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Labor Day Getaways
Labor Day is the unofficial end to summer, so celebrate it in style. West Michigan offers a variety of ways to take in the last rays of summer, from triathlons to pot lucks and everything in between!
Nature Escape to Beaver Island
Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce
231-448-2505
www.BeaverIsland.org
Make the end of summer memorable with a trip to Beaver Island – the most remote inhabited island of the Great Lakes. Visitors can expect to discover a wealth of ecological resources, including nature preserves and state land available for walking and exploring. Approximately 35% of the Island – located about 30 miles north of Charlevoix in Northern Lake Michigan – is state forest land.
Most people come to Beaver Island for its abundant nature and solitude and much of what the island offers is free. With over 100 miles of scenic roads, old two-track trails and beaches, it is ideal for hiking and biking. Pristine woods welcome nature lovers for bird watching and photography, as well as sportsmen looking or hunting and fishing opportunities.
Visitors will find two established campgrounds on Beaver Island, both owned and operated by the Island Townships and open from April to the end of November. There are no reservations at either campground and the primitive sites are available on a first-come, first serve basis. Both campgrounds provide pit toilets and hand pumps, there are no showers at either facility.
Getting to Beaver Island is easy. The Beaver Island Boat Company runs from early April through December, with limited runs in the early and late season. The 32-mile ride takes approximately two hours. Fresh Air Aviation and Island Airways both provide plane service to the island. All three services operate out of Charlevoix.
Those searching for a truly removed up-north destination will find it on Beaver Island, one of the purist four-season vacation destinations in Michigan. When it comes to natural escapes, nothing compares to America’s Emerald Isle – Beaver Island.
Beaver Island Marathon
September 4 • 8 am
Beaver Island celebrates Labor Day weekend with the 2nd annual Harbor 3.5-mile Run, Half Marathon and Run Beaver Island – a Boston Marathon qualifying event – on Saturday, September 4. Described as “a most memorable marathon” this race offers tranquility and natural beauty – including sand dunes and the views of Lake Michigan – on Michigan’s largest inhabited island. Large crowds are found at every turn of this route, with a combination of dirt, clay, gravel and pavement. After the race, runners can enjoy a "dip" in the cool, pristine waters of Lake Michigan.
Castle Farms
Castle Farms
Charlevoix
231-237-0884
www.CastleFarms.com
Looking for the perfect chance for one last chance of guaranteed family fun before the new school year begins? Visit Castle Farms of Charlevoix, where self-guided tours are offered daily 10 am – 4 pm. Young and old alike thrill to tour the unique historic buildings, take a leisurely stroll through our magnificent gardens, visit the gnomes and fairies in the Enchanted Forest, or try their skill at a game of Giant Chess or Croquet. Royal family memorabilia, plus extensive castle, wedding, and antique toy collections are a must-see for avid enthusiasts.
The Alphabet Garden, Hedge Maze, Garden Railroad, and Children’s Treasure Hunt are guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face! During Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 4 & 5, 2010, Castle Farms is proud to host the Royal Craft Show. More than fifty vendors will be on hand throughout the Castle grounds displaying some of the finest arts and crafts to be found in the State of Michigan. Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm.
Free parking is available with a $3.00 per person Royal Craft Show admission fee. Children under 12 are admitted free. Food is available at a nominal charge. Pets are not allowed. Interested in taking a self-guided tour of Castle Farms while visiting the Royal Craft Show? Our self-guided tours featuring other areas of the Castle, plus our lush verdant gardens and historic grounds are discounted at a reduced rate during the Royal Craft Show event.
52nd Labor Day Bridge Walk
September 6 • 7 am - 11 am
Mackinaw Area Visitors Bureau
Mackinaw City & Mackinac Bridge
800-666-0160
www.MackinawCity.com
Join thousands of pedestrians as they participate in a long standing tradition, the Labor Day Bridge Walk. This is the only day of the year that walking the "Mighty Mac" is allowed.
Annual Labor Day Bridge Walk
September 6
Saugatuck
269-857-1389
www.Saugatuck.com
9 am (9:30 start) celebrate labor Day with the Saugatuck community and be a part of this fun tradition. The walk starts on the Douglas side of the Blue Star Bridge.
Labor Day Boardwalk
September 6
City of Holland
616-355-1130
Join the Department of Leisure and Cultural Services for our annual Labor Day BoardWALK on Monday, September 6, 2010. The walk will begin at 9 AM at the Kollen Park Boat Launch are and will continue along the Kollen Park Boardwalk and Window on the Waterfront to Windmill Island Gardens where a delicious all-you-can-eat pancake and sausage breakfast will be served for a nominal fee that will go to support the Recreation Division’s scholarship fund. In case of rain, there will only be a pancake breakfast!Breakfast Admission: Adults $5.00 / Children, ages 3 and up $3.00 Organized by: City of Holland Department of Leisure & Cultural Services
Labor Day Community Walk
September 6
White Lake Area Chamber
Montague to Whitehall, 10 a.m.
800-879-9702
www.WhiteLakeArea.org
Join White Lake in celebrating Labor Day with their very own community bridge walk, beginning at the Trailhead behind Whitehall Products in Montague, crossing the bridge into Whitehall, ending at the Chamber of Commerce. Walkers are encouraged to continue on to the White Lake Community Library.
”Grand Crossings” A Bridge Walk on Labor Day
September 6
Ah-Nab-Awen Park, 8:00 a.m.
