Trip Ideas
Change Forum
My sweetie and I are both between jobs and live in Bloomington, Indiana. We're looking to take a few days to drive up to saugatuck (or thereabouts) to be near a big body of water in a charming town. Looking for cheap but nice accommodations, nearby beach (swimming not necessary, just a great view), cute shops and good eats. Any ideas for two broke but willing travelers? We can spend about $400 not including gas money. Thanks!
Book Your Next Trip
Check hotel rates and airfares around the world.
Find a great deal?
Tell us about it.
Hotels
Flights
Packages
Cars
Upper Michigan ideas for a broke but willing traveler?
7 Replies | Jump to last reply
|7 Replies |Back to top
|Sign in to comment.
Recent Activity
View all United States activity »
- 1
NYC Trip Report: Solo Female traveller with a penchant for wandering
- 2 Las Vegas to Durango, CO info
- 3 New Years DC
- 4 Broadway Banter
- 5 Snorkel Maui in Jan 2010
- 6 nyc alone on thanksgiving
- 7 What hotel would you recommend in San Francisco?
- 8 Eureka, California, Restaurant?
- 9 NYC in Dec. for a first timer
- 10 How bad will DC be during Sping break?
- 11 SeaTac to Centralia, and return in one week
- 12 Travel from Charlotte to Greenville, North Carolina
- 13 4 Days In L.A. - Please review my itinerary, suggestions very welcome
- 14 Hawaii in December '09 - 15 days
- 15 first time on a plane
- 16 Help/info needed on Oregon roads
- 17 Bus to/from Washington DC and NYC
- 18 LGA Long-Term Parking
- 19 Siesta Keys in December
- 20 West Coast Recommendations
- 21 Public Transportation from DC to Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles (Air & Space Hangars)
- 22 Going to New Orleans to EAT
- 23
Philadelphia Old City...but don't stay at the Thomas Bond House
- 24 NeoPatrick is coming to town--GTG on Dec 29 or 30?
- 25 Après Art Basel: Jungle Island, Miami Zoo or Everglades Alligator Farm?
This time of year is great for camping. Check out the Michigan State Park system. The parks should be a lot less crowded now.
A tip about your post...when you mention "Upper" Michigan, everyone is going to think you mean the upper peninsula. Saugatuck is lower, lower Michigan.
Leave the swimsuits behind. Water temp last Thursday 71. Today---50. Should bring the fish in.
The Holiday Inn Express never seems to have any business. Maybe they are "flexible" in their pricing.
Food: Chequers; Clearwood Country Club ($10 dinners); Everyday Cafe;
I don't know too much about Saugatuck, but Grand Haven is just north of there about 20-30 mins and is a kind of hip summer hangout of sorts. They even have an incredibly cheesy "singing fountain" with free "performances" at night. I definitely wouldn't go there just for that, but if you are up for a laugh (in my opinion) after checking out the sights, head to the fountain.
For $300 you can get camping equipment (tent, sleeping bags, stove, light, etc.) at Target or K-Mart that will last you many weekends of camping.
http://www.nps.gov/piro/index.htm
A good place in the UP to use that camping equipment if you decide to buy it.
check out www.priceline.com to name your own price. go to www.betterbidding.com , www.biddingfortravel.com and www.hotwire.com to get a real hotel deal, which is where you can save most money.
35 years ago a great boss recruited me to Grand Haven and, showing me the sights on interview night, drove us past the "world's largest musical fountain", which he had been instrumental in its develpment. A complex engineering effort for the time. I was hard pressed not to giggle. (got the job)
Cheesy? a very descriptive adjective. But some locals never miss a performance, can you believe.
The world seems full of such attractions, which are best advertised in the USA.
There's "world's largest smiley face water tower" in Nebraska, for example.
I could go on, but