TL;DR

Holland, MI

• Stay
  • Airbnb (Entire Lower Level – East Holland), 279 Haymarket Road, Holland, MI 49423, United States
    • Our hosts Todd and Mary offered up a very comfortable space for a couple nights. The only reason not to pick this place is if you want your total privacy – as you have to go through their garage and house to get down to their space. Otherwise very comfortable…especially for their huge reading library and extensive VHS and DVD collection!
• Eat/Drink
  • New Holland Brewing Company, 66 E 8th Street, Holland, MI 49423 
    • Exotic mushroom and goat cheese pizza…but made with local mushrooms? Trust me. Get it. Also get their Full Circle Kolsch – one of the smoothest beers I’ve ever had. 
  • Anna’s House, 12450 Felch St, Holland, MI 49424
    • Think modernized, classy version of an old school diner. With a large menu and lots of delicious options. The Monte Cristo is tasty (but ask them to go light on the raspberry sauce). 
  • Boatwerks, 216 Van Raalte Ave, Holland, MI 49423 
    • Sitting by the water, beside garage-style doors that roll up for a warm summer or fall day is pretty nice. Sipping a blueberry whiskey lemonade and noshing on whitefish dip with pita triangles only made it better. 
  • Big Lake Brewing, 3 W 7th St, Holland, MI 49423
    • We got food to-go from here and I wish I’d been able to try some of their beers. The Cuban sandwich and Loaded Tots were excellent!
  • The Biscuit, 450 Washington Ave, Holland, MI 49423
    • Take a bite of the fluffy, moist, cake like biscuit and at first you might not be overly impressed. But give it a second…add a dollop of butter and the homemade strawberry jam… and you are in heaven. Promise.
  • Virtue Cider, 2170 62nd St, Fennville, MI 49408
    • A bit south of Holland but MUST be on your visit list. The covid-19 experience was seamless, as they have a mobile app ordering system through Toast that made it super easy to request your drinks. Try the Honey Cider. The people working here were incredibly warm and welcoming and you can even hold your table while you go for a little hike around the property!
• See/Do
  • On the way
    • Williams Orchard, 9456 N 500 E Rolling Prairie, IN 46350 
      • $17 gets you a hefty sized bag which you can fill to the brim. $29 gets you an even bigger bag. And once you’re in the orchards, sample as much as you like!
  • Holland, MI
    • Windmill Island, 1 Lincoln Avenue, Holland, MI 49423
      • I mean it’s a town called Holland. Naturally there’s going to be some replication of the Dutch lifestyle, right? Darn tootin. And this is it. Though not as cool as Keukenhof in Amsterdam, it’s still a lovely place to go for a walk and experience a little Dutch culture (minus the herring sandwiches). 
    • Kollen Park, 240 Kollen Park Dr, Holland, MI 49423
      • Another place to take a nice walk. There’s also a walkway sponsored by the Heinz Company (now KraftHeinz) which has a factory that makes pickles right nearby. 