Grand Rapids
616- 456-3168
You don’t have to go all the way to the Mackinac Bridge to join the annual Labor Day Bridge Walk. Join your neighbors, invite your friends. Participants can walk as many as five miles, the equivalent of the Mackinac Bridge, and cross as many as seven bridges. The route is wheelchair accessible and appropriate for all fitness levels. No sign-up is necessary. Please make sure you are physically able to participate. Mayor George K. Heartwell will lead the walk
Labor Day Weekend in Newaygo
Newaygo Area Chamber of Commerce
231-652-3068
www.newaygonaturally.com
Look forward to three full days of family fun in Newaygo on Labor Day weekend, highlighted by the Logging Festival in Brooks Park. For shoppers, Newaygo merchants will feature sidewalk sales while over 75 arts and craft vendors will have their products on display from Friday through Sunday. The Farm Market will be open from 2 to 7 pm on Friday.
Start the weekend with the Fireman’s pancake breakfast on Saturday morning and for lunch, plan on Chicken BBQ Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The daytime hours will also feature lumberjack events and chainsaw carving competition as well as a parade and the ever popular Firemen’s Water Battle. On Saturday night, adult visitors can quench their thirst at the beer tent and enjoy live music from 5 to 11 pm at the stage in Brooks Park.
Ranch Rudolf Does It All
Ranch Rudolf
Traverse City
231-947-9529
www.ranchrudolf.com
Way out west in Michigan, Ranch Rudolf in Traverse City does it all: dining, lodging, camping, horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, fishing or just plain relaxing. Ranch Rudolf is located just 12 miles southeast of Traverse City in the Pere Marquette State Forest on the Boardman River.
End-of-Summer Shanty Creek Packages
Shanty Creek Resorts
Bellaire
800-678-4111
www.shantycreek.com
You’ve worked and played hard all summer long. You deserve to kick back and relax, so spend your Labor Day with Shanty Creek Resorts and take advantage of their sweet end-of-summer deals before it’s time to start pulling the skis out of storage!
Spa Package: starting at $168 per person, this package includes one night’s lodging, dinner, a 50-minute Swedish massage and 15 percent off any additional spa treatment.
Lodging and Breakfast Package: starting at $69 per person, this package includes one night’s lodging, breakfast and up to two children ages12 and under eat Free.
Wildlife Abounds in West Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes
Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau
1-800-TRAVERSE
www.traversecity.com
In spite of its name, Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore isn’t a place where you’re likely to encounter bears in the wild. They’re around – especially at the southern end of the park around the Platte River – but they’re normally shy creatures who tend to stay away from people.
On the other hand, Sleeping Bear is a wonderful place to spot lots of other animals, from white-tail deer and porcupines to bald eagles and coyotes. In fact, coming face to face with wildlife is one of the thrills of visiting this unspoiled wilderness on the Lake Michigan coast.
Because of its rich interplay of natural habitat of vast dunes, lakes, streams, hardwood forests and cedar swamps, Sleeping Bear is home to many kinds of animals and birds -- including a number of species that are threatened or endangered. It’s not at all uncommon to come face to face with them while driving, hiking or paddling through the park, or to be serenaded by frogs and coyotes at night. In all, 50 species of mammals and 240 species of birds can be found here.
It’s one thing to hear about all the diverse plants and animals that survive and thrive in the unique terrain of the Sleeping Bear Dunes, and another thing entirely to experience it first-hand. Coming around a bend in the trail to see a mother deer standing in the forest with her fawns, or gazing down the 400-foot face of the dunes as a school of enormous lake trout glides through the blue water like a fleet of small submarines, is a truly unforgettable experience.
Logging Days
Sept 4 – 5 • 10 am - 5 pm
White Pine Historic Village
Ludington
231-843-4808
www.historicwhitepinevillage.org
The activities and interpreters will focus on past logging techniques in Mason County. Historic White Pine Village invites you to a non-denominational musical church service on Sunday at 10 am. The service will be held at the Great Lakes Pavilion located at the base of the hill from the White Pine Chapel. Following the service a Lumberjack Brunch will be served from 11 am until 2 pm. An Old Time Baseball Match will be held at 2 pm following the brunch. Step back in time and experience history close up.
Pure Michigan Labor Days
September 3 – 6
Crystal Mountain
Thompsonville
800-968-7686
www.crystalmountain.com
Celebrate all things Michigan at northern Michigan's newest summer tradition! A full weekend of fun, including Taste of Michigan (Saturday, 4 to 8 pm), featuring Michigan wines, Michigan craft beers and many other delicious foods & flavors from throughout the Great Lakes state.
Package includes:
· Two nights' lodging
· Admission and 10 food & beverage tickets for Taste of Michigan, 4-8 pm Saturday, September 4th
Rates start at $79 per person per night. *Rate based on a two-night stay, double occupancy in hotel accommodations. Taxes & service fee are additional
Enjoy these fun events at Crystal Mountain all weekend long:
~Friday, September 3: Farmer’s Market & Ice Cream Social
~Saturday, September 4: Taste of Michigan & Outdoor Float – In Family Movie
~Sunday, September 5: Labor Day 5K, Family Golf Scramble & Big Splash Pool Party
~Monday, September 6: 2-for-1 Community Day
Sample all the fun you can handle at special rates!
Park at Water's Edge: 2-for-1 passes
Crystal Coater Alpine Slide: 2-for-1 rides (single ticket)
Vertical Edge Climbing Wall: 2-for-1 climbs
WMTA · 741 Kenmoor Ave. Suite E · Grand Rapids, MI 49546 · 800-442-2084