We enjoyed our first weekend trip to the quaint, picturesque lake town of Saugatuck, Michigan and below are our recommendations of activities & restaurants for families with young children.
The town is very easy to navigate on foot and we recommend staying near the main street (there are some Inns and many VRBO/AirBNB offerings), so you can avoid looking for a parking spot. There is also a nice little playground in town that we frequented to let the kids run freely and to kill time while waiting for the ferry or duck boats to become available.
DAY 1
We left Chicago in the morning and arrived in Saugatuck just in time for lunch!
Mermaid Bar and Grill - American Fare (Kids Menus Available)
This restaurant sits along the water front, so the kids can watch the boats float by, and the food is good too! Servers were nice, attentive, and quick (which is key with young kids).
The Sweet Shop
We then wandered across the street to the Sweet Shop to enjoy chocolate dipped Oreo for dessert. The kids were thrilled, as was mom!
Saugatuck Chain Ferry - Crosses the River from Saugatuck to Douglas
This is a unique experience for kids - as it is the only hand-crank ferry still used in the United States! It is a small ferry, manned by college students (or high schoolers? It's so hard for me to tell nowadays) who crank a lever that pulls the ferry along a chain to the other side of the water.
Key Note: The chain ferry is often not able to run if the water is choppy. Which we learned the hard way. Twice. If you are on the other side and the ferry isn't running....there aren't a lot of easy options to get back to the other side. Recommend riding it from Saugatuck, across the river, then riding it right back. This means you won't have to hitch hike like we did.
Mt. Baldhead Hike:
The Mount Baldhead Recreation Area most notably has a nearly 300-step staircase taking you to the top of the area to view the town and surrounding water. The hike is fun - the kids had energy to spare, which is perfect, as "sand dune jumping" awaits them at the top!
We made our way to Mt. Baldhead by the Chain Ferry, but then were stranded on the other side - would recommend taking a car and saving the chain ferry for a one-off experience.
DAY 2
Saugatuck Dunes State Park
This beach feels like your own private beach, most likely due to the hike it takes to get there. It is a beach within a state park (there is an unmanned entrance which requires a fee (cash only) - check the site here for the current Recreation Passport cost).
The hike from the parking area to the beach is a gorgeous, tree-filled forest (slightly buggy, be forewarned) - but pack light, it is about 2 miles in distance.
Center for the Arts
The local Center for the Arts has a quaint, beautiful garden mixed with art. We strolled through it, as it was on our way into downtown and enjoyed stepping into the quiet area to enjoy the scenery.
Harbor Duck Adventure
Another family favorite - This amphibious vehicle was previously used in WWII and now provides some entertainment and information to tourists to get a land and water view of the towns of Saugatuck and Douglas. It was a fun trip (the driver was a funny guy) and we even walked away with some good nuggets. Kids loved getting into the water!
Key Note: When I say it sells out fast, I'm not kidding. It only seats 20 people, so make sure to get there early. They also may have a private tour happening (this happened to us). We learned a lot about flexibility on this trip :)
Shops & Playground:
Between the town tour and dinner, the kids enjoyed the little playground downtown. It is on the west side, near the Chain Ferry and across the street from public bathrooms. Pretty genius, truly. Many families enjoy the little shops as well - so make sure to check those out (you can watch the waffle cones being made at Kilwins)!
Saugatuck Brewing Company
Our family enjoys breweries (well, not the younger members, but you know what I mean), so this location hit the spot. Casual with good beers and food. We had a flight of beers, which was fun and the boys enjoyed the little sports/billiards room nearby to pass time as we waited for our food.
Saugatuck Antique Pavilion
If there is a wait to get into the brewery, we heard the antique pavilion is a fun place to pass the time. We were able to get in right away to the restaurant and never had a chance to pop over. If you it out and let us know how it was in the comments!
DAY 3
As this was our check-out day, we packed up in the morning and headed to Oval Beach.
Oval Beach
This beach is more easily accessed than Saugatuck Dunes State Park, so it is best to arrive early to find parking and claim a place on the beach. It is more active with people and the beach itself is nice, though a bit narrow. Kids had a fun time!
Earl's Berry Farm
While this location is no longer open, there were several similar You-Pick farms along the road. It was great to break up the drive home and so fun for the kids to run around picking blueberries. They had an awesome time and a great snack for the remainder of the ride home!
Location/Transportation:
About a 2.5-3 hour drive from Chicago.
Kid's Jury: 5 stars
Had a great time relaxing and enjoying a weekend of small town shops, picturesque beaches, and unique experiences. Over and above the activities, the kids really loved the time at the beaches the most.
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