Traverse City, MI

• Stay
  • Courtyard Traverse City, 3615 South Airport Road, West, Traverse City, Michigan 49684 USA
    • A bit out of the way, but great service from the staff and easy parking make this choice an easy one. If I had my choice, I’d stay closer to downtown on future trips to Traverse City. 
• Eat/Drink
  • Slabtown Burgers, 826 W Front St, Traverse City, MI 49684
    • My wife went to pick up our food, realized she forgot her wallet, and drove back to the hotel. When she went back to get our food, they offered to heat our fries back up – A+ for service. The food, was a little disappointing though. The caesar had way too much dressing on it. But the strawberry milkshake was damned food.
  • Right Brain Brewery, 225 E Sixteenth St, Traverse City, MI 49684
    • We picked this place at random because of its clever advertisement in the Traverse City tourist guide. In doing so, we started to discover a bit about the brewery culture in this city – and we liked it. If the beer doesn’t please you, the rows of Star Wars pinball machines or the replica TIE fighter above the bar should do the trick. Try a Snakebite (mix of the CEO stout and cider) for a refreshing drink and make sure you eat from the King Wubbz foot truck outside. 
  • King Wubbz Food Truck, parked outside Right Brain Brewery
    • This is gourmet food. Plain and simple. The burger (with cream cheese and Traverse City’s famous cherries) is just stunning. Wifey had the pesto chicken wrap – also darned good. Both with fries. 
  • The Little Fleet, 448 E Front St, Traverse City, MI 49686
    • A marvelous and delightful gathering of food trucks plus a comfortable and covered seating area, nestled close to the water. A perfect place to grab a pork belly bao from Good on Wheels, a La-Tikka (Smoked chicken tikka masala, cilantro, yogurt, onion relish, on house-made naan) from Cordwood BBQ, or a tasty Sunspot Hefe beer from Greenbush Brewing.
  • Omelette Shoppe, 24 Cass St, Traverse City, MI 49684
    • The food was decent but it took forever, and with a wait to get in, I was hoping for more. Not the worst place to visit but probably wouldn’t be on my list on my next visit.  
  • Grand Traverse Pie Company, 101 N Park St, Traverse City, MI 49684
    • Apple or cherry. That’s your decision. 
  • Moomer’s Ice Cream, 7263 N Long Lake Rd, Traverse City, MI 49685
    • Wifey and son split a big old double scoop – and he was covered with ice cream within a few minutes. I got a strawberry malt that last hours – sooooo good. 
• See/Do
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 9922 W Front St, Empire, MI 49630
    • Start with the visitor center. Buy an annual pass for $80 that gets you into any national park – and supports the wonderful efforts of the National Park Service. 
    • Then go to Empire Bluff Trail for a relatively easy 1.5 mile round trip trail (which we did most of it with a stroller – you’ll want to leave yours at the base of the really long steps up, which you’ll recognize). Great views.
    • Then go to the Dune Climb where I guarantee you’ll regret the decision but love the views from up on high.
  • My Secret Stash, 122 Cass St, Traverse City, MI 49684
    • Cheeky gifts, some Michigan-themed, but all guaranteed to amuse. 

Muskegon, MI

• Stay
  • Delta Hotels Muskegon, 939 Third Street, Muskegon, Michigan 49440 USA
    • Outstanding location complements a modern interior with nice views of the water and downtown. Super easy to get to many of the places we went in Muskegon – and if you’re headed to or coming from Milwaukee, easy to take the ferry straight across Lake Michigan (the only reason we didn’t was because it was over $300 for a car plus two adults). 
• Eat/Drink
  • Rebel Pies, 360 W Western Ave, Muskegon, MI 49440
    • You get yourself a slice of the Polynesian Farmer (Rock’n Red Sauce, 3-Cheese Blend, Prosciutto, Goat Cheese, Bacon, Pineapple Rings, Finished w/Fresh Basil & Sriracha Aioli) and wonder how pizza ever compared to this heavenly slice. 
  • Unruly Brewing, 360 W Western Ave, Muskegon, MI 49440
    • Thankfully Rebel Pies is located inside Unruly Brewing, so right after you order your pie, you have yourself something to wash it down. If you like a belgian wheat style beer, try the Orange Julius – it’s a seasonal for spring and summer but it is a heavenly summertime beer. 
  • Drip Drop Drink, 926 2nd St, Muskegon, MI 49440
    • Super close to the Delta Hotel, this is where you need to go for a good cup of coffee and a breakfast pastry. We got a waffle with whipped cream for our son Cooper and I had a delicious caramel apple muffin.
  • Fatty Lumpkin’s Sandwich Shack, 971 Washington Ave, Muskegon, MI 49441
    • Caitlin was obsessed with the name of this sando shop, which it turns out is a character in JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings universe (a pony kept by Tom Bombadil). More relevant for you, try the How Now Brown Cow (roast beef, creamy horseradish sauce, cheese, arugula, tomato, onion, on a fresh bakery roll). 
  • Lake House Waterfront Grille, 730 Terrace Point Dr, Muskegon, MI 49440
    • Not a cheap place, but the food was good and the views/sea air made for a lovely atmosphere. Try ordering:
      • The tasty crab cake (lump crab/grilled corn/roasted pepper crab cake + corn butter + frisee slaw + honey lemon vinaigrette) to start
      • Whitefish plank (locally sourced fresh 8 oz whitefish + paprika/white wine beurre blanc + panko tomato crown + duchess potatoes + market vegetable) for an entrée
      • And a midsummer tonic to drink (hendrick’s midsummer solstice gin + simple syrup + fresh lime juice + tonic + blackberries + lime wedge)
    • Wasn’t that easy?
  • Crane’s Pie Pantry, 6054 124th Avenue (M-89), Fennville, MI 49408
    • The line when we got here was looooooong. But the pie was good and the service quite friendly. Just beware for how long things will take to get served if there’s a lot of people here. And also watch out for the idiot guests who walked around unmasked the whole time. 
• See/Do
  • Pere Marquette Park, 1601 Beach Street, Muskegon, MI 49440
    • Not to ruin what might be a widely known fact, but this beach is simply lovely. Plenty of parking, sand as soft as I’ve found on any Hawaiian or tropical beach, a nearby set of lighthouses to walk to, and a bar/restaurant nearby if you want a meal or drink. 
  • USS SILVERSIDES Submarine Museum, 1346 Bluff St, Muskegon, MI 49441
    • As a longtime World War II student, I take it upon myself to visit any museum dedicated to the greatest (and worst) conflict in the history of mankind. Exploring the depths of one of the few surviving WWII subs is an amazing experience. 

