10 Exciting Day Trips From Grand Rapids
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Broaden your horizon of activities while you are in Grand Rapids. Here are a range of exciting day trips from Grand Rapids that are definitely worth your time.
Many visitors often plan to visit Grand Rapids for all the right reasons. It is the city where you cannot be bored as much as you try. It is the best. There are numerous activities to enjoy for people of all ages. However, if you want to know about the possibility of day trips from Grand Rapids, then this article will take you through the best places where you can have a quiet and fun escape from the city.
Here are some of the fantastic options for day trips from Grand Rapids that you should not miss out on exploring.
Best Day Trips From Grand Rapids
1. Rockford
Distance From Grand Rapids : 14.9 miles (23.9 kms)
Rockford is a gorgeous city at a distance of 22 minutes from Grand Rapids. You will not only be in love with its charming landscapes but will also be pleased by the list of things that will entertain you through the time that you are going to spend here. Rogue River Nature Trail is the best way to dive into the natural surroundings. The Rockford Dam overlook is one of the most popular attractions that you must see in the city.
Get a little tipsy at the Kayla Rae Cellars before visiting the Rockford Area Historical Museum. Luton Park or Garden Club Park would be perfect for your afternoons and Merrell Trail would be the best to pump up your adventures.
2. Lowell
Distance From Grand Rapids : 18.6 miles (30 kms)
Lowell is a quaint city for the residents and for anyone who chooses to visit it. At a 24-minute drive from Grand Rapids, Lowell has the quality for that quiet, scenic vacation that you need when you try to escape from the hustle of city life. The natural beauty of the city as well as some interesting places would leave you asking for more while you are on an exploration. First, the city’s Historical Museum is the best place to start if you are a history buff. You can then head on to the James C. Veen Observatory which is an interesting astronomical observatory.
If you are a nature lover, you can spend a plethora of time at Fallasburg Park and the very artistic covered bridge at the same place. The park is one of the most picturesque parks in Michigan. You can spend the evening at Creekside Park and enjoy art and shopping at Fulton Street East.
3. Cedar Springs
Distance From Grand Rapids : 21 miles (34 kms)
Cedar Springs is a naturally rich and culturally driven city at a distance of 24 minutes from Grand Rapids. It would be a pleasant experience for you especially if you are travelling with your family. There are a plethora of activities that you can do here. Deer Tracks Junction would be the place where you would make four-legged friends.
Learn more about the city and its history by visiting Cedar Springs Historical Museum. Rogue River State Game Area is your playground heaven, where you can make like-minded friends. Ody Brook Nature Sanctuary is the place where you can dive into the magic of mother nature and feel one with it. If you are visiting in the month of October, don’t miss out on the Red Flannel Festival where you would love the arts and craft shops, eateries, car shows, children’s parades and the beauty pageant.
4. Grand Haven
Distance From Grand Rapids : 33.9 miles (54.5 kms)
Grand Haven is the perfect place which can be called a heaven on earth. It is our favorite day trip from Grand Rapids. The scenic landscapes, the crystal-clear water, the long beaches and much more are there to look out for. You can expect a lot of beautiful and awe-inspiring moments while you visit this city. Grand Haven Lighthouse is the first place that you need to visit while you are in the city. Grand Haven Musical Fountains and Grand Haven Boardwalk are the ideal places to spend some peaceful hours in the evening and it would be truly scenic if you are visiting the place with your romantic partner.
Grand Haven Area Parks and Beaches are the most relaxing venues to spend your time at. Whether it is for sun-soaking or a little picnic. The downtown part of the city would make sure to offer you lip-smacking cuisines and fulfil your shopping needs. Don’t forget to visit the city during festive seasons i.e., the Winter Fest and the Coast Guard Fest.
5. Saugatuck
Distance From Grand Rapids : 40 miles (64.3 kms)
If you are in Grand Rapids and craving some adrenaline-filled adventures and marvelous landscapes, you must head towards Saugatuck. A town filled with surprises. There is so much to do at Saugatuck that a day or two is not enough here. Saugatuck is a 50-minute drive from Grand Rapids. Saugatuck Dunes State Park is where you can ride the sands and enjoy the picturesque sunsets and surroundings. Or you can spend your afternoon at the Oval beach soaking in the sun and meditating on the waves.
