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To kick off another marvelous Michigan summer, my family and I headed northeast for a family friendly weekend trip to Alpena. When deciding where to visit for our first summer trip, Alpena was an easy choice. Their tourism board has a fantastic list of over 49 different family friendly activities in the area, which we used to help plan our trip.
With only three days in Alpena, to avoid overwhelm, my husband and I each picked one attraction to visit. I picked visiting Ocqueouc Falls – the only universally accessible waterfall in the United States, and my husband choose going on a Glass Bottom Shipwreck Tour. For our toddler son, we decided a visit to Dinosaur Gardens would be fun.
After we chose our priorities, we added other sights and activities nearby our top three to our itinerary. If you and your family love history, nature, and a bit of quirkiness, this is the perfect family friendly trip to Alpena guide for you!
~ Brief History of Alpena ~
Also known as ‘Thunder Bay’ or ‘Shipwreck Alley,’ Alpena has a storied maritime history. The crystal clear waters of Lake Huron are shallow and tricky to navigate which caused over 200 ships to run aground and eventually sink. It’s easy to see many of these shipwrecks by paddle boarding, scuba diving, or free diving.
We decided to book a guided glass bottom boat tour through the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center to learn more about Alpena’s history and the numerous shipwreck’s located in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Another great, free way to learn more about Alpena’s history is by reading the historic signs and informative posts throughout the parks and beaches along Lake Huron and the Thunder Bay River.
~ Family Friendly Weekend Trip to Alpena Map ~
~ Family Friendly Weekend Trip to Alpena Summary ~
When: Weekend getaway during summer
Why: While my husband and I once traveled to Alpena during the winter a few years ago (pre-baby!), we always wanted to return to visit in the summer. There are a number of attractions in northeast Michigan that are only open during the summer such as the glass bottom shipwreck tours and Dinosaur Gardens. Plus there are a number of great family friendly attractions that don’t get nearly as busy as the attractions on the west side of the state.
Time Traveled (1 way): 4 hours from Grand Rapids and Detroit, 4h45min from Kalamazoo, 3h45min from Lansing, 2h30min from Traverse City, 7 hours from Chicago, 7h30min from Indianapolis, 6h45mins from Columbus
Time Spent at Destination: 3 days
Budget: As of summer 2022, this trip for a family of three cost about $850 + gas.
Where We Stayed – 40 Winks Motel & Vacation Suites
We reached Alpena around 6pm and had a quick, easy and extremely friendly check in. 40 Winks Motel is owned by a lovely lady named Kris. She can answer any questions you may have about the area and provide local recommendations.
Throw away what you may think when you hear the term ‘motel!’ 40 Winks Motel will blow your mind with how charming it is! We booked a two queen bed suite, which is more like an Airbnb than a motel. It’s spacious and comes with many extras like a full size fridge and freezer, microwave, toaster, two hot plates, full sink, dishes, coffee pot, utensils, and cookware. There’s a cozy living room area with plush couch and ottoman with a tv. The next room over has a tv, dresser, closet, and nightstands on each side of both beds. It is great for a family of 4, but can sleep up to six.
The exterior of the motel is painted cheerful blue with colorful Adirondack chairs outside each room. Outside the office of the motel is a welcoming flower garden.
Inside our room, the décor is beach themed with wall art and blankets. It really set the tone for our family friendly weekend trip to Alpena because it is right across the street from Starlite beach on Lake Huron!
Helpful reminders! Remember to bring any food you may need including coffee grounds, sugar, etc as well as hygiene basics like bath soap, shampoo, and conditioner. In case you forget, there is a Meijer less than 2 miles away!
Check out the VRBO listing here to book your stay.
~ Day One – Family Friendly Weekend Trip to Alpena ~
Starlite Beach
After unpacking our room, we headed across the street to Starlite Beach on Lake Huron to allow our toddler son to get out those post- road trip wiggles! This beach is a fantastic summer destination. There is a playground for both toddlers and bigger kids, splash pad, bathroom facilities, gazebo for picnicking, beach, and paved sidewalks. It’s also right on the Alpena bi-path should you carry your bike for this trip.
When we visited, the splash pad was running, and it looked epic! There’s a big dump bucket and lots of room to accommodate plenty of kids.
Also next to Starlite Beach is Mich-e-ke-wis Park, which is where the Alpena Farmers Market takes place on Saturdays during the summer. There’s also a fun, giant Alpena sign here welcoming travelers and residents entering Alpena from US23 heading north.
Pompeyos Mexican Grill
Once we got our legs moving and hearts pumping again, we walked over to Pompeyos for dinner. This restaurant is extremely convenient to walk to from both 40 Winks Motel and the park.
Pompeyos is open all year round and offers Lake Huron views. During the summer, the back patio is open for outside dining. As the name suggests, Pompeyos is a Mexican restaurant with an extensive menu. There are a variety of combo offers for just $10.75, which is a great deal!