Trip Background

Admittedly, it’s been incredibly challenging not to be able to travel over the last six months with the spread of Covid-19. But our inability to fly safely has certainly provided us with an opportunity to think about what kinds of travel destinations we can access by car. 

My wife, son, and I live in Wilmette, a northern suburb of Chicago, IL. This means that travel destinations are normally restricted to anything within 6 to 8 hours of us, which includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. This led to some really interesting thinking on our part about how far we really need to go to be able to see something interesting and cool. 

Prior to quarantine, most of my trips tended to be international because that’s what I thought constituted an interesting experience. But over the last couple of months my thinking has changed – especially with two books that my sister gave me for my birthday. The first is [The Idiot’s Guide to] RVing and the other is Lonely Planet’s USA’s Best Trips (51 Epic road trips to take across the United States). After reading both, I started thinking about what we could see within reasonable distance. And what perspectives on our country could these sights give us? Well, this trip gave us an amazing set of answers from Western Michigan. 

Day 1 (September 20, 2020): Driving south 

Our journey to Michigan actually began an hour and a half north of our home. My in-laws graciously agreed to watch our dog for the week so we spent the previous day with them before beginning our trip. We headed south, making our way through Chicago for the first time in what felt like six months. As we rounded the southern part of Lake Michigan and crossed into Indiana (my first time!), we headed for Williams Orchard, which is right on the border between Michigan and Indiana. 

This is the kind of idyllic midwestern escape that my wife has been telling me about for ages. The fall season, in which the beautiful splendor of a farm is magnified by the sunshine and the fruit that’s just waiting to be picked, which smells of hot cider, fresh air, and desserts. And this did not disappoint. Acres and acres of apples – Mcintosh, Granny Smiths, amongst others – were there for the taking. We sampled and crushed several, filled up most of our bag, and then continued on our merry way towards Holland. 

This was actually an anxiety ridden moment. We reserved an Airbnb (Entire Lower Level – East Holland), and when we arrived we realized it did not have a separate entrance. In the end, it didn’t make a difference, but entering someone’s home to get to our space was a bit uncomfortable for us (we had not been in someone else’s house for MONTHS).

Once we got settled, the place was super charming. From the fireplace to the neatly organized bookcases and video racks, which had books I’d been looking to read and VHS’ of Disney’s greatest animation era, we found ourselves feeling as if we were at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. When dinnertime set in, we opted to order from the New Holland Brewing Company, which has a strong reputation outside Holland for its Dragon’s Milk beer which you can likely find in your local grocery or liquor store. I had their “Exotic mushroom and goat cheese pizza” – just get it. Your decision is made. 🙂 It was sooo good. They’ll can their draft beers (the ones they don’t sell outside their brewpub) and I would recommend their Full Circle Kolsch if it’s available – one of the smoothest beers I’ve ever had. 

Day 2 (September 21, 2020): Exploring Holland

Mondays in the real world stink. You have to go to work and send the kids off the school. Well, we didn’t have to do either! Huzzah! 

