In search of the very best Southern Michigan weekend itinerary?
Dreaming of a weekend getaway in Southern Michigan that mixes curler coasters, charming Dutch streets, and a Bavarian-style beer corridor?
This three-day itinerary packs in Michigan’s high highlights with out hours of countless driving.
Able to map out your personal Southern Michigan getaway?
Let’s dive into the total itinerary.
Southern Michigan Weekend Getaway Itinerary
We constructed this journey round lastly checking two large issues off our Michigan bucket listing: a go to to Michigan’s Journey theme park (included with our season cross) and a day in Frankenmuth, Michigan’s “Little Bavaria.”
Alongside the best way, we added stops in Holland, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo to show it into the proper street journey.
This information is for vacationers who desire a steadiness of thrills, native tradition, and comfortable Midwest attraction, whether or not you’re a pair sneaking away for the weekend or a household on the lookout for a simple mini-vacation.
Right here’s a preview of what you’ll expertise:
🎢 A full day of rides and water slides at Michigan’s largest amusement park
🌷 Dutch-inspired outlets and structure in Holland
🍷 An evening out in vigorous Grand Rapids, full with nice meals and a ghost tour
🥨 Bavarian vibes, beer, and procuring in Frankenmuth
Right here’s just a little pre-trip background about why we stayed in Kalamazoo, as an alternative of beginning the itinerary in Muskegon (which I like to recommend doing).
We had been driving from Dayton, Ohio after work one night time, so we weren’t in a position to drive all the best way as much as Muskegon, the place Michigan’s Journey is.
For us, we had been in a position to drive about 4 hours north to Kalamazoo and keep on the Homewood Suites there.
This obtained us inside about an hour and a half of Michigan’s Journey, which labored properly for us as a result of the park doesn’t normally open till later within the morning anyway.
Here’s a video tour of the resort we stayed in:
Click on Right here To E-book Your Homewood Suites by Hilton Kalamazoo Keep At the moment!
Day 1: Michigan’s Journey
The true itinerary begins with spending the day at Michigan’s Journey amusement park (and water park).
For extra particulars, right here is our full Michigan’s Journey amusement park sooner or later itinerary.
It is a smaller amusement park, with an connected water park that doesn’t actually take a full day to go to.
It’s solely open seasonally, so you’ll solely be capable of do that a part of the itinerary when you’re visiting round Summer season.
The place To Keep: Hampton Inn Muskegon
On the finish of your night time, drive about 15-20 minutes south to Hampton Inn Muskegon.
It’s reasonably priced, has free parking, and affords free breakfast.
It’ll additionally get you nearer to the vacation spot for day 2.
Click on Right here To E-book Your Hampton Inn Muskegon Keep At the moment!
Day 2: Holland & Grand Rapids
From Muskegon, it’s a few 45 minute drive right down to Holland.
Holland is a historic city with Dutch structure and outlets.
The outlets and eating places aren’t open tremendous early, in order that’s why I like to recommend not driving down till the morning somewhat than driving down on night time 1.
Holland
For all the main points about every part to do in Holland for the day, try our full Holland sooner or later itinerary.
An effective way to get acquainted with a brand new city, particularly when you’re ready for the outlets and eating places to open is thru a self-guided audio strolling tour.
We do these (and self-guided driving excursions) on most of our journeys as a result of they’re so low cost and inform us every part we’d need to learn about a brand new place.
It makes use of the GPS in your telephone to navigate you thru city and it’s very consumer pleasant.
Click on Right here To Obtain Your Self Guided Audio Strolling Tour At the moment!
On our journey, we really drove all the best way to Frankenmuth on this night time, however I don’t actually advocate that.
As a substitute, I like to recommend splitting your day between Holland and Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids
When you’re completed with every part you need to do in Holland, it’s just a little over a 30 minute drive over to Grand Rapids.
The principle exercise you need to find time for in Grand Rapids is the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum.
Then, I HIGHLY advocate having dinner at Scholar for an upscale date night time.
Right here is every part we had:
For our first appetizer we shared Medjool Dates with goat cheese stuffing, cashew nut butter, huckle-blackberry jam, and candied jalapenos.
Then, we had Deviled Eggs with dijon, cornichon, lardon, paprika, and chive.
For our entree, we shared the Salisbury Steak with whipped potato, roasted carrots, buttered peas, mushroom gravy, and crispy shallot.
As a facet, we additionally shared the Scholar Home Salad with VPF greens, cherry tomato, radish, spring onion, cucumber, farm cheese, and croutons.
