Where in Michigan can you travel to see both a glimpse of Paris and a medieval looking castle? Mecosta County! Now, to be honest, I initially was annoyed with family for booking a weekend of golf at the Canadian Lakes over my birthday weekend. However, I took this as an opportunity to do a little research and plan a fun day trip to explore the best of Mecosta County.
During this day trip, we visited several historic sites that blew my mind! This year, I’ve challenged myself to plan day trips to places where we can learn more about Black history in Michigan. Well, shocked we were when we found out that Mecosta County was an extremely diverse community when settled in the 1860’s! Interracial marriages and integrated schools were accepted over 100 years before they were in the rest of the US!
Below are the details of what we did during our day trip to Mecosta County. I’ve also included other sites and activities we didn’t have enough time to get to!
~ Day Trip to Mecosta County Summary ~
When: Saturday in summer
Time traveled (one way): 1 hour from Grand Rapids, 3 hours from Detroit, 2 hours from Kalamazoo, 2 hours from Lansing, 2 hours from Traverse City
Time spent at destination: 6 hours
Budget: $$ – food, drinks, Mecosta County Parks Day Pass
What we did during our Day Trip to Mecosta County:
First, we stopped at Paris Park to check out the Eiffel Tower and historic fish hatchery. We then traveled 10 minutes south to Big Rapids and ate lunch at Raven Brewing & BBQ. Our third stop was a 30 minute drive east to Remus. There we enjoyed a glass of wine and sangria at Gwin Girls Winery.
After that, we burned off those afternoon calories by going on a little hike at the Bundy Hill Preserve. Then on the way to dinner, we stopped in the School Section Lake Veterans Park to check out two historic markers. Finally, we met up with my family for dinner at Antlers Fireside Grill.
Bonus: There is an extra site we stopped to see before headed home. Technically, it’s not part of our day trip since we didn’t visit on the same day as all these other activities. However, it’s one place you don’t want to miss when you visit the region!
Other Things to do in Mecosta County
Wineries: There are two other wineries within Mecosta County – Heavenly Vineyards and The Winery at Young Farms. We intended to visit all 3 but ran out of time!
Big Rapids: Two buildings within downtown Big Rapids are on the National Register of Historic Places downtown- the Fairman & Nisbitt Buildings. A cool thing about the Fairman Building is the large mural along Maple Street. Additionally, Ferris State University owns a couple interesting museums – namely the Card Wildlife Center and the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. This museum sounds horrible, but we hope to visit sometime in the future to learn and grow. Finally, there’s also a paved riverwalk trail that runs along the Muskegon River.
Farms: If you happen to be visiting this area in the middle of summer, I recommend checking out Ten Hands Farm. This is a small, family run lavender farm we learned about while driving around. During the off season they sell soaps, oils and honey at their roadside stand.
~ Day Trip to Mecosta County Details ~
Paris Park
The first stop of the day is Paris Park! I first heard about this park when I researched quirky roadside attractions in Michigan. At Paris Park, there is a mini Eiffel Tower that was built out of recycled bed frames by Paris High School students in 1980. It is about 15 feet tall.
To get to the park, you must pass through the campground entrance and pay for a day use pass. The pass is $7 and can be used at any Mecosta County Park. This pass came in handy later in the day when we visited the School Section Lake Veterans Park. Once parked, there are signs near the parking lot directing visitors to the Eiffel Tower and fish hatchery.
The fish hatchery consists of a building with a small history exhibit as well as two rearing ponds. Both ponds contain rainbow trout. For $.25, there are several dispensers to buy fish food.
If you’d like to explore the park a little more, there is a Native American statue surrounded by flowers. There are also a few older fish ponds no longer in use. Some native flowers were once planted beside the old ponds to beautify the area.
Big Rapids
Stop number two is Big Rapids which is where we grabbed lunch! I originally planned to explore more of Big Rapids, but it started to rain.
We ate lunch and grabbed a beer at Raven Brewing and BBQ. Because I no longer drink much alcohol, I chose their lightest beer. This ended up being the Optical Delusion, a coffee amber ale with caramel notes. Tony and I split a half BBQ chicken with fries and Cajun corn. The chicken was deliciously spiced, juicy and flavorful. It ending up being a great meal to split and hold us over until dinner. Winston was easygoing – he napped throughout lunch!
When we left the brewery, we checked out the pocket park next door then we felt the sprinkles overhead. We decided to move on to our next destination as the raindrops grew heavier.
