Western Michigan Road Trip

Jun 25

Photo Credit: Darin Knupp of KnUpp North Art, traversecity.com

Summertime road trips are a fun and easy way to wander somewhere new. The trick is to pick a destination within driving distance, invite someone fun to travel with, grab some snacks, then start exploring!

It’s long been on my sister-in-law’s bucket list to visit Mackinac Island in Northern Michigan. So, in June 2023, we hopped in the car and headed north. Along the way, we stopped to explore Saugatuck, Traverse City and Holland - all three quaint little towns along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.

First stop… Saugatuck, Michigan. We took off in rain and thunderstorms early in the morning and drove into pretty blue skies. Saugatuck was a perfect midway point between home and Traverse City where we had a hotel room waiting, so we stopped there for lunch and a stretch break.

Michigan is known for cherries, and being the end of June, we were just ahead of prime cherry time. So… Cherries became the theme of our road trip! [Road Trip Tip: Find out what is unique about the area you’ll be visiting and seek out ways to celebrate that uniqueness along the way.]

We parked on Culver Street, heading into downtown, then joined all the other tourists who were strolling along the sidewalks, browsing in and out of the cute little shops. We saw the historic Saugatuck Chain Ferry making its way across the Kalamazoo River, bought some cherry salsa and sauces in one of the shops, then asked around about the “best place to eat lunch.” We definitely were not disappointed with the recommendation of The Butler. Good food, good service and nice outdoor seating on a patio overlooking the river.

We made it to Traverse City that night, but not without a little adventure… Not long after our lunch stop, we started getting tornado watch weather alerts from home. Being a California girl, I still get really nervous at the mention of tornadoes and still struggle to remember which is worse - “watch” or “warning.” [warning is definitely worse]

We got checked into The Baywatch Resort and immediately opened the door leading onto our patio overlooking the beach. I absolutely recommend paying the little bit extra for a water view! The hotel had been recently renovated and was lovely, with wonderful staff ready to make our stay special.

Thankfully, the worst of the storm for our road trip was some heavy rain that made for a good story later in the night when we drove across the street from our hotel to the Red Mesa Grill for dinner. We thought driving the VERY short distance would be safer and drier, but after a downpour during dinner, I managed to step in a puddle, getting wet halfway up to my knees. On our girls’ trip, that just inspired more laughing and good memories in the making.

Bucket List Day…

We took an early morning drive up to Mackinaw City, then hopped on the Mighty Mac ferry to Mackinac Island. The island was even more lovely, quaint and historically interesting than I imagined. We explored by foot and horse-drawn carriage, through the town, up to the Grand Hotel and around the state park.

Some fun facts:

Taking the Mighty Mac ferry to the island, you get to travel on TWO Great Lakes, separated under the Mackinac Bridge - Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
The Mackinac Bridge, opened in 1957, is the 5th longest suspension bridge in the world (5 miles).
“Mackinac” vs. “Mackinaw”… Both are pronounced MACK-in-awe, but the two spellings reflect the French and British influences in the island’s history.
State Highway M-185 is the ONLY state highway that doesn’t allow motorized vehicles. For more than 125 years, transportation on Mackinac Island has been restricted to foot, bike and horse carriages.
The Grand Hotel was built in 93 days in 1887 and features the world’s longest covered porch (668 feet).
Mackinac Island State Park, covering 80% of the island, was originally the United State’s 2nd National Park, opened just three years after Yellowstone National Park.

You might recognize the Grand Hotel from the 1980 movie Somewhere in Time starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. Stepping into the hotel was like stepping back in time to how it appeared in 1912 when the movie took place. Visitors to Mackinac Island are invited to explore the hotel and grounds for a small fee.

The hopeless romantic in me was excited to share in the pageantry of the Grand Lunch Experience in the Main Dining Room. It was pricey, but you’re paying for the experience more than just the food. The buffet included salads, traditional English tea sandwiches, assorted seafood and a carving station. Everything was served on pretty china dinnerware with silver place settings. And the dessert station…!

After lunch, we rocked for a bit on the covered porch, then wandered down the path past the Esther Williams Swimming Pool, heading back toward Main Street.

Before walking up to the Grand Hotel for lunch, we took the advice of a local who recommended we take a horse-drawn carriage tour and bought tickets for an afternoon ride. I’m so glad we did! The nearly two-hour narrated tour took us around the island and through part of Mackinac Island State Park, with stops at the Surrey Hills Museum, Wings of Mackinac Butterfly Conservatory, Arch Rock, and Fort Mackinac. The driver and tour guide shared factual (and comical) details of the island’s history, bringing even more wonder and awe to our visit.

More about Mackinac Island:

Pink Pony Cocktail Lounge was a fun place to sit and sip a cocktail while listening to live music
Enjoying beer cheese bisque soup paired with No Cars Allowed Cream Ale on the patio at Great Turtle Brewery & Distillery was my kind of perfect summer dinner
High-quality reproductions of paintings from the Detroit Institute of Arts were on display around Mackinac Island as part of their Inside|Out program
Turtle references found around the island stem from the native origins of Mackinac Island, once called “Michilimackinac,” meaning “great turtle”
Flowers bloom and brighten the island everywhere you look. Among them are the lilacs inspiring the annual Mackinac Island Lilac Festival each summer
There are more than a dozen fudge shops on the island, and around Traverse City, making fudge tasting a must-do activity for visitors. (Order a sample of Marshall’s Mackinac Island Chocolate Cherry Cordial Fudge for home)

Back in Traverse City, we continued the all things cherry theme - what else with the Cherry Festival just days away, right?! Cherry cider, cherry coffee, cherry pie, cherry Kentucky mule… Cherry yum! 🍒

We took another walk along the beach, did some shopping downtown, laughed lots and soaked in the relaxing pace of the day.

One last stop on our Michigan road trip adventure was Holland… the land of tulips, wooden clogs, Dutch windmills and more things cherry. From the Tulip Festival in May to snow-free, warmed downtown streets in the middle of winter, Holland is ready to welcome visitors year-round.