Charlevoix Michigan: Top Things To Do! Discover Endless Beaches, Cool Sites and Great Eats
Charlevoix Michigan: Top Things To Do! | By Sherry Trautman | Travel-MI.com
Charlevoix Michigan is home to endless sandy coastlines, great eats, Gnome Homes and exciting events throughout the year. Plan to stay for a day to relax and explore this wonderful lakeside town!
Charlevoix was our first stop to kick off our west coast Michigan fall color tour. The leaves were just beginning to change to their vibrant hues of reds, oranges and yellows. The cool snap of fall was definitely in the air! Our first top was (of course) the World's Largest Cherry pie!
World's Largest Cherry Pie!
6549-6717 US-31, Charlevoix, MI 49720
SO GUYS, this is such a fun and famous spot to discover! It's so easy to find, located on US-31 south of downtown Charlevoix Michigan. Bet you can't resist a selfie in front of this giant pie pan!
Charlevoix Michigan Lighthouse and Beach
2 Grant Street, Charlevoix
The Charlevoix lighthouse is such a wonder to see when the sky is stormy and the light is perfect. Of course it's gorgeous all year but we really lucked out with the stunning beauty on this visit.
The lighthouse was repainted the summer of 2016 by the help of a grant from the State Historic Preservation Office Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program. Now it's shiny and pretty!
The Charlevoix beach is a great place to spend the day. It has a great play area for kids, walking trails and nice restrooms with changing areas.
Tour a REAL Castle!
Do you love exploring castles, embarking on tram tours, wine tasting and wandering botanical gardens? Castle Farms is for you!
Earl Young's Mushroom Homes
So...I truly think your trip to Charlevoix would be amiss if you skipped searching for Earl Young's Mushroom Houses. Also known as gnome homes, these private homes are marvelous to find! We turned it into a game!
We have maps and information about these architectural wonders found right in Charlevoix, Michigan!
Downtown Charlevoix Michigan
We just love wandering around Downtown Charlevoix. It is so picturesque with the pretty storefronts, eclectic restaurants and shade trees.
One of my favorite things to do in Charlevoix is to get a snack and wander around the marina. The paved walkway is easy to navigate and is quite peaceful. There is a pretty fountain that has concrete seating and restrooms nearby.
Sparkling water and beautiful boats always tug at my soul.
It is also a great vantage point to enjoy the Weathervane Inn, a creation of Earl Young.
Be sure to pack a rain coat for inclement weather!
Things to do in Charlevoix for Young Visitors
Be sure to check out the Fountain of Youth, an interactive children's fountain located near the marina. The fountain features a textured fountain pad for little feet and is approximately 30 feet in diameter.
But the best part? It has 23 scream-inducing water nozzles! It is especially pretty in the evenings as the fountain is lit with beautiful multi-hued LED lights.
Pig Eatin' Ribs
Pig Eatin' Ribs-1418 Bridge Street, Charlevoix, Michigan
After checking out the gnome homes, exploring the beach and walking to the beautiful lighthouse, it was time for some serious eats!
Just to clarify, this wasn't a tiny girlie garden salad type of hunger....we wanted some tasty pork with all the fixins!
We passed Pig Eatin' Ribs while driving into Charlevoix earlier that morning.
Chris is ALWAYS in the mood for bbq (it could be 9:30 am and he's all about it). Usually I try to distract him if I see a bbq restaurant sign coming up as I like to expand our culinary experiences to food other than bbq but this place was an exception.
We loved the modern design and their from-scratch cooking. I'm a sucker for open kitchens so I was delighted to see them loading the smoker with tasty ribs!
We shared a platter of tender ribs with macaroni and cheese. We played chef while mixing the different sauces to see what flavor combinations we could conjure up.
I also ordered the tomato cucumber salad that I highly recommend-it was crisp and very flavorful.
I hope this post inspired you to visit this beautiful Michigan coastal town. We will be adding more fun things to do in Charlevoix Michigan as our list grows, so check back often!
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