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I will be renting a house on the lake in October. Thanks!
Answer
i used to live in Michigan, not that long ago. Shelby is not exactly ON the lake, you'll have to drive there. There are quite nice beaches though it will be too cold by then to swim. You will not be far from Duck Lake which has a nice channel and sandy beach. The Hart-Montague Rails to Trails bike path is nearby -- nice and level and mostly paved, great for biking or roller blading. Muskegon nearby is kind of a crappy and depressing town (I'm allowed to say that since my parents used to live there and I worked there for a while) -- not much to do there and high crime in some areas. It does have some good beaches but they will be pretty deserted.
But Grand Haven to the south has cool nightlife and bars with live music. There is also an outfitter there you might be able to rent kayaks or stand up paddleboards from though perhaps not that late in the year. Farther south is Holland (which you should avoid -- strange vibes there, like the town in "Village of the Damned', all these blonde, Dutch, super religious people). But just south is Saugatuck which is a swinging little resort town with great restaurants. Suagatuck is also the only really gay-friendly area in West Michigan -- the rest of the region is a bit uptight and sanctimonious (expect to see a lot of bible quotes on billboards.) If you like to hike a little, the Saugatuck Dunes state park is a little north of town off highway 31. You park and then walk through the woods on a rolling trail for about 3/4 of a mile til you get to a spectacular wild beach bordered by dunegrass and trees. I've seen waves big enough to surf there in the Fall but you would need a wet suit since it is cold.
Farther south, the State Theater in Kalamazoo has a lot of good concerts (rock, country, jazz, etc.) with national names. So does Calvin College in Grand Rapids and prices are lower for tickets than in other parts of the country and they are never all that crowded. Also in Kalamazoo is Bell's Brewery which has a fun old brew pub with great beer. Lots of microbrew pubs all over Michigan if you like that sort of thing. Beer is cheap and plentiful in the Big Mitten. For groceries, the D and W chain around Grand Rapids has the best food (in store bakery has divine breads and they have a killer deli in house). There are always the huge Meijer stores, 24 hours like Walmart but nicer stuff and they treat their employees way better.
Grand Rapids is less than an hour drive east on I-96 and has pretty good nightlife now, especially in EastTown and the BOB (Big Old Building) near downtown. There is a decent little art museum and a bit north of town is the excellent Meijer Gardens botanical gardens and sculpture museum that is worth a visit. While in Grand Rapids, go to the Schuler Books store on 28th St (the main shopping highway that runs east west through town). Fantastic bookstore with a nice cafe with excellent lunch and brunch food. It was my home away from home when I lived in Grand Rapids and I would hang out for hours reading in the comfortable chairs or in a table near the gas fireplace. Sometimes they have live music or poetry reading in the back music room. Behind it on 29th street is a great Italian gourmet food and wine store, GB Russos. Other good restaurants there are the One Trick Pony on the Northeast side (gotta have the burger made with ground dried cherries in it) and Pietro's, on 28th st near the bookstore. Pick up a free copy of the bi-weekly entertainment newspaper "On the Town" when you are in Grand Rapids and it will list all local events on the art and music scene all over the area as well as movies. There are several large multiplex theaters, but the best is Studio 28 on 28th street which always has art or foreign films on one screen besides the usual Hollywood blockbusters.
If you are into gambling (I am not) there are casinos to the south and farther north and north central. If there is early enough snow you might be able to ski up towards Charlevoix at Boyne Mountain but that would be unusual. It's a pretty drive up to Traverse City -- lots of rich folk up there so the shopping and restaurants are good. Sleeping Bear Dunes is on the way up -- worth a stop and a hike to the top. Other towns along the lakeshore will be pretty empty after the Summer is done with many places closed up (Pentwater, Manistee, Ludington). Sort of an odd time to be vacationing in the state but I used to like early Fall there. The trees are pretty and biking and hiking were pleasant.
i used to live in Michigan, not that long ago. Shelby is not exactly ON the lake, you'll have to drive there. There are quite nice beaches though it will be too cold by then to swim. You will not be far from Duck Lake which has a nice channel and sandy beach. The Hart-Montague Rails to Trails bike path is nearby -- nice and level and mostly paved, great for biking or roller blading. Muskegon nearby is kind of a crappy and depressing town (I'm allowed to say that since my parents used to live there and I worked there for a while) -- not much to do there and high crime in some areas. It does have some good beaches but they will be pretty deserted.
