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 stay in the Brighton Howell Area was sponsored, however all thoughts & opinions are my own. Disclaimer here.
As a born and raised Michigander, I’ve traveled across the mitten state countless times, but somehow, the charming towns of Brighton, Howell and Pinckney eluded me.
Intrigued by the earlier two’s reputation for walkable downtowns, unique shops, and vibrant local culture, I decided it’s time to explore this uncharted territory (for us!).
Join us as I share my first-timer’s impressions of these three gems, nestled in a region steeped in history and natural beauty. From exploring the bustling streets of Howell’s National Historic District to discovering the hidden treasures of Brighton’s Mill Pond, I’ll uncover the distinct character of each town and offer tips for fellow Michiganders seeking a fresh adventure.
And for those looking to extend their journey, I’ll also touch on the allure of nearby Pinckney, a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. So pack your bags and get ready to experience the unexpected charm of Livingston County – it’s closer than you think, and it’s waiting to be discovered!
A Smidge of History of the Area
Howell, Brighton, and Pinckney all offer a blend of historical charm and modern allure, each with unique attributes. Howell, a Top 10 Great American Main Street community, boasts a National Registered Historic District and a vibrant downtown with diverse shops, dining options, and a bustling farmer’s market. Brighton, known for its inviting ambiance, seamlessly merges the old and new, urban and rural, offering a lively downtown with upscale boutiques and a tranquil Mill Pond. Pinckney, nestled amidst 11,000 acres of parks and a chain of lakes, is a haven for nature enthusiasts, providing ample opportunities for outdoor adventures.
All three towns share a rich history shaped by early settlers arriving east (mostly from New York) and Native American inhabitants. And while Howell and Brighton duked it out for the county seat of Livingston County, Pinckney’s history is intertwined with the establishment of a central township square and the growth of a rural agricultural community.
Each town also boasts a strong sense of community and hosts various events throughout the year. Howell’s historic Livingston County Courthouse and Amphitheater serve as a central gathering place for a summer concert series. Brighton’s calendar is filled with farmers’ markets, summer concerts, and holiday celebrations. Pinckney’s Lakelands Trail State Park and Pinckney Recreation Area offer year-round recreational activities and events like the Michigan Trail Marathon.
Where to Stay When Visiting Livingston County
For our visit to the Brighton Howell area, we stayed at the relatively new Hampton Inn. This hotel opened only a couple years ago and I could definitely tell! It was spacious, clean and with contemporary decor that still looked untouched!
We stayed in a King suite room on the ground floor which was convenient to get to the lobby, breakfast room, pool, gym, and side door our to our car. Within the room, we had a mini fridge and microwave. The whole room was spacious and broken up a bit with a desk between the bed and living room space. A bathroom jut off from the main room with a sliding door and the shower and toilet separated by a separate door.
When my son and I woke up for breakfast at the hotel, we enjoyed the modern and tasty options. There are rotating protein options available. A hit for us was the red velvet waffles with strawberry topping and whipped cream! Even the coffee was delicious here!
And the best part is how convenient the Hampton Inn Howell is. It’s centrally located within all of these activities making it easy to to travel a few minutes either way to get to everywhere we wanted to explore.
Day One: What Not to Miss in Howell
Starting off our first ever adventure in the Brighton Howell Area, we went to Howell. Howell is conveniently located for people traveling from the east or west side of the state right off of I-96. Since we were coming from the Grand Rapids area to the west, this was the first town on our list to check out so where we spent our first day.
Howell Nature Center
The first place you’ll want to visit during your first time in the Brighton Howell Area is the Howell Nature Center. This Nature Center is nestled within 230 acres of beautiful Michigan wilderness.
The Howell Nature Center offers visitors the opportunity to get up close and personal with over 70 native Michigan animals who are unable to be released back into the wild. You’ll learn about the importance of conservation and respecting our wild neighbors. Kids and adults alike will especially love Alexandria’s NatureScape, a natural playground featuring a treehouse, stump jumps, and a mesmerizing waterfall.
Home to Michigan’s largest wild animal rehabilitation center, Howell Nature Center treats over 4,000 animals annually. Visitors can also explore a memorial butterfly garden and gift shop, or book a thrilling ropes course adventure (reservations required).
Open 7 days a week, it’s a great spot not just to learn about animal species but to learn more about the background of why these specific animals are here to begin with.
