This blog post may contain affiliate links, which may reward me in the event of a sale. I use these funds to reinvest in my blog and to create more great content like this article to share with you! My visit to Midland, Bay City, and Saginaw was sponsored by Go Great Lakes Bay, however all thoughts & opinions are my own. Disclaimer here.
The Great Lakes Bay region is located on Michigan’s east coast right around where the ‘thumb’ starts to jut out. Within this area, there are six unique towns to explore – Bay City, Birch Run, Chesaning, Frankenmuth, Midland, and Saginaw. During a weekend fall getaway, my family explored three of these towns – Bay City, Midland, and Saginaw, which are all close to each other. We were blown away by the stunning architecture, natural beauty, and number of hidden gems. Learn more in this family friendly guide to Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay.
When you visit the Great Lakes Bay Area, you will discover each town has its own unique personality. We found Midland filled with mid-century modern architectural gems. Bay City is a fantastic destination to enjoy nature and hang out near Lake Huron. And finally, Saginaw blew us away with a thrilling ride through the Everglades of Michigan!
~Family Friendly Guide to Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Map~
~ Family Friendly Guide to Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Summary ~
When: Long weekend away during peak fall color season
Why: Fall is an extremely underrated season to travel. Plus it is not as busy or expensive as traveling in the summer. Within the Great Lakes Bay Area there is a canopy walk, nature center, bike trails, observation tower, and boat tours. These add up to make the area a fantastic fall destination, but also, a thrilling place year round!
Time Traveled (1 way): 1.5 hours from Lansing, 1.5 hours from Detroit, 2 hours from Grand Rapids, 2.5 hours from Kalamazoo, 2.5 hours from Traverse City, 5 hours from Chicago, 5 hours from Columbus, and 5.5 hours from Indianapolis
Time Spent at Destination: 3 and a quarter days
Budget: Approximately $900 for lodging, dining, attractions, and gas
Things to Do in Midland
We broke out our long weekend adventure by exploring one town per day. First was Midland, which included stops at the Chippewa Nature Center and Dow Gardens. Then we biked along the Pere Marquette Rail Trail from the Bridge to Northwood’s University’s campus. Along the way we stopped to see some architectural gems, parks, flowers, and more. While at Northwood, we checked out the cars on display during the auto show that was going on. After all this amazing time spent outdoors, we checked into Fairfield Inn and Suites for the night. For food in Midland, we enjoyed their namesake Midland Brewing!
Chippewa Nature Center
Stop one during our Midland Adventure was the Chippewa Nature Center. This nature center contains 19 miles of trails split between 11 trails ranging from a quick .4 mile loop to 3.5 miles. A wonderful perk of visiting is everything here is free! Wander through woods, wetlands, near rivers and through fields.
We started our hike off easy with the .4 mile Arbury Trail just outside the nature center. Attached to the trail is the Woods nature play area. This playground is made out of wood with the exception of pots and pans and a metal water pump. My son kept wondering where the slide was but enjoyed fiddling around with the water pump.
After the Arbury Trail, we drove to the 1.7 mile Wetlands trail head. Here there is an accessible observation tower with both a ramp and stairs to climb to the top to overlook the wetlands and treetops. We saw lots of ducks and geese and enjoyed the view of the fall colors atop the trees.
If you aren’t in the mood for a hike, check out the Chippewa Nature Centers indoors! There’s an indoor educational center with hands on exhibits to learn about the area’s four local ecosystems. There are also some live animals to check out. If you generally enjoy the idea of nature but at times, not the elements itself, you need to see the two lookout areas. One provides a beautiful river overlook and the other has bird and other critter feeders so you can check out small, wild animals chowing down. There are seats by each of the lookouts so you can take your time enjoying nature.
