch at cute little roadside grill, pulled over to enjoy a few scenic roadside stops along the way and grabbed a beer and a walk down the pier in Frankfort. There is something about the feel of a road trip that brings clarity and understanding to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous quote, “Life is Journey, not a Destination.”
• R&R Day: We spent a full day being indulgent and it was glorious. We went golfing in the morning, walked the grounds of the resort and ate lunch soaking in the Lake Michigan shoreline, and spent the afternoon getting a massage and unwinding at the resort spa. We went into town for dinner, came back for a nightcap and games at Whiskers Bar and Grill at the resort, and ended the evening with a nice soak in the jacuzzi. Ahhhh….livin’ the life.
• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore: You could spend a week or more in the Sleeping Bear Dunes area and still not do it all. But because we really wanted that R&R day and our trip included multiple stops in Michigan – we challenged ourselves to see the highlights in 1 Day. Phew! We got up early and started with the absolute must-do: The Dune Climb. It was a great little workout to start the day and the views are well worth the climb. Very satisfying and makes you feel like, “Yep – I really went to Sleeping Bear Dunes”. We didn’t hike all the way to the lakeshore, but we went far enough to see it before heading back. We also had one of those crazy random moments where we ran into an old college engineering friend of my husband’s on the dunes. What are the chances!? It worked out nice though because we were able to get a non-selfie picture of the two of us 🙂 Next, we hit up the Empire Bluff Trail. This was a short, low-impact hike that offered unbelievable views. Highly, HIGHLY recommend! Finally, we did the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. There were several places to stop and take in the gorgeous views along the way. The most impressive was the one with a GIANT dune that went straight down to the water – complete with warning signs and tiny, ant-looking people painfully trying to make the trek back up. Since we had already done the dune climb earlier in the day and wanted to make it to our next destination at a decent time, we decided not to do this one this time – much to my husband’s disappointment. 😉 Overall though, I think we accomplished what we set out to do and enjoyed every minute of our time at Sleeping Bear Dunes!

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Lodging: We wanted to stay a couple nights somewhere that felt a bit splurgy, where we could get some quality R&R and was close to Sleeping Bear Dunes. While there are some top notch golf resorts in the area (which my husband would have been happy with but wasn’t my primary goal), there weren’t a lot of “all-in-one” resort options. We had never been to The Homestead Resort but after doing some good ole’ Googling, it seemed like the kind of “everything you need in one place” concept that might fit what we were looking. We decided to give it a try. We stayed in one of the “Little Belle” guest rooms which felt quiet and sweet with its clean accommodations, rustic and a slightly outdated décor (for those who have never stayed in northern Michigan, being a little outdated is often part of the charm and experience) and serene natural surroundings. It was in walking distance to Cavanaugh’s (the food market) and Whisker’s Bar and Grill (outdoor restaurant and bar) which was extremely convenient. Many of the shops on site were closed because of COVID but we weren’t really interesting in shopping anyway. Overall – we enjoyed our stay at The Homestead Resort but our informal/non-expert assessment was that it is likely at its best during the winter as a Ski Resort. We will have to go back someday and test that theory 🙂

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Food: We thoroughly enjoyed the cozy roadside diner vibe at M-22 Grill in Onekama on our way up the coast. I think they may have one of every license plate ever made on their walls! We weren’t able to get reservations for the main restaurant at the resort, Café Manitou (bummer!) but we did enjoy lunch from the window menu during the day and a cocktail at sunset from their patio. Since we struck out with Cafe’ Manitou, we headed to get food in the little downtown of Glen Arbor on the first night but struck out there too due to COVID capacity limits. We waited at Art’s Tavern for about an hour and half before giving up. It wasn’t really their fault and we did enjoy some beers and chips and salsa while we waited. Things are crazy in COVID times. We made it back to the resort just on time to get last call for food at Whiskers Bar and Grill Beer Garden. The food was pretty good and the outdoor atmosphere was great. We particularly loved the outdoor fireplaces and games! We ended up getting in to Boonedocks downtown on the second night and thoroughly enjoyed the live music, food and sports on the TV – it was a nice treat since most of our trip has been relatively disconnected.