But Grand Haven to the south has cool nightlife and bars with live music. There is also an outfitter there you might be able to rent kayaks or stand up paddleboards from though perhaps not that late in the year. Farther south is Holland (which you should avoid -- strange vibes there, like the town in "Village of the Damned', all these blonde, Dutch, super religious people). But just south is Saugatuck which is a swinging little resort town with great restaurants. Suagatuck is also the only really gay-friendly area in West Michigan -- the rest of the region is a bit uptight and sanctimonious (expect to see a lot of bible quotes on billboards.) If you like to hike a little, the Saugatuck Dunes state park is a little north of town off highway 31. You park and then walk through the woods on a rolling trail for about 3/4 of a mile til you get to a spectacular wild beach bordered by dunegrass and trees. I've seen waves big enough to surf there in the Fall but you would need a wet suit since it is cold.
Farther south, the State Theater in Kalamazoo has a lot of good concerts (rock, country, jazz, etc.) with national names. So does Calvin College in Grand Rapids and prices are lower for tickets than in other parts of the country and they are never all that crowded. Also in Kalamazoo is Bell's Brewery which has a fun old brew pub with great beer. Lots of microbrew pubs all over Michigan if you like that sort of thing. Beer is cheap and plentiful in the Big Mitten. For groceries, the D and W chain around Grand Rapids has the best food (in store bakery has divine breads and they have a killer deli in house). There are always the huge Meijer stores, 24 hours like Walmart but nicer stuff and they treat their employees way better.
Grand Rapids is less than an hour drive east on I-96 and has pretty good nightlife now, especially in EastTown and the BOB (Big Old Building) near downtown. There is a decent little art museum and a bit north of town is the excellent Meijer Gardens botanical gardens and sculpture museum that is worth a visit. While in Grand Rapids, go to the Schuler Books store on 28th St (the main shopping highway that runs east west through town). Fantastic bookstore with a nice cafe with excellent lunch and brunch food. It was my home away from home when I lived in Grand Rapids and I would hang out for hours reading in the comfortable chairs or in a table near the gas fireplace. Sometimes they have live music or poetry reading in the back music room. Behind it on 29th street is a great Italian gourmet food and wine store, GB Russos. Other good restaurants there are the One Trick Pony on the Northeast side (gotta have the burger made with ground dried cherries in it) and Pietro's, on 28th st near the bookstore. Pick up a free copy of the bi-weekly entertainment newspaper "On the Town" when you are in Grand Rapids and it will list all local events on the art and music scene all over the area as well as movies. There are several large multiplex theaters, but the best is Studio 28 on 28th street which always has art or foreign films on one screen besides the usual Hollywood blockbusters.
If you are into gambling (I am not) there are casinos to the south and farther north and north central. If there is early enough snow you might be able to ski up towards Charlevoix at Boyne Mountain but that would be unusual. It's a pretty drive up to Traverse City -- lots of rich folk up there so the shopping and restaurants are good. Sleeping Bear Dunes is on the way up -- worth a stop and a hike to the top. Other towns along the lakeshore will be pretty empty after the Summer is done with many places closed up (Pentwater, Manistee, Ludington). Sort of an odd time to be vacationing in the state but I used to like early Fall there. The trees are pretty and biking and hiking were pleasant.
Summer trip to South Carolina. Any recommendations on where we should go in the state?
Amber C
Is Clemson nice?
