15 Ways to Explore Southwest Michigan as a Temporary Local

When you live a “travelista” lifestyle, month-long stays exploring locations around the world are the norm. This year I’ll add three plus months to my travel resume as a temporary local in New Mexico, Michigan, and Oregon. During May 2021, I was lucky enough to call the southwest Michigan town of Holland my home.

In this blogpost I’ll share some of the local highlights from this grand adventure. Even if you don’t get to southwest Michigan anytime soon, I wouldn’t be at all surprised that you find some nuggets of inspiration to apply to your own life, wherever home may be. Here are 15 tips for exploring like a local.

1. Identify a home base. I found a delightful bungalow at Bright Escapes Rentals nestled in the woods with white tailed deer scampering through the yard and black squirrels scurrying off with acorns for future meals. It was relaxing and restorative, very different from the desert and cactus-filled landscape of Arizona I call home.

Renting a small home is a much better idea than a hotel. First, with even just two bedrooms, you are set up for visitors to share part of the fun with. Second, it’s much more cost effective because you have a whole house at your disposal including a kitchen and washer and dryer to do laundry. Homes also have decks, firepits, grills, fresh herbs, and sometimes even a cute nest of baby bunnies that will bring out heart-deep smiles..

2. Check out a State Park. One of the first places I explored was nearby Saugatuk Dunes State Park. Centrally located between Holland and Saugatuk, there are numerous trails through the woods and dunes. It’s a short walk to jaw-dropping sunsets overlooking Lake Michigan. I found beautiful bleached white driftwood and learned about Oak Apples here.

3. Learn something new. Sorry, Oak apples are not a fruit at all. They look a bit like they might be a pod for some type of fruit, but they are wasp homes. That’s right. Female wasps inject a single egg into a developing oak leaf. The chemicals produced by the egg alter the leaf’s growth to form the oak apple which protects the larva and nourishes it with the fleshy material inside. After a couple of months, the wasp burrows out and the oak apple falls to the ground. I had no idea something like this existed! This nugget is by far the most interesting and unexpected learning of the trip. Check out the Instagram post @travelistaliz on oak apples to see the inside of an oak apple!

4. Identify local plants. Every region has unique flora and fauna, the Midwest is no exception. Take a walk or run and try to identify the plants you typically don’t see back home. I found large colored puff balls of Scottish Chives that have gone to seed (see my Instagram profile for more). I also encountered lily of valley, white and purple lilacs (which reminded me of Grandma), irises, daffodils, dandelions, peonies, and of course the tulips for which this region is most famous.

5. Explore the neighborhood. I highly recommend exploring on foot your temporary home’s surroundings. I found Sanctuary Woods, a delightful park with miles of walking trails and Lake Macatawa with its boats, lighthouse, and sporty rentals within a five-minute walk. The lake water was WAY too cold for this Arizona girl, but the water was soothing and the sunsets, divine. Mentally draw a map and see what you’ll find within a ten-minute walk of your home base. Bring your camera phone and look for the unique plants, butterflies, and sites you might just pass by every day without a second thought.

6. Find a fun place to hike. I filled most of a day taking the Saugatuk chain ferry across the Kalamazoo River and exploring the “other side”. Saugatuk has the last working chain ferry in the U.S. In operation since 1838, these days strapping lads continue to pull a chain through three pulleys to move the small passenger ferry back and forth across the river. It was a completely unexpected, total throwback experience worth every penny of the $2 ticket. On the other side, I found a peaceful hike through the woods that included a rope tree swing – who can resist that? Ultimately, I ended up at the top of Mt. Baldhead Park taking in stunning views of the river and downtown Saugatuk area.

7. Find a great restaurant to refuel. I visited many area establishments during my month-long stay and my favorite, by far, is “The Grow” in downtown Saugatuk. It’s always busy, so plan ahead. Fun fact: I learned they went through 1000+ eggs during the previous Saturday morning’s brunch rush. Owners Lindsay and Alec could not be more friendly. I was also lucky enough to meet their esteemed sous chef, Leo. These three and the attentive servers keep this place hopping.

You can’t go wrong on a plate of food. If you’re like me, you’ll find it hard to choose and lucky if you’re sharing plates with others at your table. My favorite menu item was the blueberry lemon-crusted French toast which three of us shared as an appetizer. All the main plates we ordered - the Slam (two fried eggs, rye toast, potatoes, sausage, and carrot cake pancakes), the Skillet (chicken, two fried eggs, potatoes, black beans, feta, pickled red onion, chilis, tomato garlic aioli, and cilantro salsa), and the Vegetables and Eggs (two fried eggs, daily vegetables, and potatoes) – were delicious. Look at those perfectly cooked sunny side up eggs! Great job, Leo!