However, we did realize something rather important: some restaurants and attractions shut down on Mondays because they’re slow days for them. D’oh! 

As a result, a couple of the breakfast places we had hoped to go to were closed. But thankfully, we found Anna’s House and decided to take a shot. And let me take a moment to acknowledge – this was a big decision for us. Up until then, we had not eaten indoors since the Covid-19 crisis began.

We’d heard that places in Michigan would be open and that there would be dividers between booths – so we took a chance. And this place put us in a good mood. I opted for a Monte Cristo is tasty (if you get it, ask them to go light on the raspberry sauce), and the homey, modern diner feel put us both at ease. But they did seat people in the booth right next to us and for a few minutes, I have to admit we were a bit nervous. 

Our first stop of the day was Windmill Island. You can’t go to Holland not expect to partake in some of the Dutch experience. And before you go, don’t go expecting an epic teleportation to the Dutch countryside. It’s not as grandiose as Keukenhof in Amsterdam, but that said this park is still a lovely place to go for a walk and experience a little Dutch culture (minus the herring sandwiches – which in seriousness, you should try if you ever go to Amsterdam.

Another place we went to was Kollen Park, which is along the Holland waterfront. It’s a nice place to go for a walk and there’s a walkway sponsored by the Heinz Company (now KraftHeinz) which has a factory that makes pickles right nearby. If you’re asking why you should care, you really shouldn’t care. It’s just the only noteworthy thing there.

But if you do go for a walk and find yourself hungry or thirsty afterward, Boatwerks is right next to the parking lot at Kollen Park – and it’s where you should go. When we went, they rolled up those garage-style doors, revealing the shimmering sunshine and water outside. We drank blueberry whiskey lemonades and ate whitefish dip with pita triangles, and it was nice to have that combo indoor/outdoor dining environment. After we went home, I picked up dinner to go from Big Lake Brewing. The Cuban sandwich and Loaded Tots were excellent!

Day 3 (September 22, 2020): Biscuits, Cider and Driving (not all at the same time)

As we said goodbye to our lovely hosts, we decided to take our final breakfast in Holland at The Biscuit. This place has a charming feel, with artwork all around and distanced tables to ensure public safety. And as you might imagine from its name, it’s known especially for its biscuits. Take a bite of the fluffy, moist, cake like biscuit and at first you might not be overly impressed. But give it a second…add a dollop of butter and the homemade strawberry jam… and you are in heaven. Promise.

The journey from Holland to Traverse City is 169 miles – or roughly three hours. But we decided to go in the opposite direction to start our day and dropped into Virtue Cider. Possessing a homey farm feel, the staff welcomed us with open arms and the covid-19 experience was seamless. They seated us at a table and had a mobile app ordering system through Toast that made it super easy to request your drinks. Try the Honey Cider! The people working the tables and the grounds were incredibly warm and friendly and you can even hold your table while you go for a little hike around the property!

Arriving at the Courtyard Traverse City a few hours was a surreal feeling. For the first time in almost seven months, I was stepping into a hotel. Many months, when I was watching the late Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson somberly acknowledging the dark hole the hospitality industry was headed into, I wondered if travel as we knew it was going to disappear. Would all of those easy trips I’d planned and executed on over the last decade be a thing of the past – a relic, along with this travel blog? Fortunately, the answer was and still is no. 🙂

We were again uneasy with dining so while my son and I played in the hotel room, my wife drove to Slabtown Burgers to pick up our dinner. But we ran into a slight issue. When my wife went to pick up our food, she realized she forgot her wallet, and had drove back to the hotel. Doh! When she went back to get our food, they offered to heat our fries back up – A+ for service. The food, was a little disappointing though. The Caesar had way too much dressing on it. But the strawberry milkshake was damned good.

Day 4 (September 23, 2020): Sleeping Bear Dunes

A lot of our planning centered around getting to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Caitlin had told me for a long time that this national park was going to be a place that we would love. We drove to the visitor center and opted to buy an annual pass for $80 that gets you into any national park. We highly encourage this as it supports the wonderful efforts of the National Park Service (which was a great escape during Covid and will remain so even after this crisis abates).

