City Sojourns
Art and animals. Culture and cuisine. Recreation and restoration. These Michigan cities deliver an urban flavor all their own. Explore world-class museums, sculptures, murals and art centers. Shop for farm-fresh produce at the nation’s oldest farmers’ market. Stop at a city brewery for a craft beer or sample a range of spirits at a local distillery. Enjoy minor-league sports, music and nightlife. Check out waterfront bars, rushing rivers and waterfalls. Our spotlight cities have all this and more.
1. DETROIT
Remarkable Renaissance
Drawing on their diversity, Detroit’s 100-plus neighborhoods include a trio known for some of the city’s best places to explore, drink and dine.
Downtown
- Shop--North of the river, along Woodward Avenue, skyscrapers mingle with pop-up shops, and fashionable boutiques like Bird Bee.
- Play--Wright and Company serves craft cocktails and small plates to an out-on-the-town crowd.
- Stay--Boutique hotels such as Aloft Detroit, Detroit Foundation, Shinola and The Siren with its swanky lounge (the raging-pink Candy Bar) now occupy once-vacant buildings as downtown’s landscape evolves into an ever-hotter locale. Home to General Motors, the 70-story Renaissance Center (the Ren Cen, to locals) houses the Detroit Marriott, overlooking the river.
Midtown
- Shop -- Renowned museums like the Detroit Institute of Arts and Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History sit around the corner from the now sought-after neighborhood known as Midtown, north of I-75. Popular brands such as Seattle-based Filson and hometown Shinola—with its colorful watches and high-end bicycles—mix with local home and gift stores such as Nest and City Bird. The fashionable Will Leather Goods duffel bags make perfect travel companions.
- Play--Sip craft beers on the patio at Jolly Pumpkin or head across the street to Motor City Brewing Works. Selden Standard offers creative cocktails and plates to share. Stay--The El Moore draws overnight guests to its balconies, offering sweeping city views.
- Shop--The nation’s oldest farmers market—and one of its largest—dominates with sheds full of farm-fresh produce at the Saturday Market (1.5 miles north of the GM Renaissance Center). Restaurants and retail stores line the perimeter.
- Play--Detroit City Distillery and Eastern Market Brewing Company join long-standing, family-owned Vivio’s. Fun-day starts here with bloody marys before you head to Bert’s Marketplace for some of the best jazz and blues.
2. BAY CITY
Welcoming Waterfront
Astride the Saginaw River, Bay City welcomes with a 20-plus-mile-long Riverwalk through the heart of town. Climb aboard the tall ship Appledore IV or Appledore V and set sail for Saginaw Bay, 5 miles downriver. Passengers hoist the sails of the 64- and 76-foot schooners while passing the permanently docked destroyer USS Edison, where you can take a guided tour or explore on your own. Kayakers and boaters pull up to waterfront bars and restaurants for fresh fish from the Great Lakes at Real Seafood Company. Dip your toes in the bay and play in the sand or splash park at Bay City State Park.
Browse the Bay City Antiques Center, which offers European and American antiques, collectables and architectural salvage. Vintage finds are housed on three floors. While you are in town, enjoy other nearby antique and boutique shopping, excellent dining and recreation in our charming riverfront city.
3. GRAND RAPIDS
Get a healthy dose of art and innovative architecture on the state’s west side.
Sculptures and murals dominate downtown. Start at Vandenberg Plaza (locally known as Calder Plaza, with La Grand Vitesse, the city’s bright red symbol). Then wander by the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum with shimmering tiles adorning the exterior, and down Commerce to The Pyramid Scheme bar and music venue.
Paths loop through the 60-acre Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. Discover more than 50 works of outdoor art, plus four man-made waterfalls in the Japanese Gardens and a 1900-seat outdoor amphitheater, featuring an eclectic mix of world-renowned musicians every summer.
Built in 1909, Meyer May House showcases Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie-style design, bringing nature inside through southern-exposure windows, skylights and terraces. Call ahead to schedule a tour.
The Grand Rapids Art Museum sits in a prominent spot over Rosa Parks Circle, offering architectural weight to the city center and rotating exhibits alongside a permanent collection. The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts features film, music, visual and performance arts.
