After spending a month in Minnesota, it was time to hit up the 36th state on our road trip – Michigan – where we stayed for about five weeks.
Michigan had been one of the states I’d been most looking forward to visiting. It didn’t end up blowing me away as much as I thought it would, but there was still a lot to like about the state. So much so that one of the cities we visited (but didn’t actually stay in) has made it on the our list of possible places to live once the road trip ends.
Here’s a list of our best and worst things from Michigan.
Favorite Accommodation We Stayed At
Stephen – This would be the Homewood Suites Grand Rapids Downtown. The rooms have a cool, loft apartment feel to them, each room has a full kitchen and it was in a great location downtown.
Shae – I’m in agreement with Stephen, definitely the Homewood Suites in Grand Rapids. It was really nice having a downtown location.
Favorite Meal
Stephen – Hands down the pasty from Taste Of The Upper Peninsula I had just as we were about to leave the Upper Peninsula (UP). I’m from England which is home to the pasty, but I think this was the best pasty I’ve ever had – it was that delicious.
Shae – My favorite meal was… all of them! When we ate out it was primarily with friends and family so my meals with my Aunt Linda, Aunt Sue, Aunt Terry and Kelsey were my favorites.
Most Disappointing Meal
Stephen – It wasn’t a meal but a drink – Brengman Brothers Winery. After a fun day at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, our experience at the winery was a big letdown.
Shae – Ugh, yes, the whole experience at Brengman Brothers was poor.
Favorite Free Activity
Stephen – The National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, not least because it was fun taking part in a cherry pie eating contest.
Shae – Oh man, yeah, I mean it has to be the National Cherry Festival – although the tickets to see Frozen the Musical were free to us so… *shrug* I can include it right?? I just love going to the theater.
Wait! I dunno, the free lunch stop at the roadside park in the UP was pretty amazing too! Ok, maybe not Cherry Festival amazing but it deserved a mention.
Favorite Paid Activity
Stephen – This is a tough one. The Friends Experience was fun, but Greenfield Village was excellent too and was far more interesting than I was anticipating.
Shae – Oh man, The Friends Experience was top but our two trips to the dunes (Sleeping Bear and Saugatuck) were amazing and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and Greenfield Village were each their own kind of “favorite” activity. We didn’t do as much as we’d hoped in MI, but what we did do was pretty awesome overall.
Favorite Pet-Friendly Activity
Stephen – It’s not so much a specific activity, but a day – the day we spent in Holland, MI and then Saugatuck Dunes State Park was very pet-friendly.
Shae – Definitely agree that the day in Holland, Saugatuck Dunes and at New Holland Spirits in Saugatuck was the best day.
Least Favorite Activity
Stephen – Driving through smoke from the Canadian wildfires.
Shae – I don’t really have one. The things we did in Michigan were all pretty good.
Oh wait, getting my Global Entry renewed – more on that under funny memories.
Favorite Hike
Stephen – Although it was tough, the Dune Climb at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was a fun experience.
Shae – We didn’t hike much, so the Dune Climb is probably the best, but I did have a nice walk by the waterfront in Detroit.
Favorite Quirky Thing We Did
Stephen – Lakenenland Sculpture Park. This was a fun little stop on our way from the UP to Traverse City; it’s pet-friendly and is a great spot to stretch your legs. And it’s free!
Shae – We didn’t do a ton of quirky things so probably the sculpture park is one of the only things. Although, we did eat a 1lb cinnamon roll so maybe that?
Favorite Memory
Stephen – Our day out in Holland and Saugatuck. It was one of those perfect road trip days where everything about it was fun and relaxing. We loved Holland so much – and its proximity to Saugatuck Dunes State Park – that it’s on our list of potential places to live for a while after the road trip is over.
Shae – My favorite memories, like my favorite meals, involve seeing my family and friends. Dinners with my aunts and my friend Kelsey are at the top of the list. Just with us? Definitely the day in Holland is top of my Michigan memories. I also really loved our day in Beulah, visiting where my mom grew up (I have a vague recollection or two of when I was really little and we visited my Gramma Koerner there) and going to Moomers afterwards for an ice cream flight.
Funniest Moment
Stephen – While I was having far too much whiskey at New Holland Spirits in Saugatuck, a group walked by and one of them said something. I can’t remember what it was or why I started cracking up (I think it might’ve been something innuendo-related?!), but I couldn’t stop laughing for the longest time.
From Shae: So this was about some older ladies who walked by and were talking about something (of course now I can’t remember what) and yes, he thought about it being innuendo from England I think, but Stephen started laughing and then they looked at him and he just kept laughing. I’ve only seen him laugh this hard a handful of times in 19 years. I wasn’t quick enough for a video but I did snap a picture.
Shae – Mine is related to my Global Entry Interview. It’s not even that it’s really funny, but I’m sure if you imagine it you’ll laugh too.
What I texted Stephen after:
It was so ridiculous. He asked “What’s your phone number? What’s your address?”
To myself I was like…. “WHAT IS MY PHONE NUMBER AND ADDRESS!? WHAT DOES HE THINK IT IS? DO I KNOW IT? DOES HE!?” 
I said “why do I feel so nervous giving you my phone number!?” He goes “if you haven’t done anything wrong. You have no need to be nervous.”
I was like “exactly and yet…”
Thing We Most Regretted
Stephen – Staying 10 nights in downtown Grand Rapids rather than nearby Holland.
Shae – Missing so many things that I wanted to see, like the Capitol building. I too wish we’d stayed in Holland and maybe closer to Detroit.
Something We Missed And Want To See
Stephen – There’s a lot we didn’t get to in Michigan, but I’m disappointed we didn’t get to see Thomas Dambo’s new troll in Germfask as it was built shortly after we left the UP. I love his trolls and I’ve seen them around the US and around the world, so it would’ve been fun getting to see one just after it had been built.
Shae – There’s so much we missed but I’d like to go back to Copper Harbor, the Capitol building, take Stephen to Eminem’s restaurant Mom’s Spaghetti (I got to go when I visited a friend in January 2022), The Henry Ford Museum, Petoskey and so much more.
Our Biggest Surprise
Stephen – That the areas I thought I’d like the most – the Upper Peninsula and Grand Rapids – ended up not being as great as I thought. But also that we both ended up loving Holland so much.
Shae – How much I enjoyed Michigan overall. It was very nice, especially in the summer.
My Michigan Drinking Game Would Be…
Stephen – I have a couple. Take a drink every time you see a roadside park and take a drink every time you see somewhere selling wild rice. I don’t know what the deal is, but we saw so many handwritten roadside boards as we drove again for stores and stalls selling wild rice.
Shae – I guess it would only really work in Traverse City but any time you see things that are cherry-related. They are all about that cherry life up there.
Summary Of Michigan In 10 Words Or Less
Stephen – It can be a very pretty place with amazing pasties.
Shae – Very pretty state with family/friends; not sure about winter.
Michigan Cities We Visited In Order From Favorite To Least Favorite
Stephen – Holland, Traverse City, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Houghton, Lansing
Shae – Holland (even though we just spent the day there), Traverse City, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Houghton
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