Dow Gardens
Next up was a stop at the bucket list worthy Dow Gardens. It is definitely a destination every Michigander needs to check out! That’s because the Whiting Forest canopy walk brings you right up to the treetops to admire the fall colors. And there are three different scenic overlooks among each of the walkways. Within the 1400 foot long canopy walk there are spots to stop and enjoy scenic views of a pond & apple orchard, plus some fun netting to climb on! Some portions of the walk have a see through glass floor so you can look down at the orchard below!
The Dow Gardens also has plenty of points of interest for little ones like a nature inspired playground, children’s garden with hands on activities, and even a waterfall! You can also tour the former Dow family house which is within Dow Gardens. Both guided and self guided tours are available. Check out their website to learn more to help plan your visit.
Admission is $10 a person but honestly, the $20 annual pass is such a good deal! Coming up in spring there’s going to be butterflies so if you visit now, you need to come back in spring for the butterflies!
Biking the Pere Marquette Rail Trail
We can’t recommend a bike ride or walk along the historic Pere Marquette Rail Trail in Midland enough! This 30 mile paved trail runs all the way to Clare from Midland. But we explored the section between The Tridge and Dahlia Hill. Tridge? What is that? Well, that’s the three legged bridge that spans where the Tittabawassee River and Chippewa Rivers intersect. It’s a fascinating landmark within Midland you need to see!
Leaving from The Tridge, the rail trail runs alongside the Tittabawassee River. While biking or hiking, you’ll encounter plenty of nature (gorgeous in the fall!) as well as murals, parks, playgrounds, and see a few of Midland’s over 400 Midcentury Modern designed homes. If you bike or hike along further than we did, you will encounter the Midland County History Center!
We only went as far as Dahlia Hill. This hill blooms every August through October with hundreds of dahlia varietals. Dahlia Hill was created by Midland resident Charles Breed. Enamored by dahlia’s after his daughter gifted her mom some, he planted them, eventually purchasing this hill where today, over 250 varieties grow. At the top of Dahlia Hill are a couple art galleries and art studio’s once owned by Charles Breed. Dahlia Hill is free to visit. It is beyond amazing seeing this colorful gem! For a summer lover like myself, I welcomed the beautiful sight of these hardy flowers!
Restaurants in Midland
While in Midland, we dined at Midland Brewing Company. The original MBC opened in the 1930s but only lasted a couple years before closing down due to the depression. This brewery reopened in 2010 as a nod to the historic one and even rejuvenated the flagship’s beer! You need try out the Copper Harbor Ale – it’s a red ale that’s similar to the Red Keg Ale MBC used to make decades ago. They also serve a variety of popular bar foods like burgers and tacos. Kids are also welcome and they have a kids menu.
There are also a number of restaurants in downtown Midland offering a variety of cuisines. Check out Molasses for BBQ or Gratzi for Italian!
Things to Do in Bay City
During day two, we explored Bay City. After breakfast, we drove to Bay City State Park where we hiked the Tobico Marsh Trail. Then enjoyed lunch at Castaways before checking out the Antique Toy and Firehouse Museum. The rest of the day, we explored downtown Bay City by biking the Michigan Sugar Trails, enjoying a pick me up from Beatles and Beans Coffee, and St. Laurant Bro’s Chocolates. We ended our day with dinner at MI Table before calling it a night at the Courtyard Bay City.
Bay City State Park
Kicking off day two, we went on a hike through Bay City State Park’s Tobico Marsh Preserve. It’s an offshoot of BCSP with its own separate parking lot. Put in the following address to your GPS: 3582 State Park Drive, Bay City, MI 48706
Within the Tobico Marsh, there are three trails available including the 1.35 mile Tobico Lagoon Trail, 3.3 mile Bay City Tobico Marsh Trail, and 2.5 mile Bay City Anderson Nature Trail. Each trail connects to the others. We did Tobico Marsh trail which has 2 observation towers to climb up to that are .75 mile away from each other. Again, being fall, it was fantastic climbing up the towers to get right up to those red and yellow tinged leafs!
Pets are allowed. During the winter, cross country skiing is allowed on the trails. This is a fantastic family friendly hike to take during a visit to the Great Lakes Bay!
