The Best Family Road Trip to Michigan

How to plan a unique and fun family road trip to South Haven and Grand Rapids.

With summer winding down and cooler temps on the way, I decided to take a quick 4 day road trip to Michigan with the kids. I didn’t want to drive farther than 3 or 4 hours from Chicago, so I choose to stop in South Haven (2 hours from Chicago) and Grand Rapids (3 hours from Chicago).

Disclosure: We were happy to partner with several businesses during this road trip. All opinions expressed are our own. Some links may be affiliate links.

DAY 1: South Haven, MI

We took off on a Thursday morning in July and embarked on our perfect Michigan road trip! It took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach South Haven coming from the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. After finding street parking on Broadway Ave, we headed toward our first activity: a chartered boat tour!

First Stop: Jensen Charters Boat Tour

394 Dyckman Ave. South Haven, MI

I had pre-booked us a fun pirate themed tour at Jensen Charters which is located on the Black River right next to the famous drawbridge! They offer day tours and sunset tours as well. We were greeted by Captain Bob (the nicest guy ever) and boarded the “Elsie J” along with several other families. Kids on the boat ranged from 3 to 13 and they ALL had a blast.

The Elsie J. was built in 1945 and used by Chris Jensen for commercial fishing. Three generations later Chris Jensen’s grandson, Bob, now uses the boat as a licensed charter boat. Overall the tour lasted two hours and the kids loved sitting on top of the boat with the wind in their hair! Captain Bob even let them drive the boat!

The pirate theme was cute. The crew passed out foam swords and arranged for another small boat to approach our charter and for a pirate to climb aboard.

The pirate hid his treasure from us, but not for long before the kids stole it! The younger kiddos loved getting the coins and candies hidden inside the treasure chest. My kids are 11 and 13 but surprisingly had a lot of fun hitting each other with the foam swords, ha! We have nothing but great things to say about Captain Bob and the rest of the crew at Jensen Charters!

Second Stop: Captain Lou’s Bar & Grill

Directly next door to Jensen’s is Captain Lou’s Bar & Grill. It’s a small place with your basic burgers and fish & chips but I loved that it was close and overlooking the Black River.

Captain Lou’s is open from 11 am to 2 am. I wouldn’t call the restaurant completely family friendly, as they don’t have highchairs. The food was decent and we enjoyed watching the boats passing by while we ate. However, as we were finishing our meal around 8 pm, things started getting rowdier. The crowd was getting pretty sauced and the live music started to get raunchier. I have older kids so it wasn’t a big deal, but little kids wouldn’t do well.

Third Stop: Dome Glamping Airbnb

I couldn’t wait to surprise the kids with our next stop (they didn’t have a clue where we were spending the night!) The dome is located in a treelined rural area behind a single-family home. We were greeted right away by Kate, the Airbnb host, who showed us around the property.

The glamping dome is just adorable. It sits in a large yard with lots of beautiful trees and a fire pit. You can hear goats in the yard over!

The dome itself is so adorable. It is decorated incredibly cutesy with an oversized king bed and a comfy futon couch. There is also a small table, microwave and refrigerator. There were also cozy robes hanging for us!

In the evening we made a campfire to make s’mores. I did my best trying to start a fire, but even with help from Youtube, I could not figure it out! Kate (the Airbnb host) came right out and helped us make a great big bonfire, which I appreciated immensely!! There was also a griddle and grill if you wanted to cook… but this was my first time ever making s’mores and a fire, so I kept it simple!

After finishing up our dessert, we hit the outdoor hottub for a bit and watched the fire while we sat and told ghost stories.

Afterward it was time for a shower. The restroom and shower are very clean and close by. They are located off the main house in a closed section of the home that is accessible at any time. They have a lighted trail to be able to find it in the evening. It is only a minute walk from your dome.

By the time we settled into bed we were pretty exhausted. We had a beautiful view of the stars up above while we chatted and laughed about the day. The temperature had dropped and was a bit chilly. Kate came out to check on us and brought us an additional space heater. That really helped and we felt good once we had our blankets and were tucked in.

As with all camping or glamping, there is no t.v. and no wifi in the dome. The kids were not crazy about the idea of that, but it was amazing to see how much fun they had without electronics.

The glamping dome was a one-of-a-kind hidden gem and I’d highly recommend taking a look at staying there if you are in South Haven. Here is the Airbnb listing if you’d like to check it out!

DAY 2: South Haven, MI

We woke up early in the morning and played a couple games of “hide and seek zombies.” This is a game my kids apparently came up with.

The rules: I’m the zombie that has to catch them. They are stranded tourists that start off in the dome and explore the property while I hide from them. (The airbnb property is quite vast with lots of fun places to hide.) The kids armed themselves with pinecones to kill me off.

The game consisted of me hiding in awkward spots while sweating and trying to be patient, followed by a brief sprint to catch them while they pelted me with the pinecones. As fun as it was for them, I took quite of few pinecone pelts to the face before we called it quits.

You really can’t put a price on the laughter of children after they’ve assaulted their mother.

First Stop: Downtown South Haven

We said goodbye to our cozy dome and the kids and I headed to downtown South Haven to check out some of the small shops and look at all the boats!

We came across “Friends Good Will splash pad” which is a pirate themed splash pad. My kids were too old for this, but I had to share how cute it was and how much fun the kids were having! Friends Good Will is located down by the lake near South Beach and the Black River Channel.

North Beach is an awesome beach right nearby. We didn’t have time to stop there, but it looks like a lot of fun!