We completed off our meal by sharing an Previous Customary, JP’s favourite drink!
I wish to drink the previous few sips which were watered down and eat the cherries.
After dinner, there’s a tiki bar throughout the road that I like to recommend trying out known as Max’s South Seas Hideaway.
Then, I’d finish the night time with a ghost tour via town.
We’ve been doing ghost excursions all around the nation on our journeys and it’s one other nice strategy to get acquainted with a brand new metropolis and study a few of its historical past.
Click on Right here To E-book Your Grand Rapids Ghost Tour At the moment!
The place To Keep: Homewood Suites by Hilton Grand Rapids Downtown
Because you’ll already be downtown for all of the beneficial actions and eating places, it’s greatest to simply keep downtown at Homewood Suites by Hilton Grand Rapids Downtown.
They provide free breakfast!
Day 3: Frankenmuth
From Grand Rapids, Frankenmuth is a few 2 hour drive.
Once more, the outlets and eating places don’t open very early, so that you’re not likely lacking something throughout your driving time.
For all the main points on find out how to spend a full day in Frankenmuth, try our Frankenmuth sooner or later itinerary.
For those who’re unfamiliar, Frankenmuth is a Bavarian impressed city with wine outlets, eating places, vintage shops, and German structure.
The place To Keep: Hampton Inn Birch Run/Frankenmuth
Simply outdoors of city is Hampton Inn Birch Run/Frankenmuth.
They provide free parking and free breakfast for an reasonably priced room price.
That is the place we stayed on our journey and it was conveniently situated to every part.
Click on Right here To E-book Your Hampton Inn Birch Run/Frankenmuth Keep At the moment!
Bonus Day: Windsor, Canada
When you have additional time or when you’re driving again South, there are a pair extra issues you possibly can add to your itinerary.
Ann Arbor
For starters, the Gerald Ford Presidential Library is situated in Ann Arbor, about an hour and Quarter-hour South of Frankenmuth.
This one is only a small gallery on the primary flooring of a constructing on campus, which is why I beneficial visiting the presidential museum in Grand Rapids additionally for the precise story of his life.
Most presidential libraries are additionally full museums, so this was sudden.
It takes about 10-Quarter-hour to see every part right here.
Windsor, Canada
On a very totally different journey, we had been going to Cedar Level and determined so as to add an additional day to drive throughout the border and go to Canada.
You too can match this into this itinerary when you’re driving again South on the finish of your journey.
It’s lower than an hour from Ann Arbor.
Windsor is simply throughout the bridge from Detroit and also you’ll want a passport to have the ability to shuttle, but it surely’s neat simply to say you went to Canada for the day.
I like to recommend trying out the Caesar’s on line casino after which having a meal downtown at Unfastened Goose.
It’s pub type meals that additionally has outside patio seating.
We tried just a little little bit of every part together with poutine, nachos, hummus, and a burger with tater tots.
Then, head right down to the river for some picture ops earlier than heading again to Detroit or wherever your ultimate vacation spot is.
The place To Keep: DoubleTree by Hilton Windsor Resort & Suites
For those who’re staying in Windsor, I like to recommend the DoubleTree by Hilton Windsor Resort & Suites.
DoubleTree is thought for his or her sizzling and contemporary chocolate chip cookies that you simply get without cost while you examine in!
Click on Right here To E-book Your DoubleTree by Hilton Windsor Resort & Suites Keep At the moment!
Conclusion: Southern Michigan Weekend Getaway Itinerary
Southern Michigan makes it straightforward to pack thrills, tradition, and attraction into only a few days.
Whether or not you’re using curler coasters at Michigan’s Journey, wandering via Dutch-inspired streets in Holland, savoring dinner in Grand Rapids, or absorbing Bavarian vibes in Frankenmuth, this itinerary provides you the very best of the Midwest in a single seamless journey.
For us, the highlights weren’t simply the locations.
It was how every cease felt fully totally different, but match collectively into an ideal street journey.
One night time we had been sipping craft cocktails downtown, the following we had been wandering cobblestone-style streets underneath twinkling lights.
That’s what makes Michigan such a enjoyable shock.
For those who’re planning your personal getaway, use this information as your place to begin, then dive deeper into our particular person day journey itineraries for much more ideas.
Nonetheless you customise it, this three-day Michigan weekend itinerary is proof you don’t have to journey far for an journey that feels unforgettable.
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