We recently took a road trip up to Alpena, traveling along the east coast of Michigan. We stopped at all kinds of places along the way. Take a peek at our itinerary below and chime in with what we missed!
For every vacation we take, I ask my family, what is one thing YOU would like to do?
For this trip, my kids wanted to go in a lighthouse, go to a ship museum, go fishing, get a few pressed pennies and get candy. I wanted to see art. My husband wanted to try a new-to-us brewery. This road trip truly had things for all of us!
I will always tout the east side being one of my favorites for families. It’s much less expensive than the west side, and honestly it’s just a gorgeous. It’s a lot more “old school” type fun, which is definitely up my alley versus dealing with crowds.
{Huge shout out to Angela for providing us with a comprehensive list of ideas! They were so helpful!}
DAY 1: Traveling North
One of my road trip secrets with kids is to always pack the first day with fun. First, everyone is excited. Second, everyone still has energy — adults included 😉 The kids will likely want to sleep and just get home on the last day.
Here’s where we stopped:
- Shine Bright Saginaw Art Silos – The giant silos in downtown Saginaw have recently been painted…and they are huge, colorful, and FUN!
- Cabela’s Outpost in Saginaw – My kids love this store and my oldest wanted to stop for a pressed penny and a new hat.
- Grabbed McDonald’s on the road – Because that’s what they like on road trips 🙂
- Wilson Cheese Shop – Pinconning – We grabbed some meat and cheese for adult charcuterie later, and my middle got her wish of getting a giant jawbreaker from the candy area.
- Freakin’ Pickles – Au Gres – I’ve always wanted to stop! I enjoyed the horseradish pickles the most, but you can get as many free samples as you’d like.
- Gateway Park – Tawas City – This quirky park with large cement animals hasn’t changed much over the years, and is a fun spot to get out and run around. Just look out for goose poop!
- Ben Franklin Store – East Tawas – One of the neatest souvenir/gift stores in the state IMO. Plus, they have pressed pennies!
- Sturgeon Point Lighthouse – Harrisville – Check hours because the schoolhouse, tour and tower climb {$3/kids, $5/adults} are really cool! We absolutely loved the docents here, too.
By the time we wrapped up all of our stops, it was time to check-in to the cottage, enjoy the lake, and have dinner at the house.






DAY 2: Alpena
On this day, we stuck around Alpena to check out the different sites.
- Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center – This was a great place to start our day! It is such a neat museum that highlights the more than 200 shipwrecks that lay in the bay around Alpena. And it’s FREE to visit!
- Shipwreck Boat Tour – Unfortunately ours was canceled due to wind, so we had to improvise with some other ideas. I wanted to include the link though because I hear it’s amazing!
- Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan – This was our rain day plan, and I’m so glad it worked out! It was such a neat museum for an affordable price {$5/adults; $3/kids}. We enjoyed the planetarium, old streets, and the animal exhibits. There also is a fossil digging area in the back, but rain kept us from visiting.
- Austin Brothers Brewery – {closed Sunday and Monday – FYI) We visited for a late lunch/early dinner. This place not only had great beer {I’m super picky}, but also food. We all enjoyed our meal here, and the hubby was happy to try a cool brewery.
Back home to relax for awhile. Since it was raining, we opted to head back into town for some more fun.
- Bob’s Bullpen – Played games for 30 mins for $5 each and enjoyed some old school arcade games
- Downtown Scoops – Had to get some ice cream, because if your kids are like mine, ice cream = vacation.
Lee’s Mini Golf was also on our radar, but the rain kept us away. This is the oldest miniature golf course in Michigan!





DAY 3: Ossineke & Alpena
- We started the morning with a photo op! Because how can you not pull over for yet another Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox sculpture? {There are lots in Michigan!} Fun fact: This was made by the same artist the created Dinosaur Gardens.
- Connie’s Cafe – This cute breakfast spot has a beautiful garden, a Little Free Library, and grilled cinnamon rolls that are to die for.
- Dinosaur Gardens – This prehistoric park is classic roadside attraction fun dating back to the 1930’s. It’s $10/person to walk through and so much fun.
After some relaxing back at the cottage, we ventured out again.
- Fishing on the Thunder Bay River – This is one of our favorite pastimes, so we always bring some fishing poles on vacation. We only caught some baby rock bass, but it was still fun to try.
- Cedar Panning Co. – This tourist destination allows patrons to pan for gemstones and crystals. Buckets range from $10-$100. My kids came away with some cool gems!
On the way home, we grabbed pizza from Mancino’s and enjoyed the beauty of Lake Huron.





DAY 4: Travel home
Watch the sunrise before heading home because it’s 100% worth waking up for. {Just let the kids sleep an get a moment of quiet!}
Have you been to this area of the state? If so, what places did you love?
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