Why Michigan?
With our home base in Southern Indiana and living part-time in a van (presently without AC), summer necessitates we either travel northbound or find elevation for cooler temps in the evenings (and preferably during the day, too). The weather, however, is not our only reason for visiting Michigan in the summertime. The weather, the people, the fruit & farm stands, the greenway trails, the diverse terrain, and Lake Michigan (or the countless other lakes you'll come across), are all a culmination of the reasons why we love to visit anytime we get a chance.
How We Travel
This particular trip came unplanned as we'd originally planned to be in North Carolina for the entire summer. I'd been disappointed we wouldn't have time to visit Michigan, but just as life will do ... it surprised us with some found time, a rented house, and an open road north in our packed live-in van.
Our van is self-sustaining for the most-part with solar power, a compostable toilet, a kitchen sink (and extra stored water), and everything we need for living & activities.
Right now it's a priority for us to find greenway trails to train for endurance cycling (greenways feel safer, they're typically well marked, and it's a good way to guarantee some distance). Since our bikes are stored with the wheels off, we also wanted proximity from accommodations to trails and towns. We ideally wanted to find a place to stay for multiple overnights in a row. I've learned it's quite difficult for me to acclimate to a place, explore and [equally as important] rest with single night stopovers. There is a time and place for stopovers, though, so we'll be sure to cover those, too.
While I typically like to plan trips in advance, every once in awhile, we're presented with the opportunity to simply go. For this particular trip, while it was a gift to have the time to go, it's also difficult to find accommodations in Michigan during the summer on short notice.
Our Accomodations
We utilize Harvest Host for stopovers, campsites as we can find them, and visit friends & family as much as possible along the way.
First Stop | South Haven, Michigan
The first campsite we found on our trek north was in Van Buren State Park. We spent the evening at our campsite, made a quick trip to Sherman's Dairy Bar (see below & don't miss this stop if you like ice cream!), rode the cycling trails directly from our campsite the next day and spent the afternoon at the beach before heading to our next stop.
Van Buren State Park
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Adjacent to the Van Buren Trail, you can cycle, run or walk into South Haven and connect to the Kal-Haven rail to trail system. There's also quick access to the beach at Lake Michigan for all of your summertime activities.
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Van Buren Trail
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We did the connector for this trail from Van Buren State Park into South Haven. It was about 5 miles one way, flat, and very scenic.
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Sherman's Dairy Bar
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When you arrive and see the line - that's a good sign! The ice cream is worth the wait at this iconic stop. I'm usually not one to wait in long lines, however, it was an all in 30 minute visit waiting to order & waiting for the ice cream to come out.
If you're in a hurry, they sell ready made pints in the adjacent gift shop so you can still get a taste!
The portions are big so if you're into trying multiple flavors - I recommend getting the flight (yes, flight of ice cream, what a dream!). The evening we visited I enjoyed a single scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough in a cup, a classic favorite.
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Barden's Farm Market
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This is just down the street from Sherman's Dairy Bar (just sayin'!), and they have a beautiful selection of local, fresh fruits and vegetables, pastries, and other artisan food items.
We bought sweet cherries (they also had tart!), blueberries, some chips, and tomatoes.
Pro-tip: anytime you see a fresh farm stand on the side of the road and your fridge is running close to empty - make the stop!
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Rock 'n' Road Cycle
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I bought a small water bottle here - they have a few accessories and other cycling items if you need something specific. It was a smaller store than we thought but enjoyed being able to find what we needed.
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Crescent Moon of South Haven
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We stumbled upon this shop while trying to find the cycling store - it was an amazing find! We each bought new sunglasses for daily wear & cycling, and enjoyed browsing the other clothing items, shoes & gifts. Highly recommend stopping by here if you're in the area!
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Second Stop(s) | Fennville & Saugatuck
We have some friends in the Saugatuck area who own & work at an iconic coffee shop downtown. We boondocked through Harvest Hosts at Fennville and enjoyed dinner with our friend in town. If you're passing through or staying for awhile, we recommend visiting these spots!
Waypost Brewing Co.
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This was our overnight stay through Harvest Hosts - regardless of the overnight, we recommend stopping by here for a pint. They have a lot of events on the calendar, including food trucks, so we recommend checking to see if something is happening while you're in town (or planning a trip at the same time).
Our parking spot was adjacent to a blueberry field, and we woke up to deer and birds surrounding our van.
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Salt of the Earth
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Amazing food & great atmosphere. We made a reservation the morning of and were able to get a table at 8pm (on a Wednesday). If you're wanting to stop by here, we recommend making a reservation in advance or planning for a later dinner (which is fun, too, depending on what you're doing).
They are a farm to table restaurant so their menus change with the seasons and they make as much food from scratch as possible. I had a custom wood-fired pizza and a glass of red wine - it was a wonderful evening!
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El Jaripeo Mexican Restaurant
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We came here by accident on our way through town the second time - somehow I forgot to eat lunch so by the time we made it to Fennville, I was quite hungry and ready to eat. We'd tried to visit Pizza Quest, however, didn't see hours listed anywhere and stumbled upon El Jaripeo instead.
If you're looking for Mexican fare, this is a great stop.
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Pizza Quest
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We really wanted to visit this place but were unable to locate hours. They were open when we stopped in town for a dinner reservation elsewhere, but when we came back through hoping to find it open, they were closed (landing us at El Jaripeo down the street instead). Even though we weren't able to try it, we'd recommend popping in if they're open. We sure will next time!
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Uncommon Coffee Roasters
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A wonderful & must-stop coffee shop in Downtown Saugatuck, MI. We recommend getting there as close to open as possible in the summertime to avoid the line and to get a table. If the weather is good (which it often is), they also a large patio outside for dining. There's a walk up window outside to order in case you have your pups with you.
I ordered an Americano (decaf always these days), and had a croissant sandwich. Matt enjoyed one of their signature lattes and an almond croissant (I also had some of this and it was pretty amazing). They bake everything in house each morning, and the coffee is roasted just a few miles away at their roasting facility.
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Third Stop(s) | Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen Arbor, MI
This was such an incredible visit we created a separate Guide. We lucked into a campsite at the DH Day Campground in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. These sites are typically booked months in advance and to secure a spot, you must be diligent or in our case, lucky. Although, I believe luck is when preparation meets opportunity, so the stars must have been aligned just right :) Which also reminds me, Sleeping Bear Dunes is also a dark sky viewing area, allowing you to see the Milky Way.
DH Day was a rustic campsite meaning RV's could be no longer than 15 feet, there is no electric or shower houses. The campground had vault toilets and shared water spigots throughout the property. Did I also mention the walking access to a seemingly private beach on Lake Michigan and proximity to the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail? This place is a must!
If camping isn't your thing, there's plenty of charming Bed & Breakfasts (like, real bed & breakfasts) and other rentals in neighboring town Glen Arbor.
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