We set our first destination as the Empire Bluff Trail, a relatively easy 1.5 mile round trip trail. We did most of it with a stroller but if you bring yours, you’ll want to leave yours at the base of the really long steps up – which you’ll recognize. Great views of Lake Michigan to be had from many places along this hike!

Then we went to the Dune Climb where I guarantee you’ll regret the decision but love the views from up on high.

Our drive back into Traverse City led us to Right Brain Brewery, which we picked at random because of its clever advertisement in the Traverse City tourist guide. In doing so, we started to discover a bit about the brewery culture in this city – and we liked it. There really are a remarkable number of breweries in the city to choose from – and I can pretty much assure you that if you love beer, you can’t go wrong here. Especially in summer/fall. If the beer at Right Brain doesn’t please you, the rows of Star Wars pinball machines or the replica TIE fighter above the bar should do the trick. Try a Snakebite (mix of the CEO stout and cider) for a refreshing drink and make sure you eat from the King Wubbz Food Truck outside. (This is gourmet food. Plain and simple. The burger (with cream cheese and Traverse City’s famous cherries) is just stunning. Wifey had the pesto chicken wrap – also darned good. Both with fries.)

We retreated back to the hotel room for a quick rest and then upon realizing there was a food truck gathering near downtown, we knew we’d found our evening dinner plans. The Little Fleet is a marvelous and delightful gathering of food trucks plus a comfortable and covered seating area, nestled close to the water. We had amazing time as shortly after we arrived, they started holding people out until enough people had left the seating area (to maintain social distancing). It was a perfect place to grab a pork belly bao from Good on Wheels, a La-Tikka (Smoked chicken tikka masala, cilantro, yogurt, onion relish, on house-made naan) from Cordwood BBQ, or a tasty Sunspot Hefe beer from Greenbush Brewing. It was also an interesting mix of people – a bunch of college aged women all sitting close and maskless, a bunch of couples (many with dogs), several dates, and some older folks. 

Our evening ended with a brief walk around the sun-drenched streets of Traverse City before we headed back to the hotel.

Day 5 (September 24, 2020): Headed South to Muskegon

One of the places I’d read about before we got here was the Omelette Shoppe – and since we are a family of egg lovers, we said why not! And in retrospect, it wasn’t anything special. The food was decent but it took forever to come to us, and with a wait to get in, I was hoping for more. Not the worst place to visit but probably wouldn’t be on my list on my next visit. Before getting on the road, we stopped by Grand Traverse Pie Company for a pie to bring back to the in-laws. And it would be two days before I would get a chance to tear into it – but it was damned good. Also take a moment to swing by My Secret Stash for some cheeky, Michigan-themed gifts. 

Our drive southward toward Muskegon started and then came to a quick pause at Moomer’s Ice Cream. The wifey and son split a big old double scoop – and he was covered with ice cream within a few minutes. I got a strawberry malt that lasted hours – it was sooooo good.

I’m not going to lie though – the drive onward to Muskegon was long and boring. The path along route 37 took us mostly through small towns and when we finally arrived at the Delta Hotels Muskegon, we were excited to not be in the car anymore. 

I have to admit – our first reaction to this hotel was pleasant surprise. It’s located right smack downtown and its outstanding location complements a modern interior with nice views of the water and downtown. It was super easy to get to many of the places we went in Muskegon – and if you’re headed to or coming from Milwaukee, it’s really easy to take the ferry straight across Lake Michigan. The only reason we didn’t was because it was over $300 for a car plus two adults.

We scoured the local businesses on Google or Yelp and quickly discovered Rebel Pies and Unruly Brewing a block from our hotel, offering up tasty pizza and beers. So naturally we headed straight over there and decided on a slice of the Polynesian Farmer (Rock’n Red Sauce, 3-Cheese Blend, Prosciutto, Goat Cheese, Bacon, Pineapple Rings, Finished w/Fresh Basil & Sriracha Aioli). Naturally we now wonder how pizza ever compared to this heavenly slice. Thankfully Rebel Pies is located inside Unruly Brewing, so right after you order your pie, you have yourself something to wash it down. If you like a Belgian wheat style beer, try the Orange Julius – it’s a seasonal for spring and summer but it is a heavenly summertime beer. 