Saugatuck Centre for the Arts and the Douglas History Museum along with J. Peter Galleries would entertain you with its collection and art exhibits. So, all you need to do is to reach Saugatuck and the town would make sure to entertain you.
Related Read – 10 Top Things To Do In Saugatuck, Michigan
6. Muskegon
Distance From Grand Rapids : 41.3 miles (66.4 kms)
At 41 minutes ride from Grand Rapids, Muskegon is another city where you can have a lot of fun. It also has the largest beach in West Michigan. Just like other cities on the list, Muskegon has a lot of places to explore and get entertained. Muskegon Museum of History and Science and the Museum of Art will not only educate you more but would romanticize your trip. An afternoon spent at Pere Marquette Park or Muskegon Lake would not only be memorable for you but would also be super relaxing.
USS Silverside Submarine Museum is where you would know the fascinating facts about the US Submarines and their adventures. Kruse Park is what you are going to enjoy sunsets or twilight timings as it makes the perfect place for some beach play and picnic area.
7. Lavender Labyrinth At The Cherry Point Farm
Distance From Grand Rapids : 76.7 miles (123.4 kms)
Whether you are in love with that sweet, French, Lavender smell or you simply love the color which is neither blue nor purple but has its unique identity when crowned on its green pistil on the plant. You are going to be amazed by this little stop just outside Grand Rapids that has the name Lavender Labyrinth. The neighboring market is known as Cherry Point Farm.
A privately owned area where the gorgeous little lavender plants are planted in the shape of a labyrinth which looks like a flower from the sky. You will find yourself mesmerized strolling in the garden and appreciating the sweet scent in the garden. It is going to take an hour for you to complete the walk and find the center of the labyrinth. After you are done enjoying the garden, you can head towards the market. While you enjoy the fresh harvest, don’t forget about the little herb garden adjacent to it. As it is here you are going to find some of the rarest herbs.
8. Round Barn Winery
Distance From Grand Rapids : 95.4 miles (153.5 km)
What could help you in picking the best wine next time you are thinking of gifting one to your friends as a holiday gift? An actual visit to a winery. While you are in Grand Rapids, you can make a plan to visit the Round Barn Winery. The best part about Round Barn is that it is a winery, brewery and distillery. So, you do not need to go anywhere. All you need to do is to indulge deep in knowing more and more about the journey of the grapes from a tiny fruit to the magic elixir that comes into the bottle.
Since Round Barn follows all the steps under one location. You can not only know more about it but also indulge in some of those like squishing and juicing the fruits or checking the fresh harvests. They would let you know the best ones that can be used to make the best of wine and the ones that are carefully preserved in the cellar. If you are visiting the barn around the holiday season, you are in for a treat.
9. Wellington Farm Park
Distance From Grand Rapids : 146.4 miles (236.5 kms)
The world that it exhibits and the things that you are going to experience here at the Wellington Farm Park would make you fall in love with this place. Thousands of people who visit the place look forward to visiting it again. For a day, leave out the luxuries of the city and life and live a farm life from the past.
Wellington Farm Park is a farm with animals and farmers still carrying on the way of living which once was a real lifestyle. This is old America but the best part is, it hasn’t lost its charm yet. You will find the herd of animals and the iron craftsmanship. The art of weaving the old broom or the way of living from the old times, you are going to feel as if time has stopped here.
10. Greenfield Village
Distance From Grand Rapids : 155 miles (249 kms)
The Greenfield Village, also known as the Henry Ford Village would be your trip’s delight. There is a lot to do and a lot to explore in the village. Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Experimental Vehicle Building Lovett Hall and much more. This place would allow you to indulge in the world of Henry Ford. It takes about five hours to go through the village. If you do not want to walk, carts are available in the compound. The tour, the train ride, the photo sessions, and learning more about the village are what you are going to experience here.
If you want to indulge in a celebration, you can always check the calendar available on their website and book your tickets accordingly. This experience might be distinct for your taste but an adventurous one.
These Michigan day trips from Grand Rapids can take you through the state and enable you to gain enjoyable experiences. You can even consider them as a short weekend getaway or a week long trip. Which one of these day trips from Grand Rapids will you plan a visit to? Let us know in the comments below.