by Robbie Culver
If you’re looking for an easy overnight trip, and want to fly there, Michigan has lots to offer. There are numerous small havens and port towns along the shoreline within easy reach of most areas of the Midwest, and many offer great scenery, fantastic places to stay, and wonderful small airports to fly into. Recently, my wife Brenda and I took such a trip to South Haven, Michigan – an easy one hour and fifteen minute flight from our home base of Waukegan, Ill. (KUGN). Luckily, we were able to go down the Chicago lakeshore early in the day, before any baseball games made us route further out over the lake, or take the western route around O’Hare Class Bravo.
South Haven is located right on the Lake Michigan shoreline, almost directly across from Waukegan. Common sense and established family rules dictate the trip in a single engine airplane be flown around, not across, the lake. We took our trip in mid-June, to celebrate our wedding anniversary and have our first overnight vacation from our son, Joshua. South Haven is perfect for such a trip – close enough to be an easy flight (or drive if weather requires), yet far enough to feel “away” from it all.
The airport has two runways – one hard surface and one grass – and an instrument approach. Fuel was reasonable, and tie-downs are free with a fuel purchase. The FBO is a beautiful modern facility, with all the amenities one could ask for – but call ahead so you know how to get in if no one is around.
Oddly enough, the door to the ramp had a keypad lock on it with a very odd combination required to get in (none of the usual CTAF frequency codes often used at small FBOs).
The airport is about 4 miles from town, so a cab was in order – but it wasn’t the best experience coming or going. Definitely a small town cab company. Our cab never showed up, so we bummed a ride into town with one of the FBO employees. That just added to the experience and it all worked out in the end! When we did get a cab for our departure, the driver got lost and I had to help him find the airport. Oh well.
Once in town, everything you need is an easy walk – no need to rent a car unless you are staying a while or don’t feel up to some walking. We hopped out downtown, and stopped right away to have lunch at a small local diner called Captain Nemo’s. Following lunch, we set out to walk to the place where I had made reservations for the night, which was less than a mile away. We took our time and still got there in 15 minutes. It’s a small town and very accommodating to pedestrians.
We scheduled our trip to arrive on a Thursday afternoon and depart the next afternoon with a night in one of South Haven’s famous bed and breakfast (B&B) inns. Following a day trip to South Haven last fall, I had done some homework, and chosen “The Last Resort” for our lodging. “The Last Resort” is an old, original inn built in 1883 that stood empty and abandoned years before the current owners bought and refurbished it almost 30 years ago.
It was the first bed and breakfast to open in South Haven, and sparked a renaissance of sorts with many more such vacation spots to follow. Today there are a multitude of B&Bs and motels to choose from in every imaginable price range and decor. I’d recommend “The Last Resort” to anyone wanting a charming and somewhat quirky place to stay – but if you have special needs, physical challenges, or expect to be waited on, you’d do better to choose somewhere else.
South Haven is home to a beautiful harbor and beach, so the town rather wraps itself around the marina. A lovely drawbridge spans the river that leads to the lake, and once we crossed over it was easy to find the B&B. When we walked up, I knew right away I had chosen well – the place had that rustic friendly feel to it, and it was a half block off the beach on a tree-lined residential street. Beautiful gardens and fountains surround the house. Inside, the 1800’s quirky charm exhibited itself in narrow stairs with a 4-way landing, and small cozy rooms in every direction. It was easy to imagine the history and all the occupants as we explored.
Our room was amazing – a tiny bathroom, a hot tub for two, and a huge comfy bed didn’t seem to crowd the room. The floor had a kind of wavy rolling feel to it – and the walls were tastefully decorated, as was the rest of the house. Out the window, we could see the gardens below and across the street we could see Lake Michigan. What struck us immediately was how quiet it was. One reason I chose a weekday for our visit was to avoid the raucous weekend crowds – and that idea paid off handsomely. No booming car stereos, no loud parties. Just birds and the wind. Awesome.
And romance? Well, let’s just say there’s not much more we could have asked for in an anniversary trip. The B&B was just empty enough (we saw two other couples aside from the owners) that we felt as if we had it to ourselves. Sitting on the front porch in the shade, it was easy to forget about the world and just relax. Wonderfully refreshing, with a gentle lake breeze blowing, and temperatures in the 70’s under perfectly clear skies.
After we relaxed a while, we walked down to the beach and explored the pristine shoreline before ambling along the marina and back down into town where we eventually ate a nice quiet dinner at York’s Landing. Literally the entire tourist district (which notably did not look or feel like a tourist district!) was close enough to walk through in under 20 minutes from the B&B. The entire experience was just one of relaxed, comfortable, quiet ease. Just what the doctor ordered. Breakfast on Friday morning was a delicious treat, and definitely wrapped up the stay perfectly.
The best part of the entire experience was just that – the quiet and slow pace of South Haven. For a touristy lakefront town, this place got it right. You can go party in the bars if you choose to, but there’s also lots of other choices and places to eat or shop.
There are endless places to stay in Michigan, from the southern shores of Lake Michigan to Mackinac Island up north, and everywhere in between. We chose South Haven for its proximity to the lake, and the easy flight over from Waukegan. If you choose to go, call ahead as the B&Bs and motels both fill up fast in the summer months. Prices vary widely, but you should find something to fit almost any budget and taste. Expect that you may have to wait a while if you catch a cab, as this is definitely not downtown Chicago – but then that was the whole point of going…