4. LANSING
Capital Culture Along the River
Minor league baseball scores fans in the heart of the capital city. Cheer on the Lugnuts at Jackson® Field™ near the Michigan State Capitol, open daily for free tours. The 20-mile paved Lansing River Trail offers the best views of the sparkling Grand River. Impression 5 Science Center captivates with hands-on fun, such as paper airplane-building contests and a floor-to-ceiling interactive lights display. Clink and swizzle at American Fifth Spirits or the Lansing Brewing Company.
5. KALAMAZOO and BATTLE CREEK
Family Fun
Out-of-this-world explorations, exotic plants and animals capture children’s attention.
See vintage aircraft and take a tour with a pilot at Air Zoo, an aviation and science center where visitors learn about sky stories from early flight to space exploration. More than a museum, hands-on attractions invite would-be pilots to grab the controls, jump like paratroopers and race hot-air balloons.
Get outdoors in the lush surrounds of the Kalamazoo Nature Center; its 14 trails are abundant with ponds and prairies. Alive with interactive exhibits, the Interpretive Center includes a three-story rainforest room that feels like the Amazon.
Board a safari to Wild Africa at Battle Creek’s Binder Park Zoo, where a towering overlook puts you face to face with giraffes eager to eat from your hand. Three recently acquired lions share their neighbourhood with an African painted dog. Find more than 50 species throughout the zoo.
6. MARQUETTE
Wilderness Adventures
The Upper Peninsula’s largest city provides urban amenities (brew pubs, boutiques and museums) with endless spots to explore both on and off the beaten path. A hike just outside of city limits at Sugarloaf Mountain ends with a bird’s-eye view of old-growth forests, rocky ridgelines and Lake Superior. Immerse yourself in the region’s mining history along the 47-mile Iron Ore Heritage Trail, which revels in the natural beauty between Republic and Chocolay. Or grab a map (paper works best since cell service is spotty) and set out to explore the web of rushing waters finding their way to Lake Superior. The county’s 77 waterfalls range from 5 to 40 feet. Each one distinct, these rugged falls make for an outdoor seek-and-find adventure. Some are easy to spot, while others test your legs on a backwoods trek.
7. ANN ARBOR
Ann Arbor is a bustling university town, culinary hotspot and tech hub with a walkable downtown. Experience the University of Michigan, globally-inspired dining, unique retail and world-class arts and culture.
Campus Cuisine — Talented chefs and global cuisine thrive in this Big Ten town, known for its burgers, bars and upscale dishes. Here’s how to eat your way through a weekend.
Dinner — Grab an outside picnic table at Frita Batidos for Cuban-inspired quick eats from Top Chef contestant Eve Aronoff. Pair a spicy chorizo cilantro burger with the Hibiscus Batido, a tropical milkshake.
Lunch —All-time favorite Zingerman’s Deli piles cured meats and hand-sliced cheese on house-baked sourdough at this Kerrytown landmark. Or head to Jolly Pumpkin Café & Brewery. The popular spot fuses comfortable dining with the energetic, approachable atmosphere expected of a downtown locale. The eclectic menu is driven by fresh seasonal ingredients collected daily from local markets. With avant-garde aspirations in both taste and presentation. Savory vegetarian options coexist with artisanal granite baked pizzas, an extensive catalog of award-winning in-house beers, and bonafide wines, for a truly novel experience to satisfy palates of all inclinations.
8. FLINT
Cultural Center
A 2-block stretch of stops melds arts, music and history.
Flint Institute of Arts— Dedicated to creation and exhibition, the museum’s interactive Contemporary Craft Wing houses a hot shop for glassblowing demonstrations as well as a Chihuly Persian Chandelier.
Sloan Museum —Born in Flint, General Motors showcases its history through vintage vehicles, neon signs and Big Three memorabilia.
The Whiting — The 2,000-seat auditorium hosts Broadway hits plus classical ensembles
such as Flint Symphony Orchestra concerts.
The Capitol Theatre (worth a detour) — Renovated and reopened after 20 years, the Renaissance-influenced theater in Flint features folk music, storytelling and one-act plays.
Flint Farmers’ Market —Open year-round, the market’s 60-plus vendors purvey delicacies like house-smoked Gouda, Vietnamese pho and meat cut on-site.