Things To Do In Grand Haven
When I am not traveling I enjoy exploring the other small towns near my hometown. Grand Haven, MI is about 30 mins away from my hometown of Holland, MI and it is also located right on Lake Michigan. I enjoy exploring these small towns and seeing what makes each town unique. These are 5 of my favorite things to do in Grand Haven.
Swim At The Beach
Going to the beach is definitely one of the best things to do in Grand Haven during the summertime. Even though the water of Lake Michigan stays pretty cold all summer, it feels good to swim in the lake on a hot sunny day. Grand Haven State Park is a beautiful beach and it’s not too far from the downtown area. There is also a nice pier with a lighthouse that you can walk out on too.
Have Some Ice Cream
There are two good ice cream shops in Grand Haven that I know of. Dairy Treat is probably the most popular ice cream shop in Grand Haven. It is located right across the street from the boardwalk and Pronto Pups. Every time I have been there it has been very busy. They have a pretty basic ice cream menu but it is popular because of the location. One thing to know about Dairy Treat is that they only accept cash. Pronto Pups is a very popular corndog stand. Every time I have driven by the line has been down the street. Pronto Pups also only accepts cash. Another great ice cream shop in Grand Haven is Skoops. This is more of a traditional ice cream shop with lots of different ice cream flavors to choose from. This ice cream shop is less well known since it is not near the beach or downtown area but, their ice cream is really good. Having ice cream is one of my favorite things to do in Grand Haven (or any place during the summer) and both of these ice cream shops are great choices. If you are more of a frozen yogurt person there is a popular frozen yogurt shop in downtown Grand Haven called the Pump House. I have never been there before but I have heard it is really good and it is really cute inside.
Visit Downtown Grand Haven
One of the best things to do in Grand Haven on your first visit is to explore the downtown area. Downtown Grand Haven has lots of cute little shops and restaurants. One of the shops I really like is Patricia’s Chocolates. Patricia's Chocolates is located right on the main street and all of the different chocolate flavors are delicious. My favorite chocolate squares are the Saigon cinnamon and the Madagascar vanilla. There are two restaurants in downtown Grand Haven that I thought were good and worth mentioning. The first restaurant is The Toasted Pickle. This restaurant serves mostly sandwiches and other lunch foods. They also have great milkshakes. The other restaurant I would recommend is Pavillion Wharf Deli & Grill. This restaurant looks like a dollhouse from the outside. It is super cute! They have lots of burgers, sandwiches, and salads. I had one of their burgers and it was really good.
Drink Coffee at Jumpin Java
One thing I enjoy doing when visiting a new town is to check out the local coffee shops. My favorite coffee shop in Grand Haven is Jumpin Java. This coffee shop is located in downtown Grand Haven. I know I already mentioned downtown Grand Haven but I thought this place deserved its own paragraph. As you might have guessed, Jumpin Java is a frog-themed coffee shop. They have creative drink flavors and all of the drinks have frog themed names. Some of my favorite drinks there are the Peace Frog (mocha and caramel) latte and the Fire Belly (raspberry white chocolate) latte. I also had their seasonal lavender mocha latte and that was very good too. There are also great smoothies and frappuccinos at the Jumpin Java. This is one of my favorite things to do in Grand Haven so I have to go there every time I visit. If you are looking for a place to have coffee while in Grand Haven then this is the place to go.
Explore The Nearby Trails
If you are an outdoor person like me, you should definitely add exploring the nearby trails to your list of things to do in Grand Haven. There are two really great places with trails to explore in Grand Haven. The first place is Kirk Park. This is located about halfway between Holland and Grand Haven. This is a nice easy trail that leads to a beach area. Kirk Park also has an off-leash dog beach area. The other trails I enjoy in Grand Haven are at Rosy Mound Natural Area. These trails also eventually lead to the beach. These trails are much longer and contain a lot of stairs. If you don’t mind stairs then this is a great place for a hike. The beach is beautiful and there are two nice outlook points with seating.
Ever been to Grand Haven?
Have you ever been to Grand Haven? What are your favorite things to do in Grand Haven? Are there any restaurants or other things that you would recommend me to try next time I am there. You can check out the post about my hometown of Holland, MI here.