Second Stop: Lake Arvesta Farms and Sports Complex

06464 Arvesta Drive, South Haven

The kids were most excited about Lake Arvesta. We had seen pictures online and the kids said it was on their “bucket list” so of course we had to visit.

The first thing we saw were the three giant water slides! We set up our chairs on the beach and we embarked on the huge climb up the dune. My kids absolutely loved the slides!! Me on the other hand, I wasn’t a fan of the water that goes into your face and up your nose at the bottom. I was happy I did it, but once was enough.

Next the kids and I headed to the giant inflatable obstacle course. The obstacle course is HUGE and takes a long time to do all the obstacles. Kids could spend all day out there.

My kids were definitely challenged by the obstacle course but navigated it well, while I fell into the lake more times than I can count. It’s definitely not easy, but it’s so much fun. There are spots to jump into the lake off a high obstacle, a trampoline, a swing, and just so many fun challenges.

They also have a kid's area for younger kids under five. There are no older kids in that part of the water park. Lake Arvesta also has a an area where you can rent a kayak if you get tired on the inflatables. They also have a zipline that you can wakeboard on. If you are not quite ready for that, they have knee boarding also.

After we completely exhausted ourselves, we got a nice lunch inside their grill and cafe and then we headed to their adorable mini-golf course. Their mini golf is so fun and just so cute and darling. I loved how colorful and fun it was. Lake Arvesta was a BLAST and it’s great for all ages. Highly recommend!

Third Stop: Grand Rapids, Holiday Inn

After playing outside til exhaustion, we drove to Grand Rapids which was about an hour drive away. We checked into Holiday Inn - South which is very close to John Ball zoo.

Holiday Inn - South is at 6569 Clay Ave SW, Grand Rapids.

We chose this hotel because it was close to downtown, but the big selling point? The waterpark that comes with the booking! Please keep in mind that the water park is only open Friday- Sunday (that may be different for holidays.)

The attached waterpark is fun, but it is outdated. It needs updates and repairs and some of the features on one side of the waterpark aren’t on. Even still, we had plenty of fun and we didn’t mind much.

The water park has a pool, a whirlpool, a hot tub, and a kids area with slides and water features.

DAY 3: Grand Rapids

After waking up for an early swim and having breakfast (kids eat free), we stopped for fresh mango smoothies atthe most adorable little cafe called “Chez Olga.”

First Stop: Chez Olga

1441 Wealthy St SE, Grand Rapids

Chez Olga is a tiny, family-owned business that serves fresh Carribean food. Considering we just had breakfast, we opted to grab some fresh mango smoothies to go.

Second Stop: John Ball Zoo

1300 Fulton St W, Grand Rapids MI

John Ball Zoo has a great reputation and is one of our favorite zoos we have ever visited. They have 2,000 animals from tigers, petting corral, wallabies, camels and butterflies. We were visiting during their living dinosaurs exhibit, which was a lot of extra fun!

The zoo also has a 300-foot Zipline, 4-story Ropes Adventure Course, and other fun little attractions along the way. Below is a fun little 4D adventure experience which was an extra 8 dollars. My kids loved it!

This zoo is huge with TONS to see. Make sure you bring your good walking shoes, sun-tan lotion and water. It’s going to take hours to see everything!

DAY 4: Grand Rapids

First Stop: Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park

1000 E Beltline Ave Grand Rapids, MI

The Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park are a great addition to any weekend in Grand Rapids with kids. They have an entire garden dedicated to kids, and several other unique and interactive kid-centric exhibits. There are sculptures, gardens, and attractions geared towards children throughout the 158 acres.  From the ‘Inside/Outside: An Interactive Sculpture Experience for Families,’ to the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden, there is something for every age group.

The Great Lakes Garden has a HUGE water table crafted in the shape of the Great Lakes.  Kids can play freely in the water and with little boats provided by Meijer Gardens.  One of the best things about the water table is that it has three distinct heights, so even the littlest kids can play.

The Treehouse Village is a series of four interconnected tree houses through which kids can climb and play.  There is a rope bridge, a bird’s nest, and you truly feel as though you are in the trees.

It was hot the day we went, and my kids were exhausted by all the walking we did to see many of the sculptures. We decided to end things after being there about three hours.

Second Stop: Underground Cookie Club

5422 Division Ave S., Kentwood, MI

I read about Underground Cookie Club after seeing some of their amazing looking ice cream sandwiches on instagram. They make specialty Ice Cream Sandwiches, all made locally by hand, each one uniquely designed for its flavor profile.

All the ice cream sandwiches have fun themes and names. We ordered Cheer Bear, Rainbow bear and Smurf ice cream sandwiches. They were so colorful and delicious.

Last Stop: Pilgrim Haven Beach

Pilgrim Haven is nestled along the coast that offers breathtaking views of Lake Michigan, along with a universally accessible walkway connecting a parking lot and restrooms facilities. Pilgrim Haven is a popular location for rock collectors as its beach has natural rocks throughout the location. Pilgrim Haven offers hiking trails with numerous lookout points offering scenic views of Lake Michigan and surrounding landscapes.

My silly kids invented some plastic bag shoes so they could drive home without sand bothering them on their feet. We got some funny looks, but it was a lot of fun and surprisingly effective.

The beach is quiet with not many people. There is not a lot of sand, but it is a fantastic place to collect rocks. My kids collected tons of stones and drew on them with paint markers during our ride home. The stones were adorable and made a great souvenir to give their dad when they got home.

After the beach we headed the 2 hours back home to Chicago. This road trip was one of the best trips we have had in a long time. It was extremely family friendly and a whole lot of fun! There were plenty more activities that we would have liked to do, but this itinerary is a great place to start.