Howell Summit Gardens
Howell Summit Gardens is a whimsical newer park in downtown Howell, offering fun for all ages. Kids will love the bright green slides, wooden mazes, and colorful play structures, while adults can enjoy a game of ping pong, cornhole, chess, or checkers. The park also features an amphitheater and beautiful artwork from local Livingston County artists. Opened in the fall of 2020, Howell Summit Gardens is a grassroots community collaboration that adds beauty, recreation, and a touch of whimsy to downtown Howell. My son’s favorite feature was the labyrinth, which he enjoyed racing around like a racecar. It’s a great space to get some wiggles out!
This vibrant park has garnered well-deserved recognition, winning the Best Placemaking Project and People’s Choice Award at a 2021 conference hosted by the Michigan Downtown Association. The awards recognized the park’s positive impact during a challenging period, bringing joy and fun to a year filled with COVID-19 uncertainty.
Dinner at Coratti’s Pizzeria
By now, you’re probably hungry for some dinner (or at least we were). For dinner, we highly recommend checking out Coratti’s Pizzeria for some authentic Neapolitan Style pizza and gelato while playing a round or two of bocce ball while you wait for your food.
Located in Downtown Howell with its own parking lot in the back, Coratti’s Pizzeria quickly became our family’s new favorite restaurant. Our son’s a mover at all times and often, it can be a challenge without resorting to screen time to keep him patient while waiting for food. Offering something other than a coloring book to busy him has been almost unheard of until we discovered Coratti’s Pizzeria. There are two indoor bocce ball courts to play at for just $5 a person.
And not only is the ambiance great, the pizza is out of this world – er- or out of this country amazing! As an independent, family owned pizzeria, two of the family members traveled to Napoli, Italy to learn the art and science of making authentic Neapolitan Style pizzas (although American and Detroit style are also available). Additionally, there are a variety of gelato flavors available too. And the gelato comes as a result of the family traveling to Carpigiani Gelato University in Anzola dell’Emilia, Italy to learn how to make it.
Shopping in Downtown Howell
After dinner, we needed to do a little walking so we walked ourselves further into downtown Howell to do a little shopping at the local shops here.
One spot you can’t miss is the not-so-hidden gem, ‘The Alley District’ (it’s all over Instagram as a popular stop for photos). Throughout the year, the decorations within the alley change so definitely add to your list!
Concert at Courthouse Square
And if you visit during the summer and spend the day Friday in Howell, pack a blanket or some chairs to set up on the County Courthouses’ lawn to enjoy the free summer concerts! During spring, the line up for summer is announced and runs from Memorial Weekend through the last Friday before Labor Day.
From Small, Historic Towns to Modernized Main Streets – Day Two in Parshallville and Brighton
Day two we spent east of Howell to the nearby town of Brighton. While not the county seat of Livingston County, Brighton is easy to explore if traveling west or east and if traveling north from Ann Arbor or South from Flint along US-23.
Parshallville Cider Mill
Our first stop of the day was to just reopened for the season Parshallville Cider Mill. Open from Labor Day weekend through mid November, a visit is a must if you’re exploring Brighton Howell in late summer or early fall.
The mill, nestled in the peaceful community of Parshallville, has been a local landmark since 1837, originally serving as a flour mill.
Today, it’s renowned for its delicious, fresh-pressed Michigan apple cider and warm spiced donuts. We enjoyed the scenic views while savoring our treats at the picnic tables outside by the dam along the North Ore Creek. The nature trail along the creek was an unexpected perk, offering a tranquil escape and a chance to spot local wildlife.
Island Lake Rec Area
Island Lake Recreation Area, located in southeast Michigan, is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and history buffs alike. This sprawling 4,000-acre park offers diverse activities, from paddling and swimming in the Huron River and its four inland lakes to hiking and mountain biking on scenic trails. The park’s rich history includes Spanish-American War encampments, a stint as a boys’ academy, and even a visit from baseball legend Babe Ruth.
My family and I recently explored the Island Lake Rec Area by bike, pedaling the entire 4-mile paved trail. This picturesque road winds through the park, offering stunning views of the Huron River, the unique “badlands” terrain, and even a waterfall (well, caused by a dam). There were plenty of spots to pull off and soak in the natural beauty, making it a perfect outing for both experienced cyclists and families with young children.