Day 6 (September 25, 2020): The beach, Fatty Lumpkin’s Sandwiches, and World War II

Morning of our last full day in Michigan came and we needed coffee – stat. Two blocks from the Delta hotel is Drip Drop Drink – and they had a little outdoor seating area. So we got a waffle with whipped cream for Cooper, I had a delicious caramel apple muffin, and we got two strong coffee-based beverages. 

We drove to Pere Marquette Park and discovered a great place to pretend to be far from the Midwest. There was plenty of parking, sand as soft as I’ve found on any Hawaiian or tropical beach, a nearby set of lighthouses to walk to, and a bar/restaurant nearby if you want a meal or drink. 

Lunchtime rolled around and we swung over to Fatty Lumpkin’s Sandwich Shack. Caitlin was obsessed with the name of this sando shop, which it turns out is a character in JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings universe (a pony kept by Tom Bombadil). More relevant for you, try the How Now Brown Cow (roast beef, creamy horseradish sauce, cheese, arugula, tomato, onion, on a fresh bakery roll). They have a lovely seating area right next to the shop and also a space across the street (next to a spacious parking lot). 

With our tummies now full, Caitlin and I decided to split up for the afternoon. She took Cooper back to the beach while I indulged my passion for World War II history and went to the USS SILVERSIDES Submarine Museum. As a longtime World War II student, I take it upon myself to visit any museum dedicated to the greatest (and worst) conflict in the history of mankind. See:

• The Norway Resistance Museum on my trip to Oslo,
• The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History on my trip to Albuquerque, and
• The Anne Frank House and Dutch Resistance Museum (Verzetsmuseum) on my trip to Amsterdam

Exploring the depths of one of the few surviving WWII subs is an amazing experience. 

As sunset approached, we found the Lake House Waterfront Grille, and while it was not a cheap place, the food was good and the views/sea air made for a lovely atmosphere. We had a tasty crab cake (lump crab/grilled corn/roasted pepper crab cake + corn butter + frisee slaw + honey lemon vinaigrette) to start, Whitefish plank (locally sourced fresh 8 oz whitefish + paprika/white wine beurre blanc + panko tomato crown + duchess potatoes + market vegetable) for an entrée, and a midsummer tonic to drink (hendrick’s midsummer solstice gin + simple syrup + fresh lime juice + tonic + blackberries + lime wedge). 

Day 7 (September 26, 2020): No mas vacaciones

On our final day, we were sad to realize our first (and only) vacation of 2020 was coming to an end. We opted not to take the ferry across Lake Michigan (which would have conveniently dropped us in Milwaukee, where we needed to get to) because the cost was prohibitive. So we drove the long way south around Lake Michigan and decided to stop at Crane’s Pie Pantry on the way home. Our intended 30-minute stop became well over an hour. Most of which was spent in line waiting to order cider, pie and a few other snacks. The pie was excellent and although the cider was not my cup of tea, I would come back here in a heartbeat. Sadly we did not get a chance to explore and I was constantly on edge for large groups of maskless customers who seemingly did not care about the wellbeing of others. 

We proceeded on our way through Chicago and Milwaukee to my in-laws’ house so we could pick up our dog Abbott (whom they had kindly agreed to watch for the week), and then headed back home for the night. 

Final Thoughts

2020 was not the year any of us expected. And from March through September, we weren’t even sure what life would look like. We had pulled our son out of daycare, we were trying to work our jobs while educating/raising him, and all the time wondering where the rest of the year would take us. For 2020 vacations, it was literally only this trip. And yet we were incredibly grateful for so much on this trip. From the thoughtful staff at the hotels and restaurants we patronized to the nice folks we met in the apple orchards or city streets, we found other folks just trying to get away from home for a few days or living their lives as best as they could. 

People apologized when they inadvertently overloaded an elevator and people seemed genuinely thankful that we were spending our money on their pizza or beer. Sunshine on the Michigan beaches and sand, looking out at Lake Michigan from the eastern side, and smelling fresh air by the water were just a few of the things we picked up on this trip. While I hope to return to Michigan soon, I hope it is under dramatically better circumstances and takes place in a world free of Covid-19 anxiety. Here’s to hoping for that in 2021!