Helpful Tips:

• The Homestead Resort
  • Get a massage Spa Amira! It was fantastic and the fact that we were allowed to stick around and enjoy the private pool with a view afterward made it really worth the splurge. Highly recommend!
  • Make Spa Amira and Café Manitou reservations in advance! We barely were able to sneak ourselves in for a spa spot and were bummed that we missed the chance to eat at Café Manitou.
  • Go with nearby Arcardia Bluffs if you’re looking for great golf. The golf course on the resort wasn’t open/functioning so we had to go to one nearby (kind of defeating our all-in-one place plan). It was okay but maintenance was a little lacking for my husband’s taste. We decided not to splurge on Arcadia Bluffs this trip but in hindsight, we wished we would have.
  • Everything closes early and stops selling food earlier. Make sure you have what you need! Between striking out with Café Manitou reservations, struggling to get food in town due to COVID restrictions, and then having to drive back to the resort- we came way too close for comfort to missing our opportunity for dinner!
• Sleeping Bear Dunes
  • Spend more than 1 Day! 🙂 Although I do recommend our itinerary above if you only have 1 day.
  • The dunes – in general – are a workout and don’t have shade. Be mindful of your health/fitness level and don’t forget to bring water. Read and take warning signs seriously!
  • Definitely check out the giant dune off of the scenic drive – well worth it even if just to take in the massiveness and ant-people.

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Stop #3 – Playtime @ Silver Lake State Park in Mears, MI

What we did and what we LOVED:

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• PLAY! Arriving to Silver Lake area area feels like arriving to a giant family playground. There is something for all ages and seemingly impossible not to have a good time. There are go-carts, arcades, mini-golf, bumper boats, playgrounds, beaches, food, ice cream, shops, and of course the main event: Silver Lake State Park Sand Dunes. The area and campsites are filled with adult toys that people have decked out and brought to show off and play on the dunes with. I’m sure I’m missing some too but the point is: there is a LOT to do! We took advantage of the go-carts on our first night, hit the dunes during the day and played some mini-golf on our second night. (I usually hold my own in mini-golf, but I totally got my ass kicked this time!). As adults, we often don’t PLAY enough. Letting go and PLAYING for no reason except to be IN the moment and having fun, is sooooo important. It tends to be majorly underrated, even frowned on as frivolous by some, and so we don’t prioritize it. I know I am guilty as charged. But Silver Lake is definitely the perfect place for anyone who needs to be reminded (or already knows) of the importance of PLAY!!!
• Dune Buggying: We decided to stick to the Dune Buggy option for our inaugural run on the dunes at Silver Lake State Park and we had a BLAST!!! This place is so crazy and so fun that its hard to even explain. You just HAVE to experience it! As far as the eye can see is giant sand dunes and tons of people with buggies, ATVs, ORVs, Jeeps and BIG trucks racing up and down the dunes. It is absolutely exhilarating and a fantastic time. On the far side of the park, there is a place to stop and chill on the beach for awhile. This seemed to be a common practice by people more prepared and experienced than us. There were a couple of assholes out there who made it known that they had little patience for newbies like us. It’s hard to avoid ALL assholes that exist in the world though and we didn’t let it ruin our good time. The dunes were filled with people and many of them handled themselves like pros which was super fun to watch. We even saw MONSTER trucks out there! They drew HUGE crowds with their absolutely insane, air-catching runs over the dunes! We will definitely be going back and may even try out one of the bigger/faster vehicles for our next time out 🙂

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Lodging: Tent Camping at Silver Lake Resort and Campground. We chose Silver Lake Resort & Campground because we wanted to be near the action but not necessarily in it. It is just around the corner from the main fun zone making it easily walkable but allows for a little separation from the noise and activity. It was just the two of us and we wanted to be able to get a little quiet time so we chose a back corner site at Silver Lake Resort and Campground and were very satisfied.

Food: We took advantage of local options while we were here instead of re-stocking our camping cooler. We had breakfast at The Sand Castle Restaurant which I would have been perfectly happy with if I didn’t gauge my leg on the corner of their table. I couldn’t find anything dangerous on the table to complain about and concluded that it was my own dang clumsiness that resulted in the unfortunate event. We ate some delicious chicken wings at the Silver Lake Chicken Shack while we watched the frenzy of kids running around from activity to activity. And then of course we needed ice cream – because when you are in play mode, Ice Cream is a MUST! – so we stopped at Silver Scoops after our mini-golf game and it totally hit the spot. Yum Yum and YUM!

Helpful Tips

• There are several places to rent vehicles for dunes in the area. You can also get tours if you aren’t comfortable going out there on your own. This was our first time so I can’t compare all of the options or companies, but we had a great experience with Silver Lake Buggy Rentals!
• The Dune Buggies aren’t quite as fast as the other vehicles on the dunes and can’t go in reverse. That means that you aren’t allowed on a couple of the bigger dunes and it can be a challenge to get yourself un-stuck if you get stuck.
• For anyone interested in bringing their own toys/vehicles to the dunes, there are rules about being registered as an Off-Road Vehicle. I’m not really familiar since we rented but definitely make sure you look into it before your trip so you can do what needs to be done to enjoy your time out there!
• Yogi Bears Jellystone Park Camp Resort is a great option if you want to be right in the middle of all the fun and they offer many additional kids and family activities.