8. Visit a farm. In this case, the farm is Summerhouse Lavender Farm. I spent a delightful afternoon learning the difference between English and French lavender from Lena, one of the dedicated experts there. English lavender is the type used for cooking (think of it for use in tea). French lavender crushed in your hand will have the scent of camphor (memories of Vicks VapoRub). French lavender is used for beauty products and essential oils. The farm is open Thursday – Sunday from 11 - 5 pm during the Summer. Call ahead for an appointment!

9. Shop the boutiques. To do shopping right in Saugatuk, you really need a mini-reunion weekend with your high school girlfriends. There are streets full of shops with everything from unique souvenirs to clothing and everything in between. I ended up with a new wardrobe thanks to my personal shopper girlfriends who kept an endless stream of clothing items flowing into the fitting room. My favorite purchase, a denim jacket that I’ve actually worn since returning to the 115 degree weather of summertime Arizona.

10. Spend an afternoon nosing around an antiques shop. Anderson’s Cool Stuff & Antiques shop in Fennville, just a few miles south of Saugatuk, is the perfect option. I met one of the owners, Robert, who shared stories about the stained glass works and other interesting items found there. I walked out with a treasure trove of trinkets for less than $30. Ok, you’re dying to know exactly what the trinkets were, aren’t you? Marbles, a glass Christmas ornament with glitter half falling off, a Grimm’s Fairy Tale book, a small blue bottle (for Lake Michigan sand), a cloisonné thimble and small container with butterfly motif, and a couple of peacock feathers. Two hours wandering through the rooms full of treasures went by in a flash. Next door is Crane’s Pie Pantry the perfect stop for local wine and cider tasting and to grab a salad for lunch.

Keto Friendly Fresh Rhubarb Pie - Delicious!

11. Try in-season local delicacies. There’s always something fun to find at the local Farmer’s Market. Holland’s is every Wednesday and Saturday morning. May local favorites include purple asparagus (which tastes like green asparagus), rhubarb (which reminded me of plucking a stalk and dipping it in sugar for the perfect sour/sweet taste of a childhood memory), and eerie looking morel mushrooms. While expensive at $75/pound, the earthy and unique flavor on burgers one evening totally made the meal special.

12. Talk to the locals to find the area’s hidden gems. Right at the top of this list is John’s Rhododendron and Azalea Nursery. John opens the grounds to local groups a couple of times per year to share the beautiful rhododendrons and azaleas he cultivates there. It’s kind of a wholesale nursery for the lucky few, but mostly it’s John sharing his love of these colorful plants with his neighbors. Ask the locals where the hidden finds are - they are such a wonderful surprise.

13. Try locally made craft beer. Midwesterners are into their craft beer. Maybe craft beer is a “thing” elsewhere too and I’m just not in the beer loop. That said, I found a fun place outside of town with rows and rows of blueberry bushes and countless chickens scattered about the premises. Waypost Brewing Company. My craft-brew friends chose a sampling of four brews for me. Along with a locally made beef jerky appetizer, we enjoyed a refreshing afternoon at the casual picnic tables out back.

14. Find the best beach for rock hunting. In this area, Pier Cove wins hands down. Before you go, find out about Lightning Stones. They are so plentiful you will fill your pockets and light up like a kid at Christmas each time you find one. Lightning Stones are 55 million years old. They are known as Lake Michigan Septarian rocks, and they consist of clay cemented onto an iron mineral called siderite. Over time they become fractured, and the gaps fill with calcite that’s brought in by ground water. This process forms unique lightning-like patterns on the dark brown background.

15. Find the perfect sunset hike. This is such a great experience when nature cooperates, and it happens on the last day of a magical trip. I drove with friends to the Ox-Bow School of Art and Artist’s property and wandered to the top of the dunes to catch this unbelievable sunset over Lake Michigan. In the dusk on the way home, we saw a dozen white tailed deer in the woods and we were welcomed back to the parking lot with colorful strands of twinkling white Christmas lights lighting our way. The perfect ending to a perfect adventure.

I hope this blogpost inspires you to explore your hometown area. And of course, if you’re in Southwest Michigan, check out Holland and Saugatuk. Head over to my Instagram @travelistaliz if you’re interested in more travel adventure photos.