Island Lake Recreation Area is a true gem, blending natural wonders with fascinating historical tales. Whether you’re seeking adventure on the trails, a peaceful paddle along the river, or a glimpse into the past, this park has something for everyone.
Brighton Coffee House & Theatre
After over 8 miles of biking and exploring, we needed some nourishment. Not only did we find physical nourishment at the Brighton Coffee House & Theater, we discovered an amazing ambiance and community space as well.
Known for its exceptional coffee, tasty treats, and cozy atmosphere, Brighton Coffee House & Theater is more than just a coffee shop. This cafe is also a theatre that’s available for rent for performances, art shows, and meetings. With a passion for the arts, the owners of this cafe also named each of its cafe sandwiches after legendary characters and performers.
Since the weather was still warm and cozy during this late August trip, we took our meal outside to eat. There are shaded patio tables by the Mill Pond to enjoy your food from. It’s a beautiful, serene waterfront view!
Brighton Mill Pond and Imagination Station
After finishing our lunch, we walked along the trail around the Brighton Mill Pond where we saw many adorable ducks swimming in water, crossing the tridge bridge, and then made our way to play at the Imagination Station.
This playground is fantastic – it’s fully enclosed offering peace of mind for parents as their kids play. Built in 1995, it was a large community effort to build this playground. A group of over 1300 volunteers came together to coordinate and build this playground within five days! A recent addition within the park are the interactive musical instruments.
Just outside the Imagination Station is a pavilion free to the community that has bathrooms. And there’s even a piano! People are welcome to sit down behind the keys and plunk away.
Genoa Township Park
After a little rest time back at the hotel in the afternoon, we headed for more play time at the Genoa Township Park. The East Side of the state seriously has some amazing playgrounds!!
We just know now whenever we explore with Winston, we need to include a few playgrounds and this one he loved! This massive park contains multiple playgrounds, a .66 mile trail throughout the park, athletic fields, courts, picnic area and more.
The biggest draw within the Genoa Township Park is its Survivor Playground. It was designed to be inclusive of kids with all abilities. Win spent the most time on this playground zipping down the zipline and playing with the water feature (which involved a lot of pumping).
Dinner at El Arbol Taqueria
Later in the evening, we traveled back to downtown Brighton for dinner at El Arbol Taqueria – which is not just any Mexican restaurant. Opened in 2019, this restaurant serves street tacos and other non-Tex Mex Mexican fare.
We highly recommend starting your night out with the chips and trio of dips, which contains salsa, guacamole and queso – all delicious!! And another perk since I am a human vacuum to all things chips and salsa – tacos can be ordered by each! So I tried a couple flavors out which was plenty to fill me up and not worry about carrying leftovers back to the hotel.
Brewery Becker
And last, but absolutely not least in day two’s adventures was enjoying a night cap surrounded by history at Brewery Becker.
Not only is the building the brewery housed in historic, the beer it brews, decor on its walls – and even the tree that’s planted outside are all historic. I definitely consider Brewery Becker a hidden gem to all of us Michiganders not from the Brighton Howell area and must visit when in the area.
First, let’s start with the building. The building Brewery Becker sits in is one of the tallest in Brighton. Built in 1873 as The Western House, it originally was a hotel in a very convenient spot right off the railroad. Today, this building is on the national register of historic places. For decor on one of the walls hang a couple old metal doors. These doors once were copper brew kettle doors from Hoegaarden brewery in Belgium!
Next, we’ll move onto the beer. The beer here is not any ordinary style of beer. With these history loving owners, they looked back into time to inspire what beers they’d brew. So far back that they’ve found historic beer recipes to brew up – like a 1905 Amsdell IPA – a beer brewed prior to prohibition in the US.
And finally, the tree! It might just seem like any old catalpha tree – but no, it’s the world’s oldest catalpha tree! Planted when the building was built in 1873, this tree is outliving most of its cousins since this type of tree only lives between 40 to 60 years.
Exploring a Natural Hidden Gem – Biking & Kayaking in Pinckney along the Chain of Lakes
Parting is such sweet sorrow! After checking out of our hotel at Hampton Inn, we still had a couple fun adventures in store in the southern part of Livingston County. Here there is a natural feature I had no clue existed – it’s own Chain of Lakes that connect together via the Huron River! We had to spend some time here!