Want to go somewhere fun. 2 older teenagers and parents. maybe beach, be nice but not looking to go there in particular
Answer
I love Clemson, being an alum :), but as a vacation destination....hmm. During the summer (especially after college baseball season is over) it can be pretty dead there. The Botanical Gardens are beautiful all the time, of course, and there's cool stuff inside the gardens like a Geology museum. The campus is also gorgeous during the summer but, as mentioned, very very quiet. Nearby Clemson is plenty of really great outdoorsy stuff--waterfalls, whitewater rafting, hiking, camping, mountains, nice state parks (i particularly recommend Table Rock--nice area, a big lake with boat/paddleboat/kayak rentals available), Stumphouse Tunnel/Issaqueena Falls, etc. Also if you like golfing, Clemson University has an awesome golf course. So if you're looking to do some outdoors type stuff, Clemson's a good base of operations. Hotels there should be pretty cheap in the summer too (I particularly recommend the Martin Inn, the on-campus hotel). Clemson is hot in the summer and often humid, but compared to the rest of the state it's not too bad. And it cools off moderately well at night.
If you want to try the other part of the state, Charleston is a classic tourist destination. There are a zillion things to do here. Absolutely beautiful city with endless opportunities for cultural, architectural, historical, natural, military, and outdoorsy activities. Charleston is also in nearby proximity to oceans, swamps, and rivers. It is *the* tourist destination in the state and one of the country's most popular tourist stops. The biggest knocks on Charleston during the summer are the oppressive heat and humidity, and that any hotels close to downtown are going to be pricy.
Myrtle Beach is a popular tourist destination but in my opinion it's *too* touristy--practically everything there has sprung up in the last 20 years for the sole purpose of attracting visitors. So it can feel crowded (it has terrible traffic congestion problems) and fake. On the other hand there's lots of stuff to do, and it's very family-oriented. I also understand the restaurant scene there is great because there are SO many restaurants, so there's hardly ever a long wait to get in (except for some of the more popular local seafood places).
Good luck with your planning :)
I love Clemson, being an alum :), but as a vacation destination....hmm. During the summer (especially after college baseball season is over) it can be pretty dead there. The Botanical Gardens are beautiful all the time, of course, and there's cool stuff inside the gardens like a Geology museum. The campus is also gorgeous during the summer but, as mentioned, very very quiet. Nearby Clemson is plenty of really great outdoorsy stuff--waterfalls, whitewater rafting, hiking, camping, mountains, nice state parks (i particularly recommend Table Rock--nice area, a big lake with boat/paddleboat/kayak rentals available), Stumphouse Tunnel/Issaqueena Falls, etc. Also if you like golfing, Clemson University has an awesome golf course. So if you're looking to do some outdoors type stuff, Clemson's a good base of operations. Hotels there should be pretty cheap in the summer too (I particularly recommend the Martin Inn, the on-campus hotel). Clemson is hot in the summer and often humid, but compared to the rest of the state it's not too bad. And it cools off moderately well at night.
If you want to try the other part of the state, Charleston is a classic tourist destination. There are a zillion things to do here. Absolutely beautiful city with endless opportunities for cultural, architectural, historical, natural, military, and outdoorsy activities. Charleston is also in nearby proximity to oceans, swamps, and rivers. It is *the* tourist destination in the state and one of the country's most popular tourist stops. The biggest knocks on Charleston during the summer are the oppressive heat and humidity, and that any hotels close to downtown are going to be pricy.
Myrtle Beach is a popular tourist destination but in my opinion it's *too* touristy--practically everything there has sprung up in the last 20 years for the sole purpose of attracting visitors. So it can feel crowded (it has terrible traffic congestion problems) and fake. On the other hand there's lots of stuff to do, and it's very family-oriented. I also understand the restaurant scene there is great because there are SO many restaurants, so there's hardly ever a long wait to get in (except for some of the more popular local seafood places).
Good luck with your planning :)
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Title Post: Looking for things to do in the Shelby MI area. This is on the west coast of MI on Lake Michigan?
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Rating: 96% based on 9658 ratings. 4,4 user reviews.
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