A Day Out in Grand Haven
Sometimes, the best days are the ones where you kind of meander through them. Any good small town has enough in it for you to stumble into something marvelous without even trying. Grand Haven, Michigan, is one of those towns. A few brief stops and an excellent time to be had.
The Bookman
Feeling the heartbeat of a town starts with going where the people who live there hang out. The Bookman is a lovely example of a small curated collection of books specific to the area, along with trade novels. The store serves as the community's cultural hub set in an older established location in town. The feeling of knowing that what books they chose to have been carefully selected gives a personalized touch to shopping.
Tip: Grab a souvenir from the Bookman. Their items are a bit cheaper than other places and are unique!
Tri-Cities Museum
A little local history never hurts. The Tri-Cities Museum, set in the middle of downtown Grand Haven, offers a window to the past while creating connections with the present. They even have a community curator case where locals can apply to showcase their collection in the museum.
Permanent exhibits feature the histories of the Odawa, Ojibwa, and Potawatomie, fur traders, pioneers,
Victorians, and various industries such as lumber, agriculture, the US Coast Guard, and retail sales that impacted the area—offering a delicate homage to times past. In addition, it gives a family aspect to history in a tangible manner.
Anna’s House
By this point, if you're like me, your starving! Anna's House is a locally owned retro diner-style restaurant that includes fresh, local ingredients in every dish. This is a beautiful stop for food because they have a large selection of meals for every dietary need, from gluten-free to dairy-free, to vegetarian to vegan. Everyone will find something to enjoy!
Tip: Don't pass up the coffee and juice bar options sometimes; there are seasonal wonders to be found!
Fortinos
Who doesn't love treats?! Fortino's has been a family-owned store for over 110 years in Grand Haven, with notions of it in the museum, and it's still in operation. So you want to go in and enjoy just a little bit of everything. From chocolates that melt in your mouth to jellybeans in every variety and small-town friendliness, it's a gentle reminder of all that's still right in the world.
Tip: Get the roasted nuts and a little chocolate. They still offer most things by the pound, so you can enjoy as much or as little as you want!
A little bit of history, a whole lot of fun.
The Midwest Miniatures Museum
This hidden gem is only a few months old and full of unique little pieces. It makes you wonder how a human moves their fingers that way to make all these tiny things look like big things? They boast large-scale works with 1:24 scale interiors like a traditional dollhouse and even smaller at 1:44th scale!
Admission is $8 for adults $5 for kids and is set in the historic Nathaniel Robbins House.