Antique Toy and Firehouse Museum
An extremely quirky and cool seasonal museum to visit in Bay City is the Antique Toy and Firehouse Museum. The museum was founded by local Jimmie Dobson to bring the joy of his antique fire truck collection to Bay City. Within the museum, there are 60 motorized fire trucks which is the largest collection of fire trucks in the world! Even more amazing is that Mr. Dobson’s collection includes the former FDNY’s Super Pumper, which was the largest fire truck in the world! It operated between 1965 and 1982 and responded to over 2000 fires while in use.
Also within the museum are a collection of over 12,000 antique toys – mostly rescue and first responder vehicles, but in the front of the museum there is a display of race cars.
The Antique Toy and Firehouse Museum is open seasonally from May through the end of October. Open on Saturdays from 12-4pm, it is $10 to visit for adults and free for kids 4 and under. If you are lucky, you might get to ride on an antique firetruck!
Michigan Sugar Trails and Bigelow Park
A little later on in the day we headed to Middleground Island to play at the playground of Bigelow Park and go mountain biking along Bay City’s Sugar Trails. Bigelow Park is about 9 acres and contains a playground, picnic pavilion, benches along a riverfront walkway, and bathrooms. There is also a bridge that crosses the channel on the west side of the island that connects to the Veteran’s Memorial Park. Win had a great time running across this playground and using the twisting tube slide. A great spot to get out some wiggles before heading to dinner!
Then we headed south on the island to the Michigan Sugar Trails. This mountain bike course first opened in 2014, then reopened in 2021 after high water forced it to shut down. There are two single track loops – one that is scenic and relaxing; while the other is invigorating with twists, sharp corners and jumps. We did both but really took it easy while on the south loop to not freak our son out too much. If you aren’t into mountain biking, the trails are open for hikers, runners, and bird watchers. Just be mindful of bikers as the trail is narrow.
Restaurants in Bay City
After our morning hike within Bay City State Park, we headed to Castaways for lunch. Castaways is right on the Kawkawlin River and can even be accessed by boat! It’s open daily and serves the traditional bar fair – burgers, fish fry, pizza, nachos, and more. The view of the river is fantastic and during the warmer months, you can even sit outside on the patio.
A little later on in the day, we popped into Beatles and Beans coffee shop downtown for a little pick me up. It’s super kitschy and a definite place to visit if you enjoy the Beatles. It’s covered head to toe in nothing but Beatles memorabilia. There are some tables to sit at if you’d like to take some time to take it all in. Carry cash if you plan to visit.
And for dinner, we dined at MI Table. This restaurant is located in an old bank building. All the food is locally sourced, and the interior is beautiful with a modern vibe. The menu changes often with what is seasonally available so every time you visit, you can try out something new. Even with being upscale, they are extremely kid friendly with a well thought out children’s menu. The chef’s are also accommodating to those that need to eat a gluten free diet, are vegetarian or vegan. As you wait for your food, head to the back of the building to check out the old bank vault, which is converted into a game lounge!
Finally, after dinner, we went to St. Laurant Bro’s to pick out some chocolates and old school candy. St. Laurant’s is your classic, old school candy shop. It’s been around for over 100 years and offers something sweet for everyone. This is also a popular destination among locals.
Things to Do in Saginaw
Our weekend adventure concluded with a day exploring Saginaw, which contains some amazing, under appreciated sights in Michigan. Our adventure started with a sightseeing boat tour through the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge through Johnny Panther Quest. Then we grabbed lunch at Tony’s Original Restaurant before attending the Saginaw Children Museum’s seasonal Zoo Boo. Being in the Halloween mood, we picked out a pumpkin from Johnson’s Pumpkin Farm. We stayed overnight at the Four Points by Sheraton. Before heading out the next morning, we grabbed breakfast from Creation Coffee.
