A Guide for Welcoming Family & Friends to Southwest Michigan

Things to Know Before Arriving

Whether your guests or you are visiting Southwest Michigan for the first time or have called this beautiful area along Lake Michigan home for years, there’s always something new to discover. As a host, keeping up with everything to see and do can be a challenge, especially for each of the four seasons. Use these pages to help kick-start your planning:

A First-Timer’s Guide to Southwest Michigan
This guide is packed with seasonal things to do, where to eat, drink, stay over and more. You don’t have to be a first-timer to find suggestions.
Why This Is a Top Michigan Destination to Visit
While best known as a summer vacation spot, Southwest Michigan is a four-season wonderland. Take a look at each season below for what awaits.

When Is Harvest Time?
For decades, one of the best reasons to visit family and friends in Southwest Michigan has been gathering our bountiful harvest of fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs and Christmas trees. Our farms, some over 100 years old, excel at making time on the farm so much fun that families and friends have come for generations. This guide provides the locations of our farms and farm markets, along with the best times to pick your favorite produce.

Save time with these planning tools

Fast and Easy Planning
This page has everything you need to make your guest’s visit the best — from itineraries to what to do in each of our towns.
AI Trip Planning Tips
Whether your guests are first-time or repeat visitors, Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini can help you create a personalized and unforgettable time together. Check out this step-by-step planning guide.

FREE Things to Do

You and your guests can spend hours feeling carefree without spending money. From strolling along Lake Bluff Park to playing corn hole at the Silver Beach Carousel to standing on the South or North Piers watching sailboats and Great Lakes freighters come and go, you can fill a day with simple joys. Find what is free below.

Kids 🩷 Visiting Here

Southwest Michigan is a fun-filled destination for kids of all ages, from curious toddlers to adventurous college students. Your two biggest challenges? Fitting your top picks into one day and convincing the kids to stop playing when it’s time to go!

Ways to Entertain 21+-Year-Olds

When adult family and friends are in town, they can easily fill their time playing and relaxing outdoors, but two ways to entertain them rain or shine are:

Follow the Makers Trail
Every land has its makers. Carvers of wood. Forgers of steel. Tillers of earth. Ours are makers of wine, beer, ciders and spirits. Come experience their craftsmanship with your visitors. Discover over 40 artisans, many just a short drive from each other. Taste a liquid masterpiece. Tour their cellars. Revel at their festivals. These are great places to catch up with each other.
Explore Our Natural Route: Cannabis Dispensaries
Bring your guests along our Natural Route with over a dozen cannabis dispensaries offering remedies and relaxation.

What to Know Before Visiting a Dispensary for the First Time
If you will be visiting one of our cannabis dispensaries, we want you to be at ease and come back to try new products. Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Cannabis Terms You Need to Know

Aerial view of Silver Beach.

More Favorite Activities for All Ages

A visit to Southwest Michigan doesn’t have to strain your budget. Check out these recommendations that range from thrilling boredom-busters (even teens won’t whine) to much-needed relaxing time for catching up.

Things to add to your bucket list

An artist at work at Chalk The Block.

Plan Visits Around Our Festivals and Events

Our region brims with so much activity from week to week and town to town. Explore our creative scene with art exhibits, live music performances, plays and enriching lectures. Or show up for our popular annual events like the Ice Fest, Chalk the Block and the Berrien County Youth Fair. These are just a snapshot of the good times and memories that await. See what’s happening on our events page.

Give Guests Memory-Making Experiences

When friends and family visit, they don’t just want to do things, they want to experience what makes this area special. From visiting award-winning wineries, breweries and distilleries to lighthouse tours and one-of-a-kind adventures, Southwest Michigan offers unforgettable ways to get to know the place you call home better. Here’s a list of featured experiences to explore.

accessible mural two men on the sidewalk in benton harbor one is in a wheelchair

Invite Visitors to Take Our Prize-Earning Challenges

We all need incentives to get out of our ruts of going to the same places again and again. So, we’ve created a series of challenges to encourage your guests and you to discover more about Southwest Michigan. We will take you tasting at more wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries, delight you with top-notch art and performances, show you where to find more murals and discover our scenic trails on foot, bike, kayak and more.

To sweeten each challenge, the more places you visit, the more great rewards you can bring home. And there’s no limit to how many of these challenges you can do. Here is how to join the adventure.

Where to Eat and Drink

Feeling hungry? Let’s take care of the cooking for you! There’s no need to spend your visit tied to the kitchen when Southwest Michigan offers a deliciously diverse lineup of restaurants, cafes and drinking establishments to satisfy any craving. From classic American favorites to spicy international dishes, fair-trade, freshly brewed coffees and scoops upon scoops of ice cream, there's something for everyone. Here’s a taste of what awaits!

Planning a large gathering? No problem—our local caterers and event spaces are ready to handle the work while you relax and enjoy.

Southwest Michigan Welcomes Everyone

Southwest Michigan has taken pride in welcoming visitors and residents for centuries. Whatever brings your family, friends or you here, it’s wonderful having you!

Our most wheelchair-accessible and sensory-sensitive fun spots

Do any of your guests need to go to wheelchair-accessible destinations? Or does one of your visitors have sensory sensitivities that you want to make sure they feel welcome and comfortable? This free accessibility guide makes everyone’s visit better.

We love visiting pets, too

Is your guest’s furry best friend coming along? They will have a tail-wagging good time, too. This pet-friendly guide has travel tips, locations of our dog parks and beaches, where to hike, what shops, dining and drinking places are happy to host the “whole” family and more.

How to Get Here

It’s easy to find Southwest Michigan. Our region borders Northern Indiana and Lake Michigan. Most visitors drive their vehicles here, but you can arrive by personal boats, Amtrak train or personal aircraft, too. We are also near major airports. This Finding Southwest Michigan guide is all you need to get your family and friends to where the best times begin!

Transportation while here

There is limited public transportation service in Southwest Michigan. But as a resident, you can reserve the Berrien Bus or Dial-a-Ride services to take you and your guests almost anywhere in the county, Monday through Friday, for a nominal fare. Or tailor your needs with two dozen transportation services that you can reserve for tours and concierge services. You will also have a blast getting places with options like Scooter Joe’s Surrey bikes, Southwest Michigan Cycleboat, boat rentals and the free St. Joseph/Benton Harbor Water Taxi.

Community Resources

Each of our town pages has links to the community services and resources. In case of an emergency, please call 911. If you need assistance finding organizations that provide essential services to help your guests, call the United Way of Southwest Michigan 211 referral number.

Should healthcare needs or emergencies arise during the visit, please contact Corewell Health Lakeland-St. Joseph.

And if you have questions or need more information about Southwest Michigan, reach out to us. We are ready to help.

Where to Stay

If you cannot house your guests or if your visitors prefer to stay in their own space, Southwest Michigan has over 25 hotels with the amenities and rates they will enjoy most. There are lodgings with swimming pools, game rooms, complimentary breakfasts, free Wi-Fi., business centers and rooms large enough to host family reunions and parties. Their staff specializes in making guests feel at home.

If you need to reserve 10 or more hotel rooms, we can help you find the accommodations and rates to meet your needs. To get started, try our Group Planner.

We hope to see your family and friends soon … and often.

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