Gwin Girls Winery
Stop three is the Gwin Girls Winery which is 30 minutes east of Big Rapids in Remus. When we arrived around 3 pm, the winery wasn’t busy. There is plenty of outdoor seating to choose from. There are even 4-5 cozy looking igloos.
After we chose a table, I went inside to grab menus and find out how they operated. Currently they offer wine, cider, sangria, or frozen wine slushy by the glass. Otherwise you can still do a wine tasting. Instead of hanging out by the bar, they provide five one ounce pours you keep returning to the bar to in order to receive your next pour. Finally there is a wine/cider flight for $10. The flight contains 4 disposable cups of 2 ounce pours of wine or 4-5 ounce pours of cider.
Gwin Girls offers a wide selection of food – both appetizers and shareable plates and sandwiches. Out of the several sangria options, I chose the blueberry citrus. Perfect for a summer outting!
Bundy Hill Preserve
Our next destination is a bit of a cheat! It’s not in Mecosta County, rather it’s in Isabella County, just east. During my day trip research, I looked into forested nature trails and didn’t find many within Mecosta County that met my criteria.
While on the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy’s website, they mentioned the Bundy Hill Preserve with a “History” trail. Since I’m a history lover and generally want to know the backstory behind anywhere I go, this was my ideal hike! On Google Maps, it’s hard to tell exactly where the preserve is (namely where to park), but the website provides excellent directions. There is a small parking lot at the entrance with room for about 8-10 cars.
We spent about 45 minutes walking along the History trail. We were limited by time so didn’t go on to any of the other trails, which continue on to the highest point in Isabella County and completes a full loop. The History trail is the easiest trail of the 4.
All along the trail, there are stands with historic information on them about the history of the area, the forestry industry, and early settlers. Interestingly, we learned some of the first settlers in the area were free Black Americans prior to the Civil War! And that the integration among races and ethnic groups was commonplace unlike throughout much of the US during the same time period.
School Section Lake Veterans Park
After we wrapped up our hike, we headed to dinner. Noticing the Veterans park along the way, we made a quick stop here to see two historic sites that were on my itinerary for the day.
This is when the Mecosta County Parks day pass came in handy! The first site is nearby the School Section Lake and explains how several Black settlers from Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario moved to this region to farm & join the lumber industry. By the mid 1890’s, the community started holding annual reunions at this spot.
Just off the main road is the second site – the Little River School House. This schoolhouse, built in 1905, was originally established by an interracial couple, Isaac and Lucy Berry on their property. After Lucy passed away in 1928, the property was sold to Mecosta County to establish a park. The schoolhouse also operated as a community center until it closed in 1935.
Antlers Fireside Grill
Finally, we united with my family to celebrate my birthday dinner at Antlers Fireside Grill! This restaurant is one of the most popular in the area and for a good reason. If you don’t want to drive here, it’s possible to boat right in if you live on one of the Canadian Lakes. The restaurant even offers to go and will deliver directly to your boat as you wait!
The food is from scratch and is varied with something for everyone to enjoy – burgers, tacos, mac and cheese, steak, etc. All six of us ordered something different to eat and all six enjoyed our meals! Also, if celebrating a birthday, your meal is 50% off.
The design and ambiance of the restaurant matches its name. If choosing to dine inside, there’s a huge chandelier made out of antlers in the entrance as well as many taxidermy animals on the walls. The patio outside is super cozy, with comfortable patio tables and chairs and string lights. Outdoor diners look out over the lake.
Ending our day at Antlers with family concluded a wonderful birthday trip!
Bonus: Canadian Lakes Castle
This is a bonus site since we didn’t actually visit the castle during our day trip. Instead, we stayed overnight in the area so we stopped by the castle before heading home.
The Highlands Castle, or Canadian Lakes Castle is located along Pere Marquette Drive in a community in the Canadian Lakes. There’s a gravel parking lot off the main road to park in while checking it out. It is a cool place to walk around and take in the beautiful valley below.
Built in 1975 by Donald Bollman, it originally was a private residence for him and his family. Today it serves as a recreational building for the local community. Also, it is bookable for private events.
The interior of the castle contains an open space and stage on the main floor. Second floor is a balcony and storage. Finally, the third floor is currently unused but originally served as the residence of its first owners.
This site is truly a hidden gem of Michigan!
Have you ever traveled anywhere within Mecosta County? What are your favorite sites to see?
from Michigan with Love,
Jackie
