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 Southwest Michigan was sponsored by the Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council, however all thoughts & opinions are my own. Disclaimer here.
An amazing summer vacation destination on Michigan’s West coast is St. Joseph. Many out of state residents from Indiana and Illinois take advantage of this attraction packed beach town during summer. Michiganders who only travel north in the summer are missing out! This town is packed with beautiful beaches, art, culture, delicious restaurants, historic sites, wineries and more. Discover why you should plan a trip here in the ultimate family friendly guide to southwest Michigan!
~ The Ultimate Family Friendly Guide to Southwest Michigan Map ~
~ The Ultimate Family Friendly Guide to Southwest Michigan Map Summary ~
When: Weekend getaway during summer
Why: My family and I were looking for a carefree family getaway somewhere convenient within West Michigan. We wanted to enjoy a great, family friendly beach as well as some hidden gem historic sights. We found everything we looked for located in southwest Michigan.
Time Traveled (1 way): 1 hour from Kalamazoo, 1-1.5 hours from Grand Rapids, 1.5 hours from Chicago, 2 hours from Lansing, 3 hours from Detroit & Indianapolis, 3.5 hours from Traverse City, and 5 hours from Columbus
Time Spent at Destination: 3 days
Budget: As of summer 2022, this trip for a family of three cost about $1100 + gas.
On the first day, we headed to the Silver Beach Center to focus specifically on fun in the sun and all the great kid friendly attractions all in one spot.
On the second day, we drove to Berrien Springs and Niles to check out an organic brewery in a rural, farm setting that offered plenty of room for my son to stretch his legs.
Then on the last day, we grabbed some brunch and toured the nearby St. Joseph Lighthouse – which I never realized you could do! Then before heading back home, we went on an historic mini train ride at the Eden Springs Campground in Benton Harbor.
Where We Stayed – Holiday Inn Express & Suites
During our family friendly getaway to southwest Michigan, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites St. Joseph. This hotel is located a couple minutes drive south of downtown St. Joseph. Being it’s not right in town, it’s quiet and peaceful. And, it’s right across the street from Lake Michigan! Across the road, there are picnic tables to enjoy a picnic from while taking in the view of Lake Michigan below.
The check in process at the hotel was quick and easy. The lobby offers a glimpse of what one is likely to experience during a vacation in St. Joseph – a carousel statue right in the lobby! Next to that is the entrance to the complimentary breakfast room, which is served daily until 9am and on weekends until 10am.
Our hotel room was spacious with a balcony that opened up to a beautiful courtyard view. Also within the room is a fridge with separate freezer, microwave, sink, and spa tub. Adding to its convenience are the multiple outside doors we could park next to and enter from.
Some extra perks of staying at the Holiday Inn Express include it having its own pool and hot tub. This definitely adds to its appeal as a great spot to stay – even during the colder months. The Holiday Inn Express also provides an option when booking online to have a room with a view of Lake Michigan. Check that out here! Finally, if you’re tired after a long day out exploring and not sure where to go for dinner… look no further than the LakeHouse Restaurant & Bar, located within the Holiday Inn Express! This restaurant includes lake views from its patio and specializes in seafood and other seasonal entrees.
~ Kid Friendly Getaway to Southwest Michigan Details ~
Day One: Fun in the Sun at Silver Beach
Krasl Art Center
When we first arrived in St. Joseph, we headed to the free Krasl Art Center to pick up a Creative Connections brochure and see some art! Creative Connections is a free art, history and culture ‘scavenger hunt’ throughout southwest Michigan. If you pick one a brochure and collect stamps at participating venues, you can win prizes – including the chance to win an all inclusive 2 nights stay at an area hotel! Definitely worth it!
The Krasl Art Center opens at 11am daily. On Wednesday and Thursday’s it closes at 8pm, while it closes at 5pm all other days. There is a small, free parking lot behind it. Within the Krasl Art Center, there is a small sculpture gallery, studio spaces for local artists and a store to purchase art. One of the studio’s our family enjoyed was the Egg Prize space that included a desk to decorate a small tile with a message, drop it into a plastic egg to be put into the center’s egg machine to be passed along to future visitors. A great way to brighten someone’s day!
Silver Beach Center
Our next stop and where we spent most of our day was nearby the Silver Beach Center. Park at the lot behind the center for just $5 – it’s much cheaper than parking at Silver Beach itself! The attendant takes both cash and card. The parking lot is convenient to access the carousel, Discovery Zone, Silver Beach Pizza, the splash pad, and to head up the stairs into town.