Boat Tour with Johnny Panther Quest
We ended our getaway to the Great Lakes Bay with a day in Saginaw. Kicking off our final day was an activity I’d been anticipating since we booked the trip – a boat tour with Johnny Panther Quests through the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge! This area is known as the ‘Everglades of Michigan’ and is one of the largest wetland ecosystems in Michigan. Fall is one of the best times to visit this protected migratory bird route which welcomes over 48,000 waterfowl. And, over 200 species of birds including bald eagles can be spotted!
Johnny Panther Quest offers customizable boat tours in a number of areas throughout Michigan like the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge (aka the Everglades of Michigan), Frankenmuth, along the upper Flint River, and even all the way up to the Au Sable. And because the Captain of these charters has a special, customized boat, he books tours and adventures throughout the entire year. If you’re looking to enjoy the fall colors, go bird watching, learn more about the area’s ecosystem and environmental history, enjoy the sunset and romance, or want an invigorating adventure that combines boating with hiking, Johnny Panther Quest is the perfect adventure for you! Captain Wil is a wealth of information about the area having been born and raised here.
Operating year round, Johnny Panther Quest tours can be booked via email or phone (call or text). Or just ask to receive a quote tailored to your needs!
📧 jpqcaptain@aol.com
📱810-625-4057
👩💻 www.jpqat.com
Saginaw Children’s Zoo
I love attending Halloween events at the Zoo! So I was psyched to visit the Saginaw Children’s Zoo for our first time ever during their annual Zoo Boo.
The Zoo Boo offers the same great attractions as they always do but with added perks like games, sensory activities for kids, prizes & treats, a bat web maze, & watching animals interact with Halloween themed toys and snacks! And the train ride and carousel are included in the cost of admission.
Admission to the Zoo Boo is $10 per person and can be prepurchased online or at the gate. Zoo Boo is a limited time event that runs on the weekends throughout October.
If you’re interested in visiting the Saginaw Children’s Zoo outside of this special event, take note that the Zoo is open seasonally during the warmer months. There are over 150 animal species at the zoo, including an aviary and some animals even get to roam about like peacocks, ducks, and chickens. The Saginaw Children’s Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Other fun extra’s at the zoo include a playground, fossil find, wetland experience, gift shop, and concessions.
Johnson’s Pumpkin Farm
Before calling it a day well spent, we headed north to Johnson’s Pumpkin Farm for a late afternoon of fall fun. Johnson’s Pumpkin Farm is open from early September through Halloween daily between 9am and 7pm. This farm has so many awesome fall activities! And many activities have a nominal (cash only) fee. If you’ve forgotten to carry cash, there is an ATM on site!
Our favorite activity to do with our son was go through the one acre soybean maze. It was just $1 per person and allowed us to watch as our son wound his way through the maze and burn off some energy. For bigger kids, there’s a 13 acre corn maze. Other fun activities include interacting with a wide variety of farm animals including turkeys and rabbits, pumpkin patch, photo opportunities, barrel rides, and watching pumpkins get launched by a 60 foot tall trebuchet! And of course, can’t forget delicious, fresh baked donuts and apple cider to snack on!
Restaurants in Saginaw
Wrapping up our Saginaw adventure, we dined at a couple restaurants while here. First, for lunch, we dined at the nearby Tony’s Original Restaurant for their signature Giant Steak Sandwich. And no joke, it really is giant! It kept me full and going all day long! There are a number of Tony’s throughout the Great Lakes Bay Area and its a place many locals eat at. Pizza, subs and other hot sandwiches are also served here.
For dinner, we ended up splitting a small pizza at the Uno’s attached to our hotel in Saginaw. As hotel guests, we received 10% off our bill, which was a nice perk! We try to stay away from chains when we explore around the state, however, after an invigorating day of exploring, we were tired. And with a restaurant accessible without even leaving the hotel, that was just what we needed.