Pompeyos is open daily from 10am to 9pm, and open until 10pm on Friday and Saturday.
~ Day Two- Family Friendly Weekend Trip to Alpena ~
Connie’s Cafe
On Saturday morning, we woke up bright and early to take advantage of our full day in Alpena. First, we headed south to the small town of Ossineke to grab breakfast at Connie’s Cafe. The café is locally owned serving breakfast and lunch. On Friday, they are open until 8pm for a fish fry. Focused on the community, they make their breads, desserts and cookies from scratch and use a family created recipe for their famous jumbo grilled cinnamon rolls!
Back in 2009, Connie developed lymphoma and turned to gardening to manage the stress of this horrible disease. From this terrible time, came the development of the Garden of Dreams located behind the restaurant. During the warmer months, people can dine on the screened porch to enjoy views of the garden. Or spend some time in the garden while waiting for or after your meal. The garden design is inspiring! Connie’s Cafe is a restaurant you must visit when in the Alpena area – especially if stopping at Dinosaur Gardens or spending time in Ossineke.
Dinosaur Gardens
After our filling breakfast, we followed it up with an afternoon exploring Dinosaur Gardens.
If you are a fan of the classic roadside attraction, remember spending time at Prehistoric Forest in the Irish Hills back in the day, or are looking for an awesome thing to do with a toddler or young kids in Alpena, you need to visit Dinosaur Gardens. It’s open daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day, then every weekend through the end of October.
With a half mile trail through the woods containing 26 dinosaurs and other prehistoric creature’s, putt putt, gem stone panning, and fossil dig, you can easily spend half a day here! And if you do, feel free to pack a picnic and enjoy it outdoors in their picnic area.
There are several bundle packages to choose from depending on how long you plan to visit. We did the biggest package, the Explorer Pass, which for $39.99 got us a walk through of the dinosaur trail, putt putt, fossil dig, tote bag filled with goodies, and ‘Mother Lode’ of gems to find in the miners sluice. This took us about 2 hours to do, although you can set your own pace. (We ended up only doing a couple holes of mini golf since our toddler wasn’t that interested).
There is also the Dino Pass for $24.99 that gets you a walk through, putt putt, fossil dig, tote bag, and small bag of gems to find.
The dinosaur trail is $10 per person to walk through. Children 3 and under are free! Another great thing about Dinosaur Gardens is that the trail is dog friendly so long as your dog remains on his/her leash!
Fresh Palate
For lunch, we headed back into Alpena where we ate at Fresh Palate in downtown Alpena. We easily found a parking spot on the street (which is free!). And, when we arrived, the restaurant wasn’t crowded. During the summer, the front window panes are removed to bring the outside in. You may also choose to dine in their outdoor seating on the sidewalk.
The décor and atmosphere here is relaxed yet exudes a subtle sophistication. On the menu are sustainably sourced and healthy entrees, hot sandwiches, and salads. I ordered one of their seasonal salads on their menu, while my husband, who’s a huge burger aficionado, ordered their burger. For our son, we ordered grilled cheese, which comes with fruit on the side. Our order came out quickly and correctly, and everything was delicious! Even our picky eating son, downed all of his fruit, which that alone was worth the cost of a kids meal!
Downtown Alpena
Fresh Palate is next to Thunder Bay Winery in the same building. So if you’re up in Alpena on a romantic trip or girls getaway, that looks like a great spot to stop as well!
After lunch, we headed out behind the building to check out the Make a Splash for Art mural. It is massive! At 1815 square feet, this 3D mural was partially painted by community members. With a diver, several fish, and shipwreck, the theme of the mural is a take on Alpena’s reputation as the Sanctuary of the Great Lakes.
Moving on from appreciating this beautiful mural, we stopped into The Local Basket Case, a souvenir shop selling locally made products, where we purchased a couple shirts and an ornament for our Michigan themed Christmas tree.
Then we popped into Downtown Scoops for some ice cream. The ice cream shop is right across the street from Culligan Plaza, a little square with a fountain, picnic tables and seats so we stopped here to finish our ice cream.
Ocqueouc Falls
At around 3:30, we headed out of town to check out Ocqueoc Falls, northwest of Alpena. During this hour drive, our son enjoyed a nap in the car. To give him a little extra time to sleep, we stopped briefly at the Alpena Community College to see the ‘Paul Bunyan of Car Parts’ – fascinating! (And we pulled right up to it in our car as it’s steps away from the parking lot – so no need to disturb our sleeping toddler).