To start our adventure, we put our name in at Silver Beach Pizza for lunch. Another method to help you avoid the wait is to check in before you arrive on the Yelp app. However, we didn’t mind waiting because we wanted to check out the stairs leading up to Lake Bluff Park in St. Joe. On these stairs is a mural carefully painted on the side of each step that depicts children going down a slide. Once we climbed up reaching Lake Bluff Park, we noticed a number of signs with historic information that is part of the Maritime Heritage Trail. This trail goes all along Lake Bluff Park and down along Broad Street on the way to Silver Beach. Check it out if you are a history buff!
Fort Miami – Lake Bluff Park
Speaking of history buffs, there is a spot at Lake Bluff Park I’ve been dying to see! And that is the stone marking the site of the historic Fort Miami. Fort Miami was built by the French in 1679 as a mission and trading outpost. It was the very first fort ever built by Europeans in Michigan. This fort changed hands a couple times – most notably in the 1750s, when the British took control during the French & Indian War. In 1763, it was conquered by Native people during Pontiac’s rebellion.
Eventually it became American and used for its original purpose – fur trading, by the area’s first American settler – William Bennett. He was imprisoned by the British in the early 1800’s. And a couple decades later, Newburyport – or shortly after, St. Joe was founded at the site of Fort Miami.
Silver Beach Pizza
Don’t miss this local hot spot! Beat the rush and put your name on the waiting list using Yelp if you plan to dine on site. There is also a separate entrance to place a to-go order (or just call it in). If you dine on site with kids, they provide them with ‘play-dough’ to keep them busy during the wait. During the summer, Silver Beach Pizza has a beachfront vibe to it with its windows removed to open up to the outside. While dining, a train might pass by as the building shares a space with the Amtrak office. Beyond pizza, there are also appetizers, salads, and sandwiches with an extensive drink menu.
Whirlpool Compass Fountain
The giant splash pad or Whirlpool Compass Fountain is son’s favorite place we visited! The fountain runs from 10am-9pm daily during the summer, and is free. It is massive with plenty of room for many people to enjoy.
You definitely need to the routine to this fountain or you might be taken aback! First, the fountain starts off with dozens of gentle streams that squirt up for about 10-15 minutes. Then the fountain briefly switches off, providing you with enough time to take shelter from the massive water cannons located all around the parameter. Those things shoot out water aggressively into the center of the splash pad, lasting about 3 minutes. That’s when you’ll usually seeing bigger kids (and brave souls) standing in the very center being dosed with water.
There are a few benches on the parameter of the splash pad but many people carry blankets and towels and relax on the hilly open space near by.
Curious Kids Discovery Zone
After the splashpad, we ran back to our car quick to change Win out of his wet clothes. Sure we could have changed him into his bathing suit, but whatever, we were all having fun!
Prior to our trip, we booked a reservation to the Discovery Zone online, which is recommended. The Discovery Zone is open every day except for Sunday from 9:30-5pm. It costs $6 per person to enter. After checking in, we were each given a wristband and let in. There are many stations within it to play at – from microscopes to mazes, ball ramps to water tables, indoor and outdoor places to play, and fun for kids of all ages. For parents with infants and toddlers, check out the room specifically for kids age 4 and under! My son could have spent hours here.
Silver Beach Carousel
Within the same complex as the Curious Kids Discovery Zone is the carousel. It’s open Friday to Saturday from 11am to 8pm and Sundays it opens at 12. It costs $3 per person to ride or you can purchase a pack of 3 rides for $10. Pay in the gift shop to ride.
And while you’re here, linger awhile! There are numerous historic relics from the days Silver Beach once was an amusement park. Many of these relics now present photo opportunities or have been repurposed. Carry a couple quarters to learn more about the history of the Silver Beach Amusement Park, which once encompassed all of Silver Beach. Today it is a fraction of what it once was in the early and mid 1900s, but with the carousel, it carries on its legacy.
Bistro on the Boulevard
After an exciting afternoon at the Silver Beach Center and checking into our hotel, we headed to downtown St. Joseph for dinner. We had a reservation at the Bistro on the Boulevard and enjoyed a beautiful dinner right out on the patio. Everyone working at this restaurant – from the hostess to the waitress to the server was phenomenal!
The Bistro offers a couple specials each night as well as their regularly updated menu plus a separate kids menu with crayons for coloring. From the patio, we could see the St. Joseph Lighthouse in the distance, which did not go unnoticed by my lighthouse loving toddler! My husband and I each ordered a different menu special for that evening. Mine was a steak dish with a corn salsa and crispy hash potato side, while my husband got red snapper with corn and cherry tomatoes in a coconut broth. It was the perfect summer dinner! Bistro also offers desserts, however, as is usually our problem, we filled up during the entrees!