Lakelands Trail
We started our final day out with a bike ride along the Lakelands Trail. This paved trail goes on for 33 miles between Hamburg Township (where we started off) to Jackson (but we didn’t go this far!). It also connects to the longer cross state trail – Great Lake to Lake Trail Route 1 between Port Huron and South Haven.
While we biked this portion of the trail in summer, we bet it’ll look gorgeous in the fall. Many portions are heavily canopied so you’ll be in for a gorgeous ride then! In November 2021, the Michigan History Center worked with EMU student Mike Levine to install historical signs on the area’s cultural, industrial, and natural history.
To access to Lakelands Trail, there are several free parking lots with entry points to the trail to drop in at.
Kayaking at Nauti MI
Our last big activity before grabbing lunch and starting to head back home was kayaking within the Chain of Lakes with Nauti MI in the southwest area of Livingston County. In addition to kayaks, Nauti MI rents stand up paddle boards and canoes.
Rentals can be reserved online. They can also be reserved for the whole day or for 3 hours. All rentals are paddle out and back, as you can do a simple loop down the river, into Portage Lake and back through a channel (what we did!) or up and explore more of the chain of lakes. There are several businesses out this way that have paddle up docks to check out – Nauti MI is one of them!
Once you’re done with your paddling adventure, pop into the gift shop which sells mostly Michigan made goodies, Hudsonville ice cream, and has a full coffee/espresso bar. Out back there’s also a tiki inspired area with games like giant connect four and a family friendly ax throw. Plus there is a colorful mural!
Zukey Lake Tavern
Our final stop before heading home (and a well deserved stop at that), is to Zukey Lake Tavern. Not only is there some interesting history (of course) behind this restaurant, it’s also just a fun atmosphere! To reach it, you can drive in, bike in (it’s right off the Lakelands Trail), or boat in. It’s the only full service restaurant along the chain of lakes you can boat into.
This restaurant was built right after prohibition ended. There is a tiki bar open up top. And down below is seating that’s available all year round. Food and drink options are the same on both the upper and lower levels and are people pleasing and tropical inspired.
Another fun fact about Zukey Lake Tavern are how famous their shirts are. If you buy a shirt, travel with it around the world, snap a pic and they’ll post it on the wall. Actor Ryan Reynolds is also known for loving his Zukey Lake Tavern shirt so don’t forget to check out his pictures on the wall before you go!
Condensed Itinerary of Things to Do in the Brighton Howell Area for First Time Visitors
If you’re looking for a quick itinerary so you can repeat our same adventure, you’re in the right place! Kindly note, this weekend adventure is best experienced in the summer or during a nice spring or early fall weekend.
Day One
- 2:30pm: Howell Nature Center
- 4:30pm: Howell Summit Garden
- 5pm: Coratti’s Pizzeria and round of Bocce Ball
- 6pm: Shopping in downtown Howell – especially along the Alley District
- 7pm: Concert at the Courthouse
- 8:30pm: Check into hotel, swimming and bed
Day Two
- Breakfast at the hotel
- 9am: Parshallville Cider Mill for second breakfast, cider and a walk along the Northern Ore Creek
- 10:15am: Bike and explore the Island Lake Rec Area
- 12pm: Lunch at Brighton Coffee House and Theatre
- 12:45pm: Walk around the Brighton Mill Pond, say hi to the ducks, cross the Tridge, play in the Imagination Station, browse the public art and historic signs
- 2pm: Spend some time playing at the Genoa Township Park
- 3pm: Rest Time
- 6pm: Dinner at El Arbol Taqueria
- 7pm: Brewery Becker
- 8pm: Head back to the hotel, more swimming, then bed
Last Day
- Breakfast at the Hotel
- 9am: Check Out
- 9:30am: Bike the Lakeland Trail from Hamburg down to Pinckney and Back
- 11am: Kayak along the Huron River and Chain of Lakes in the southern part of Livingston County at Nauti Mi
- 2pm: Lunch at Zukey Lake Tavern
Map of Things to Do in the Brighton Howell Area
And if you’re looking for more ideas and inspiration for your own getaway to the Brighton Howell Area, check out the Explore Brighton Howell Website. It was from this website that helped me plan where to go, stay and where to eat during our first time exploring Livingston County.
From Michigan with Love,
Jackie
Pin This Post for Later: A First Timer’s Guide to Things to Do in the Brighton Howell Area