The next morning after checking out, we stopped by Creation Coffee for coffee and breakfast. Creation Coffee is a local, small chain with three branches throughout the Great Lakes Bay are. The decor is a nod to Midland with modern furnishings and even, an Instagrammable vibe with some fun neon signs to snap a photo in front of. For food, they have some grab and go options as well as toasted bagels and hot breakfast sandwiches they make for you. I highly recommend popping into a Creation Coffee while in the Great Lakes Bay rather than Starbucks!
Hotels to Stay at in the Great Lakes Bay
Fairfield Inn and Suites Midland
During our overnight in Midland, we stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites. It is centrally located just a couple blocks from downtown Midland and the Dow Diamond. Fairfield is the full package – it provides free parking, free breakfast, an indoor pool and fitness center, in room microwave, fridge, and coffee. The rooms are also spacious and modern, which is fantastic! Many recently renovated hotels seem to cut the rooms down in size, so it was amazing to have the extra space here! Plus the furniture in the rooms and lobby are complimentary to Midland’s history as a mid-century modern design center.
Let me go on a little bit more about the free breakfast that’s included here. It’s phenomenal! It’s always frustrating to me to stay somewhere with free breakfast and all they have are things like cereal, toast and fruit. C’mon. Fairfield know’s that not acceptable to the traveler and offers a good amount of protein and hot breakfast options. There are eggs, waffles, and sausage in addition to cold breakfast options. I highly recommend a stay here if you’re traveling to Midland or will be exploring the Great Lakes Bay.
Courtyard Bay City
On night two, we spent the night at the Courtyard by Marriott in Bay City. This modern hotel located in the Uptown area of Bay City also had spacious rooms with extremely comfortable furniture and beds in the room. While there was a fridge in the room, there wasn’t a microwave, which wasn’t a big deal for us. Also good to note is breakfast isn’t included here. There is an upgraded Starbucks that offers more for breakfast that the typical Starbucks – like large, filling breakfast sandwiches and avocado toast. The hotel is also steps away from a number of restaurants like Uptown Grille, offering breakfast and lunch.
Just outside the Courtyard is the Bay City Loop riverwalk, which makes it convenient to reach downtown if you enjoy walking or biking. During the warmer months, there is a large outdoor patio area attached to the hotel with waterfront views.
Other amenities here include an indoor pool, fitness center, event space, and free parking! We found the location to be perfect to access all we came to see.
Four Points by Sheraton Saginaw
The last hotel we stayed at when we stayed overnight in Saginaw was the Four Points by Sheraton. The Four Points has an impressive appearance driving up to it in that it was the tallest hotel we stayed at during our trip. It’s located right near the Fashion Square Mall in Saginaw, but downtown Saginaw is easy to get to from here since it is near the highway.
We loved the recent renovations made at this hotel from the sophisticated pinstripe wallpaper in the rooms to the sturdy furniture. The bed was also comfortable giving us all a great nights sleep. There were some incomplete or “could have been done better” touch ups within the room, but they are easy to overlook.
Parking is free and there are trolly’s located at each of the entrances around the building making it easy to load/unload without needing to walk too far away. The swimming pool is both an indoor and outdoor pool. And this is the only hotel we stayed at in the Great Lakes Bay Area with a hot tub! (I know there are more but this one definitely had one!)
There isn’t free breakfast here either, however a Pizzeria Uno’s is attached to the hotel. All hotel guests receive 10% off their bill at Uno’s if you choose to dine there.
Why You Should Plan a Trip to the Great Lakes Bay Region
Are you looking to vacation somewhere that’s not overcrowded with tourists? Do you enjoy all four of Michigan’s seasons? Are you interested in art, history, nature, culture, and trying new restaurants? Would you like to wake up and explore a new town with a lot to offer each day during a getaway? If any of these sounds appealing to you, the Great Lakes Bay region is where you need to visit next in Michigan. Plan a weekend, midweek getaway, or even a week in the area! The lovely travel consultants at Go Great Lakes Bay are an excellent resource to help tailor your trip. Plus their website is packed with guides, trip ideas, a blog, and more!
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from Michigan with Love,
Jackie
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