Post-dinner, we went back to the hotel and hit the hay to get some energy for tomorrow’s big day trip exploring surrounding towns in southwest Michigan!
Day Two: Southwest Michigan Cultural Road Trip
After waking up on day two, we got ready and enjoyed a free breakfast from the Holiday Inn Express. Because our visit was on a busy, summer weekend, the tables by the breakfast area filled up quick! So we carried our breakfast over to the patio of the LakeHouse Restaurant and enjoyed the view of Lake Michigan as we ate. The breakfast options were great for a free continental breakfast with plenty of protein options including bacon, scrambled eggs, and sausage!
History Center at Courthouse Square
Michigan’s first and oldest county courthouse is located in Berrien Springs, which was our first stop of the day! Berrien Springs is about a 20 minute drive from St. Joseph.
The History Center at Courthouse Square is open for visitors and is free to visit Wednesdays through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. While visiting, climb upstairs to see the restored courtroom. You can actually sit in the seats! Then, on the main floor there is a traditional county museum where you can learn about each of the towns and communities located in Berrien County. The first floor also has a gift shop.
And don’t miss popping into the oldest house in the county… and it’s actually one of the five oldest houses in the state of Michigan!
Another interesting site to visit within the Courthouse Square compound is the old county jail. They’ve rebuilt a part of it to show how unique it was with the cells being in a circular arrangement.
This was a great place to visit with kids as there’s a lot of open space between each of the buildings for them to stretch their legs. It’s also mostly accessible for those in wheelchairs or for strollers. Only the former courthouse isn’t accessible.
Fernwood Botanical Gardens
Our next stop on our day trip outside of the St. Joe-Benton Harbor area was to Niles to visit the Fernwood Botanical Gardens. The gardens are mostly outdoors with a couple gardens and a gallery space inside. It has a bit of everything to delight all flower, plant, and nature lovers big and little! Fernwood is $10 for adults to visit, $5 for kids age 5-17, and free for 4 and under.
The best spots we visited at Fernwood that were extra fun for our toddler were the indoor and outdoor railway gardens, nature adventure garden, and Sims Education center – which is new! Within the education center, there are several large windows to watch birds and other forest critters from, books, stacking stones, whiteboard tables, and giant, fluffy stacking stone pillows. For older kids, there is a butterfly larva garden – see if you can find any butterflies! And there is a trail running to the St. Joe River with a number of overlooks.
Fernwood Botanical Gardens also offers memberships. With 105 acres and numerous paths and trails cutting through the gardens, it’d be a great place to regularly visit and explore each section deeper. There’s also a cafe within the visitors center should you need a bite to eat!
One hidden gem we delighted in was the waterwheel by the winter house. If you stand on the bridge looking at the waterwheel, look down. There’s a small creek running under the bridge that drops about 6 feet down forming a tiny waterfall! If you visit during a rainy week, I bet it’s even more visible!
River Saint Joe
For a late lunch, we headed to River St. Joe, which is only a 4 minute drive from Fernwood. River Saint Joe is located on the organic Flatwater Farms nearby its namesake – the Saint Joseph River that runs from northern Indian through southwest Michigan, emptying out into Lake Michigan. Flatwater Farms grows hops which are used to make this brewery’s beer!
But River Saint Joe is more than just a brewery. It is truly a place to visit and relax. There are tables indoors and outdoors. And outdoors there are also bonfire pits, backyard games, and even a nature trail. The games and trail made the wait with my son a little more bearable! He really enjoyed his first foray playing with a tetherball!
Now onto food! My family enjoyed some seasonal sandwiches at River Saint Joe using fresh produce from Flatwater Farms and locally supplied meat. When you visit, the menu is bound to change as they continue to innovate and source was seasonally available. We highly recommend giving them a visit when you’re exploring southwest Michigan. It’s a fantastic, family friendly destination for all members of your family to have a good time at.
Silver Beach
After a nice nap by my son on the ride back to St. Joseph (followed by a brief nap by all in the hotel room), my family and I headed to Silver Beach to enjoy the final couple hours of the day before sunset.
Silver Beach is a huge beach with plenty to entertain visitors of all ages. While we spent most of our time watching our son play and make friends at the playground, there are enough things to do here to spend all day at the beach. There are grills, water fountains, and picnic tables if you plan to have your own picnic. Concession stands selling food for those that don’t want to mess with packing or preparing their own food. Bathrooms and shower facilities. Beach volleyball courts. And the beach is accessible for those with limited mobility with beach wheelchairs and barrier free walkways. Also nice to see are the number of lifeguards on this beach, which are definitely needed. So many people fail to realize how powerful Lake Michigan can be – it is just as powerful as an ocean!