There are several appealing reasons to visit Ocqueoc Falls. For one, it is the only natural waterfall in the lower peninsula. And, it is also the only universally accessible waterfall in the United States! And that accessibility is visible right at the entrance. There is plenty of parking, a fully paved trail leading to toilets, signage, benches, and picnic areas. And the paved trail extends all the way to a viewing area overlooking the upper part of the falls. Then the path continues on to a ramp that wraps back around to the falls until its down at the platform. At the very end of the ramp are tiered rocks that allow someone in a wheelchair to gradually climb down and get into the water. Everyone is included!
When we visited, it was too cold to go for a dip. However, we noted a lot of open space next to the falls to keep a towel, beach bag, and snacks. While we visited, we gave ourselves time to relax, stretch our legs, and enjoy the view. There was only one other family visiting at the time.
Stevens Twin Sinks
Next on the agenda was a hike around the Stevens Twin Sinks and to see the cracks in the earth. This trail along with the nearby Bruski Sink and Mystery Valley make up the Thunder Bay karst preserve. While there are hundreds of sinkholes located across the northern lower peninsula, these sites are where you can publicly access some.
At the Stevens Twin Sinks, there are two sink holes that are 200 feet across and 85 feet deep with a thin ridge between them. We didn’t end up getting too close to the ridge, with a toddler, I didn’t want to risk it!
Also at the Stevens site is a small trail leading to visible earth cracks. These are formed by the widening of natural joints in the bedrock. That means the earth is moving towards the sinkhole (very very slowly). During our hike, we followed the blue trail looping around both of the sinkholes. At the end, it brings you back to the parking lot.
Red Brick Tap & Barrel
By the time we made it back to Alpena, we worked up an appetite! So for dinner, we splurged at Red Brick Tap and Barrel.
This restaurant is extremely popular among locals and visitors, and we got there in the midst of the dinner rush. But that’s ok, we only had a 15 minute wait. Which, we’re glad for because we discovered their adorable outdoor waiting area! The waiting area is comfortably decorated with mood lighting, a photo wall, and comfy seating.
Once seated, we ordered an appetizer, drinks and entrees. We started out with the tots – which were the most amazing tot’s I’ve ever had! They could be ordered as an entrée because they’re smothered in protein, cheese, and some veg. For an entrée, I ordered the hot chicken sandwich, which was good. Not the best chicken sandwich ever, but still a nice presentation and delivered on the heat. The kids’ slider burgers were also delicious and looked more premium than most kids cheeseburgers we see.
We would have ordered dessert but the one we wanted was sold out… so that must mean dessert is really good there!
After dinner, we were completely tired from a day well adventured. So it was back to the motel to rest and start packing up so we could have energy for our final adventure on Sunday.
~ Day Three- Family Friendly Weekend Trip to Alpena ~
Glass Bottom Shipwreck Tour
One of the most unique things to do in Alpena is go on a glass bottom boat tour! This tour is arranged through the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center and runs in the late spring through mid fall. Climb aboard Lady Michigan and cruise over shallow shipwrecks in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Tours cost $38 for adults, $12 for kids ages 6-12, and $1 for 5 and under. Each tour lasts between two and two and a half hours.
During our tour, we followed the same route as the New Orleans, which is the oldest known shipwreck in Thunder Bay. During the tour, they provide information on a number of the shipwrecks you’ll see as well as a few you might see relics of at the heritage center after. You may also see and learn about the lighthouse on Thunder Bay Island, which is the second oldest lighthouse in Michigan still standing.
We all absolutely loved this tour. If you are worried about missing the shipwrecks while seated upstairs, you don’t need to! Once the boat gets in position, the crew let’s you know so you can climb downstairs to see it from the windows below. They’ll even go past the same shipwreck twice so everyone can get a look.
Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center
After our shipwreck tour, we headed back to the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center to walk through it. This museum is free to tour and full of interactive exhibits. You can climb aboard a life sized schooner to experience what it’s like to be on one of the old boats during a storm. There’s even a slide for kids in part of the museum!
This museum is open daily from 8am to 5pm.
Cabin Creek Coffee
Our final stop before heading home was to grab lunch and coffee from Cabin Creek Coffee in downtown Alpena. This coffee shop makes a wide array of latte’s in unique and seasonal flavors. They also were named one of Michigan’s coolest craft coffee shops!
And on the inside, it’s easy to see why. The coffee shop is decorated in a log cabin vibe and brings a lot of the outside indoors. Besides coffee, the café serves a variety of sandwiches and salads and makes their own baked goodies. I ordered a vegetarian wrap, which was crisp and tasty. This café is a must visit!
~~~
If you’re searching for a unique destination in Michigan to visit with your family this year, Alpena needs to top your list. For more ideas of things to do, check out all the fantastic resources the Alpena Visitor’s Bureau put together. These resources made it easy to plan my trip, especially their list of 49 family friendly things to do in the area.
Do you like to visit a new destination in the summer or visit the same place?
from Michigan with Love,
Jackie
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