The lakes, the beaches, the sunsets…There is nothing quite like summer in Pure Michigan. And after this beast of a winter, I know we all are SO ready for it.
To kick-off the official first days of summer, I would like to present to you my list of 50 ways to have a Pure Southeast Michigan Summer. Be sure to comment with where you plan to head this summer in the comments! I’m always looking for new places to venture in Southeast Michigan and beyond.
- Visit Belle Isle {Detroit}
- Rent a duck {or dragon!} paddle boat at Kensington Metropark {Milford}
- Walk the grounds at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House {Grosse Pointe}
- Visit a new local farmers markets
- Visit the 4-H Children’s Gardens at MSU {East Lansing}
- Walk through the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and hike Nichols Arboretum {Ann Arbor}
- Watch a free outdoor concert
- Visit a county fair…and get family photos in a photo booth!
- Pick strawberries and blueberries at a local u-pick farm
- Ride a camel at the Potter Park Zoo {Lansing}
- Feed the giraffes at the Detroit Zoo {Royal Oak}
- Visit a new playground
- Take a Segway tour in downtown Plymouth
- Get ice cream for dinner at an ice cream parlor {Ray’s in Royal Oak, Guernsey Dairy in Northville and the MSU Dairy Store in East Lansing are some ideas!}
- Dine al fresco when possible {Zukey Lake Tavern in Pinckney is my personal favorite}
- Pack a picnic and eat it at Campus Martius or on the State Capitol’s lawn
- Learn about animals at Dominos Petting Farm {Ann Arbor}
- Attack the wave pool at Waterford Oaks {Waterford}
- Ride the carousel at Greenfield Village
- Head to a Detroit Tigers or Lansing Lugnuts game
- Visit a splash pad/spray park {Metro Detroit Mommy’s list is fantastic!}
- Go disc golfing at one of the hundreds of courses in Michigan
- Do a fun run or walk for a cause
- Go to a Breakfast On The Farm {free} event
- Go to the drive-in for a movie
- Attend a local parade for 4th of July or Labor Day
- Watch a movie under the strain your city
- Attend one of the many fireworks displays across Michigan
- Swim in one of the many lakes Michigan has to offer
- Visit a local library for a special event
- Get a free slurpee from 711 on 7/11 {Not super Michigan-y, but worth a mention, right?!}
- Try a new local place to eat
- Bike the Dequidre Cut and Detroit Riverfront {Bike rentals available with Wheelhouse Detroit}
- Host a Michigan-themed wine, beer and cheese party
- Camp!
- Make a “Michigan Cooler” with Vernor’s {or Faygo!} and Hudsonville vanilla ice cream
- Buy local and fresh eggs from a roadside stand while driving through the country
- Take a guided tour of the state capitol {Lansing}
- Take a guided walking tour with Preservation Detroit {These tours are excellent!}
- Bike, walk or run the Lansing River Trail
- Take a ride on the Genesee Belle Paddlewheel Riverboat {Flint}
- Visit and photograph a local field of sunflowers {They usually bloom in August}
- Take a train ride on the Huckleberry Railroad {Flint}
- Rent a canoe or kayak and paddle the Huron River with Heavner’s Canoes {Milford}
- Go out of your way to purchase a Michigan-made item
- Visit a local nature center {Howell Conference & Nature Center is amazing and has a great playscape}
- Try Stand Up Paddleboarding
- Admire the open-air art at the Heidelberg Project {Detroit}
- Take a Sunday drive to Hell, Michigan {if only because it’s super fun to say ;)}
- Play putt-putt golf!
What are you planning this summer to make it a memorable, Pure Michigan-style summer?
I’m waiting for the sunflowers! 🙂 Great list.
Me too! I reallllly hope they planted in all the fields I can think of! Make sure to keep me posted if you spot any, too 🙂
I understand they’ve planted some sunflower patches along Woodward in Detroit, so I’ll keep my eye out there, too!
Oooh, what an awesome idea!!
I know this is an old post, but I’m in the area and looking for great sunflowers – any hints this summer?
I saw a concert at DTE on Saturday (onerepublic!) and that seemed so Pure Michigan to me 🙂 so woodsy and nice there!
For sure. Love it there!!!
Great list! I’ve done some of them many times…time to get out and mark some more off the list!
Always fun to get new ideas from others. Glad there’s so much to do around us!
I have 20 splash pads on my list of things to do this summer… but all this looks fantastic too! OH my I wonder how much this would cost! LOL
thanks for sharing..
Some are free at least 😉 I included your splash pad list here…LOVE it!!! I need to find a day to hit up the one in Whitmore Lake. Every time I have a free day lately it’s raining!
We’ve done the u-pick strawberries and always go to Dexter to blueberry pick. We live just down the street from Ray’s so that a check, we live close to the zoo so go there often, but have never done the giraffe feeding. Tomorrow we are headed to Cook’s Dairy for ice cream, chocolate milk and a tour. I am going to do a 5K on September 6 in Ludington. I am going to be a judge for the Oakland County Fair on July 9th in the sign language and communications competition. And there is swimming at Spencer Park in Rochester Hills. A great little beach.
You are GOOD! The giraffe feeding is $5/person and totally worth it to do once in awhile 🙂 Just make sure to bring your camera! And go you with all your other planned adventures. Fun summer in store for you! Also, I hope the Climb Out of the Darkness walk was great — I wish I could’ve been there (ironically, I was helping with a baby shower)!
So far we’ve been trying out new playgrounds and we went to a Tigers game.
Both super fun things to do!! Hoping to do one more Tigers game before my baby arrives — they are so much fun!
I love that photo of Miss Karina! We just got back from Traverse City and I was saying how we need to do one of those Michigan trips every summer! Unfortunately, there was e coli in the lake so no swimming for us!
It’s one of my favorite photos too 🙂
And T.C. is SO fun! We did a big trip up there before kids and it’s time to go again. Hoping we can go for our anniversary next year.
Awesome list! Thanks for sharing. As homeschoolers I am always searching for fun ideas, even for the summer for enrichment. I see quite a few I would like to do. Thanks, Lauren!
We love going to the 4H Childrens Gardens at MSU.
Hoping to get there sometime in July!
Awesome list Lauren. I’m working on one for Mid-Michigan and will definitely be adding your list for more ideas! Thanks!
Awesome! Please share your list with me so I can add it here too 😀
I plan on coming over to your house when you have the Michigan wine beer and cheese party hahaha! And camping!
Do you know of any sunflower fields locations in which I can take pictures?
Joyce, I don’t know where you are located, but the only one I have seen is on Mason Road between Howell and Fowlerville near Munsell Enterprises. It’s beautiful right now!