Beaches and Peaches: Everyone is Welcome in the Art Coast of Michigan (Your weekend in the Provincetown of the Midwest)

By Bill Malcom

The Art Coast of Michigan (Saugatuck-Douglas-Fennville in Southwest Michigan) has long been

the Midwest’s answer to Provincetown. Miles of sandy beaches along Lake Michigan, two

great LGBTQ resorts, and lots of shops and restaurants make it a great vacation destination.

WHAT TO DO

Pick blueberries or peaches or pick some up at the farm stands or farmers markets. Hit the beach: Wau Ke Nah Nature Preserve has a great secluded beach (via a quarter-mile walk through a shaded forest) is my favorite. Just up the road is another great one, West Side County Park. North of Saugatuck is Laketown Beach where you hike up a giant sand dune to eventually get to the beach.

Hang out at the Dunes Resort Pool. Enjoy a DJ, have a cocktail, or play in the pool. They have a great T

Dance on Sundays at 4 p.m. complete with barbeque. Check out the LGBTQ history exhibit at the History Museum in Douglas. Explore downtown Saugatuck. Rent a bike at Elements. Go wine tasting at Fenn Valley Vineyards. Watch the sun go down on a Star of Saugatuck boat or at Oval Beach.

Hike up Mt. Baldy, the giant sand dune. Or take a one-mile hike to the beach at Saugatuck Dunes

State Park. Catch a show at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts

WHERE TO EAT

The What Not Inn is a local favorite. Try the perch basket. They have live music on weekend nights.

You will find them at 2405 68th Street in Fennville.

The Lakeshore Party Store has the best pizza plus homemade sandwiches. Located just north of

the Dunes Resort at 155 Blue Star Highway. They are open late as well.

WHERE TO STAY

I stayed at a bunkhouse room at The Campit Resort (www.CampitResort.com). It featured a private bath and shared kitchen. My friends enjoyed the Creekside camping area although another friend liked the New Horseshoe camping area. Campit has lodging options for every budget from camp sites to cabins as well as lodge rooms. Everyone is welcome at Campit. They have special events or a theme for every weekend, pool parties at night, and a food truck (as well as a coffee bar food truck on weekends). I love the Mardi Gras weekend which is their busiest. Their camp store has everything you would need. The pool scene is a lot of fun. You can hike around the huge property. You will find them at 118th Avenue inFennville.

Dunes Resort in Douglas is another option with motel style rooms as well as men’s downstairs rooms plus cabins. The pool and bar scenes are my favorite. Something goes on every night. This includes a T Dance and barbeque at 4 p.m. on Sundays. Tuesday features drag queen bingo and a cookout while

Thursday has karaoke. They offer a midweek special on room rates Mondays through Thursdays. Like

CampIt, every weekend has a theme. (Dunesresort.com) There’s always something fun and new to do in Saugatuck-Douglas-Fennville. I go every year. And bring back some blueberries

and peaches.

Poolside Bar ast The Dunes Resort

Bill Malcolm is North America’s only syndicated LGBTQ+ travel columnist. Special thanks to The CampIt Resort for their hospitality.