On the north end of Silver Beach, there is a pavilion where concerts and performances occur. And from there, you may access the south pier to walk on calm water days.
Day Three: Hidden Gems around the St. Joe Area
During our final day in southwest Michigan, we did not go easy! We made sure to pack this last day with a number of hidden gem things to do in the area. Let’s go!!
Mason Jar Cafe
What do you get when you combine fresh, locally sourced food with art and a respect for accommodating everyone’s dietary needs? That get’s you Mason Jar Cafe! This popular cafe is a hot brunch spot in southwest Michigan and during weekend mornings, it can get busy fast. So make sure you take advantage of rebooking on Yelp to avoid the wait! If you do have a wait, there are lots of murals and pocket parks within walking distance to the restaurant to enjoy. There is also an outdoor Bloody Mary bar (cash only).
Mason Jar Cafe offers a number of different places to be seated – and you can chose where you’d prefer to be seated! Indoors there are a couple different rooms to be seated as well as the outdoor patio. The menu offers tons of options with the ability to swap out or substitute items to accommodate any dietary needs. And if you’re interested in unique latte flavors and pairings, they can make it for you!
I ordered the spicy egg sandwich on sourdough with bacon and some fruit to split with my son (it wasn’t very spicy) while my husband ordered the a variety of sides making his own dish, since he doesn’t eat eggs.
As you wait for food, walk around the back of the cafe to check out the art for sale in each of the studios!
St Joseph Lighthouse
Growing up and living in West Michigan, I always assumed the lighthouses on piers were off limits for touring. So imagine my delight finding out the St. Joseph Lighthouse is open for tours and you can climb to the top!
The Coast Guard decommissioned the St Joseph lighthouse in 2005. Then in 2013, the lighthouses transferred to the City of St. Joe and underwent a $2 million renovation in 2006 to look as they did in 1932.
Some tips to know before you visit that helped us include:
- The lighthouse is open Wednesday 7-9pm, Friday and Saturday 10am-2pm, and Sunday 12-4pm.
- Visiting the first floor exhibit in the inner lighthouse is free!
- To climb up to the lantern and walk on the balcony, it costs $5 per person.
- On Fridays and Saturdays at 10am, you can join in on a one hour guided tour for an in depth history on the lighthouse of $10.
- Tickets for all can be precooked online, at the Lighthouse, or at the Heritage Museum in St. Joe. Cash and card are accepted.
- If you chose to climb the lighthouse, you’ll need to sign a waiver for yourself and any kids under 18.
- Paid parking is available at Tiscornia Park. We paid for one hour (which was enough), and that cost us $3.
Heritage Museum in St. Joseph
After you visit the lighthouse, head over to the Heritage Museum. The museum is free and within it is the original fresnel lens of both the front and rear range lighthouses! There are also special exhibits – including one on the mystery of Northwest Air flight 2501. My husband and I learned of this tragic event during an episode of Expedition Unknown.
If you haven’t heard of Flight 2501, it was, at the time, the US’ worst commercial aviation disaster. The flight disappeared over Lake Michigan in 1950. Its main wreckage was never found despite annual searches for it by the Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates. It was eerie seeing some of the relics from what turned up from the wreckage within the museum. Definitely worth a stop when visiting St. Joseph.
Eden Springs Campground
The final stop of our family friendly getaway to southwest Michigan was to the Eden Springs Campground to ride on the historic mini trains. Eden Springs is in Benton Harbor and was founded by the Israelite House of David in 1908. It no longer is owned by the House of David, as most of its members passed on and with the sect being celibate, there weren’t any new members being born. At one point, this park also had a zoo, amphitheater, hotel, bowling alley, and more. Today it’s a fraction of what it once was, but it is in the process of restoration. It’s like an open air museum with historic photos and signage showing what once stood in each spot.
Throughout the summer, the mini trains operate on the weekends between 12-5pm. They cost $3 to ride per person. The rides go around part of the complex two times and takes about 10 minutes. Then you are free to roam about the property. Kids can enjoy pushing themselves on historic peddle pusher cars around a small track. Before you leave, you need to go down the stairs to see the restored fountain! Learn more about it and see how far it’s come on the Eden Springs Park website here.
Are you visiting Southwest Michigan outside of summer? There is still plenty of things to do! Check out my romantic day trip article on St. Joseph here.
from Michigan with Love,
Jackie
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