Road Trip! 3 Areas Under 90 Minutes to Check Out This Weekend

If you’re staying close to home this weekend, but want something new to fill a day, there are some great day trip choices right here in southern lower Michigan. I’ve plotted out a few fun directions to take with lots of options to explore in each area. The drives are all under 90 minutes, so you can set off on your road trip after breakfast and make a day of it, being home as early as dinner time or as late as bed time.

I dug deep to find some really interesting (and some a bit wacky!) places to stop. These are not your everyday destinations, but they ought to make for some fun memories on this road trip. Have some laughs, take some walks, or really go on some cool adventures. The choice is yours, just go and have a bit of fun!

road trip, weekend

ROAD TRIP WEST TO JACKSON

THINGS TO DO:

Bike or Walk Falling Waters Trail, with a Stop at Historic Park | Jackson, Spring Arbor, Concord

Take a Self-Guided Tour (Select from Underground Railroad, Architecture, and More) | Jackson

Stroll the Grounds of the Historic Michigan State Prison/Armory Arts Village | Jackson

Rent a Bike or Walk Around at Cascade Falls Park | Jackson

Drive by one of the Oldest Continually Operating Rail Stations in the US | Jackson

Rent a Kayak or Paddleboard at Vandercook Lake | Jackson

Head to Springport Speedway | Springport

Check out the Wooden Concrete Bridges at McCourtie Park | Somerset Center

Test Your Truck or Take a Guided Offroad Tour at Bundy Hill Offroad Park | Jerome

Visit St. Joseph Church and Shrine | Cambridge

PLACES TO EAT:

Grand River Brewery | Jackson

Ironbark Brewing Co. | Jackson

Virginia Coney Island | Jackson

Rocky Top Beer & BBQ | Jackson

Jackson Popcorn Depot | Jackson

Gilbert Chocolates | Jackson

Ice Cream at The Parlour | Jackson

Beach Bar | Clark Lake

Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm Restaurant, Brewery, & Cidery Cement City

Bundy Hill Diner | Jerome

The Deck Down Under Jerome

ROAD TRIP NORTHWEST TO LANSING

THINGS TO DO:

Rivertown Adventures Kayak, Canoe, Bike & Paddleboard Rentals | Downtown Lansing

See Lansing’s Rotary Steam Clock | Downtown Lansing

See the World’s Largest Lug Nut | Downtown Lansing

Walk the Lansing River Trail | Downtown Lansing

Hit the Urban Beach at Rotary Park | Downtown Lansing

Visit the Malcolm X Homesite Marker | Lansing

Hike or Bike the Northern Tier Trail | East Lansing

Stroll MSU’s Campus & Take a Pic with Sparty | East Lansing

Go Golfing at MSU’s Forest Akers | East Lansing & Lansing

Do a Tasting at Ellison Brewery & Spirits | East Lansing

PLACES TO EAT:

The Cosmos | Downtown & East Lansing

Arcadia Brewing Smokehouse | Downtown Lansing

Midtown Brewing Company | Downtown Lansing

Bowdie’s Chop House | Downtown Lansing

Saddleback BBQ | REO Town Lansing & Okemos

Lansing Brewing Company | Lansing

People’s Kitchen | Lansing

Meat BBQ | Lansing

The Peanut Barrel | East Lansing

Punk Taco | East Lansing

Hopcat | East Lansing

MSU Dairy Store | East Lansing

Food Trucks | Click for Options & Locations

ROAD TRIP NORTH TO FLINT

THINGS TO DO:

Visit Stepping Stone Falls | Flint

Take a Drive by Flint’s Weather Ball | Flint

Relax at Bluebell Beach | Flint

Drive by and Pay Homage to the Vernor’s Mural | Flint

Catch a Movie at the Drive-In | Flint

Hit the Batting Cages at Bullpen Sports | Flint

Play (or just visit) a PGA Golf Course | Grand Blanc

Toss the Flying Disc at Goldenrod Disc Golf Course | Davison

Buy Some Yard Art at Stonecase, the Lawn Ornament Capitol | Lennon

Stroll the Grounds at Curwood Castle | Owosso

PLACES TO EAT:

Redwood Steakhouse & Brewery | Flint

Tenacity Brewing with Vehicle City Tacos | Flint

Blackstone’s Smokehouse | Flint

Flint Crepe Co. | Flint

White Horse Tavern | Flint

Italia Gardens | Flint, Grand Blanc, Davison

Oliver T’s Market & Tasting Room | Grand Blanc

Little Joe’s Tavern | Grand Blanc

Starlite Diner & Coney Shop | Burton

Lennon Cafe | Lennon

Greg & Lou’s | Owosso

What kind of road trip will you head off on this weekend? We would LOVE to hear about it! If you’re heading to a cookout, checkout some of my favorite Recipes to Feed a Crowd.

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Jessica Lukenbill
Here at Detroit Mom, I am surrounded by an awesome community of women who have helped me find a place where I feel I truly belong. I’m a proud foodie who keeps crazy busy with cooking and canning, gardening, decorating, craft projects, and more. My husband of 19 years is Jason, and we have Gwenna, 11, and Larson, 7, as well as a silver Lab named Indy. We have lived in New Hudson for almost four years now. Mid Michigan is home for me, but after my husband graduated college, we spent 16 years moving around his home state of Indiana. Just prior to moving back to Michigan, we lived in Southern California for three years, exploring and extreme-adventuring with our kids to every beautiful outdoor location we could find. We are the family that spends more weekends away than at home, and our kids are master-level road-trippers. Most of our summers are spent at the lake, where I'm convinced it's not a proper summer without a dip in the water every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Reach out and say hi sometime!

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