Stop #4 – Beach, Wine and Wedding Nostalgia in St. Joseph, MI

What we did and what we LOVED:

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• Wedding Nostalgia: We got married in St. Joseph at The Veranda and had the time of our lives with our family and friends in this picturesque little Michigan beach town. For us, this place is just soaked in happiness, love and romance. We always make a point to spend a night or two in St. Joe around our anniversary so we can walk around, visit our favorite places, reminisce, and walk by whatever wedding happens to be going on at the Veranda so we can talk about how ours was better. 🙂 We did all of those things this trip as well and it was the perfect cherry on top of a fun-filled, 5 year anniversary celebration week. <3
• Beach: Spending some time at the beach when you are in St. Joseph is a no-brainer. Lake Michigan at it’s finest 🙂
• Wineries: If you have never done the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail – you are missing out. Southwest Michigan creates some phenomenal wine! We did a more thorough wine trail trip for one of our previous anniversaries and weren’t up for a full winery tour this time, but we did want to stop in to a few of our favorites and enjoy some tastings. We went to Round Barn where my husband decided we needed to do an impromptu photo shoot, then hit up Red Top Winery which never disappoints to offer something fun, creative and unique, and Gravity where we sat on the porch and wished our trip wasn’t nearing to an end. The awesome staff there also recommended our dinner destination which ended up being PERFECT!
• Breweries: My husband doesn’t mind wine, but much prefers a good beer. And I’m a fan of Michigan micro-beers as well so we had to balance out the winery visits with a couple of breweries while we were in town. The Livery is a must for us because some of our very favorite wedding party pictures were there. We’ve also grown to love Silver Harbor Brewing Company over the years too which didn’t exist when we got married. This time while we were there, we saw someone getting a beer in this crazy container that was smoking! We were super intrigued and had to try it. Highly recommend the Kumbaya Brown Ale -SMOKED!

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Lodging: We usually stay at a the same hotel every time we stay in St. Joe because it was the hotel we used for our wedding. We are super suckers for nostalgia. We chose it in the first place because of its location and slightly better-on-the-budget nightly rates. However, that hotel had struggles when we used it several years ago and it hasn’t seemed to figure them out yet. So we decided to stay at the slightly more expensive, but nicer, hotel down the street: The Boulevard Inn and Bistro. This turned out to be the right choice for us this time and there is a very decent chance it will be our choice for future stays as well.

Food: We have SO many favorite places in to eat and drink in St. Joseph so we try to go to as many of them as we can every time we are in town. We had dinner on the rooftop at RyeBelles which offers amazing views of the striking Lake Michigan sunsets while eating delicious food. We ate lunch and enjoyed a cocktail at Silver Beach Pizza before heading to spend a couple of hours on the beach. Silver Beach Pizza is a classic, must-do if you are in St. Joe. We like the upstairs seating the best. Finally, after a recommendation from the staff at Gravity, we decided to check out a new (to us, not actually new) restaurant in nearby Stevensville for dinner: Tosi’s. We absolutely fell in love with this place. Maybe it was because it allowed us to pretend, at least for one night, that we were in our Italian Vacation dream but I swear it’s worth checking out even if you’re not mourning a cancelled Italy trip 🙂 It had delicious Italian food and wines in a charming atmosphere complete with a courtyard and patio for outdoor dining. We will definitely be going back! I REALLY want to list all of my favorite St. Joe places that we didn’t get to go to this time, but I suppose I will save it for another post since I know we will be going back 🙂

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Helpful Tips:

• We have found that St. Joe is best when you can just walk/wander around and not have to worry about driving back and forth to a hotel. It can be tempting to pick a cheaper option just outside of town because there are limited hotel options in St. Joe (and they can be a little pricey during peak season.) However, if you can swing it – staying in town is definitely better!
• Uber, Lyft, and Taxis can be limited in the area – especially late at night.
• There are some great Airbnb, VRBO, and camping options in the area – but plan ahead because they book up fast!
• If you decide to get married at the amazing The Veranda (which you definitely should because it’s the best) around August 22 of any year, don’t be surprised if you see us walking around and scoping out your wedding. We promise we aren’t wedding crashers, its just a little anniversary tradition of ours <3

Conclusion

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It may not have been my Italian dream vacation, but West Michigan is full of love. And it’s full of OUR love. Maybe we were never supposed to be in Italy for our 5 year anniversary. Maybe savoring the things we know, discovering new roads through familiar lands, and remembering why we love the places we love, was the perfect metaphor for the marriage we were there to celebrate. <3

As always – a little travel proved good for the soul. And we will definitely be rescheduling that Italy trip 😉

Where are you going for your next trip!?

Get out there, travel (even if it’s just to your backyard) and FULFILL YOUR LIFE <3

And for the record….I recommend West Michigan 🙂

Love.Messy.Life.

More about this blog: About Love.Messy.Life More about the author: About Lainey