A Coastal Retreat
Just a few miles from Grand Rapids, a golden stretch of sugar sand entices summertime visitors with handsome lighthouses, wildflower-strewn hiking trails and independently owned eateries. See it all on this weekend-long getaway.
1 Hit the road early for the 35-mile drive along I-96 to Grand Haven, set right on Lake Michigan. Begin your day with a breakfast of locally grown blueberries and homemade granola at Morning Star Café.
2 Grand Haven’s picturesque red lighthouse watches over Grand Haven State Park, where campers, day-trippers and locals sun themselves, swim and stroll the pier.
3 Take a short walk along the boardwalk before veering off to Harbor Avenue, home to Pronto Pup, a local favorite selling corndogs since 1947. Meander up to Washington Avenue and poke around the boutiques until dinner, checking out the strappy sandals and cool linen shirts.
4 With its three eateries, The Kirby House on Washington satisfies every mealtime craving: premium steaks at the Grill Room, stir-fries and burgers at the Kirby Grill and wood-fired pies at the rooftop K2 Pizzeria. (There's also a lower level nightclub.)
5 Once the sun sinks below the waves, Grand Haven's musical fountain leaps into action, accompanied by a soundtrack that changes nightly, from Sousa marches to Led Zeppelin hits. Watch from the screened-in porch at the Harbor House Inn B&B before heading to your room for the night.
6 The next morning, hop in the car for a drive along Lakeshore Drive to Tunnel Park in Holland. The wide, sandy strand draws beachgoers with a playground, picnic facilities and a concrete walkway that tunnels through a giant dune.
7 It’s about a 7-mile drive to New Holland Brewing Company's pub for lunch. Feast on a house-made corned beef sandwich while sipping locally brewed craft beer.
8 Spend the afternoon at Windmill Island Gardens, home to a 250-year-old Dutch windmill set amid brilliant petunias and marigolds, an antique carousel and a miniature Dutch village.
9 Stay overnight at the stylish CityFlats Hotel, a LEED-certified green oasis where each of the 56 rooms is uniquely designed.
10 Come morning, dig into a veggie frittata at the hotel’s rooftop eatery before heading to Saugatuck, 11 miles southwest on US-31. Stop by Saugatuck Dunes State Park, where footpaths lead over the wooded dunes and pass nodding red columbines and aromatic peppermint on their way to the beach.
11 Sample Michigan rieslings and pinot noirs at The Round Barn Winery tasting room in downtown Saugatuck. Then, it’s fresh spinach pie and house-roasted coffee at nearby Uncommon Grounds before the 40-mile drive back to Grand Rapids via I-196.
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