Notes from the Art Coast
Five minutes from the cottage is a beach town that's been an artists' colony for over a century — galleries, restaurants, shops, ice cream - not a chain in sight. What follows are the places we actually go back to, not a directory.
Find your way
574 Campbell Rd, Saugatuck, MIA perfect Saturday
Torn from our notebook- 8 amLocal coffee from Uncommon Ground in the front yard, deer count optional. Or walk 15 min to Woosah Art + Coffee for artisan coffee.
- 10 amOval Beach before the crowds — or the 20-minute walk to Douglas Beach if it's a walking kind of day.
- 1 pmThe $2 chain ferry across the river, then shrimp tacos at The BARge.
- 2 pmWander Butler St. — galleries, shops, a Kilwin's cone for the marina walk.
- 4 pmBack across the river, climb Mt. Baldhead's stairs, or drive out to Modales for a tasting instead. Both are correct.
- 7 pmFried chicken at The Southerner, or grill at the house under the string lights.
- 9 pmFire pit. S'mores. Card games. The good kind of company.
- 10 pmHot tub under the pines. This is the part you'll tell people about.
The must-sees
Oval Beach
One of Condé Nast Traveler's top 25 beaches in the world. Summer parking is $10 and fills early — arrive early or bike in free. Off-season it's free and gloriously empty. Go at dusk at least once.
The chain ferry
Operating since 1857 — the oldest attraction in town. Two people and a chain crank you across the river to downtown Saugatuck in about ten minutes. Runs Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Mt. Baldhead & the peninsula
Head out Ferry St. and climb the stairs to the top of Mt. Baldhead for the best view in town, or keep going past the "no turn around" signs to the Ox-Bow art school and loop the peninsula trail.
Saugatuck Dune Rides
A 40-minute guided romp over the dunes with guides who moonlight as comedians. Tickets open exactly one week ahead — book right after midnight for your date.
Sunset cruise
The Saugatuck sunset from the water is the whole postcard. Sailing Saugatuck is our favorite — they book up weeks ahead, so reserve online early.
The art scene
Galleries line downtown, the Saugatuck Center for the Arts runs exhibits and theater, Ox-Bow hosts open studios, and the Express Yourself Art Barn lets you make your own.
Fruit picking in Fennville
U-pick apples, cherries, peaches, blueberries, and pumpkins just inland. Crane's Orchards, Overhiser Orchards, and Pleasant Hill Blueberry Farm are the ones we return to.
Downtown waterfront
Butler St. and Water St. are the browsing streets — shops, cafés, bars — and the marina walk gives you the river, the big summer boats, and the houses you'll pretend to shop for.
The beaches
Six within 15 minutesDouglas Beach
The neighborhood beach — quiet, tree-lined, family-paced, fewer crowds. The one you'll end up at barefoot again and again.
Oval Beach
The famous one. Long golden sand, dune grass, world-class sunsets.
Saugatuck Dunes State Park
2.5 miles of secluded beach behind 200-foot forested dunes. The wild one.
West Side County Park
Pavilions, playgrounds, boardwalks, restrooms — the easy-with-kids one.
Laketown Beach
350 stairs down (and up). Earned solitude with a view.
Pier Cove Beach
Smooth skipping stones and 1800s logging-pier history.
Eat & drink
★ = our top fiveBig menu right on the river, indoors and out. Get the shrimp tacos.
Astonishing fried chicken in an old house over the marina.
A local staple — great burgers in a cozy wood-cabin room.
Locally sourced plates among the trees. The tomato-fennel soup, always.
Quaint, upscale bar food with a serious drinks list. Try the tenderloin salad.
The Saugatuck coffee institution — they roast their own. Start every morning here.
Hand-made coffee, an easy walk from the cottage.
The go-to diner breakfast, eggs any way you can imagine.
Cute brunch with bottomless weekend mimosas.
The date-night steakhouse.
Pizza and craft beer — order the Phil Sticks, thank us later.
Pub food, darts, and shuffleboard.
An ever-changing local menu; the Greek salad endures.
Baked goods, sandwiches, salads, and picnic provisions.
An artsy wine bar with great outdoor seats and small plates.
The famous outdoor hot-dog-and-root-beer stand, right down the street.
House-made chocolate and ice cream for the walk back to the car.
Both deliver to the house. You're welcome.
Provisions & pours
Modales Wines
Up there with the best of Napa, twenty minutes from a Michigan beach. Must visit.
Evergreen Lane Creamery
Some of the best cheese we've ever had — buy it at the farm and meet the goats.
Crane's Pie Pantry
Winery, cidery, bakery, orchard — and the pies that justify the drive alone.
Saugatuck Farmers Market
At the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. Local produce, baked goods, flowers.
Lake Vista SuperValu
The in-town full grocery with a Boar's Head deli — plus firewood when you run low.
Getting here
By car
From I-196, take exit 36 toward Blue Star Hwy. Head west toward Saugatuck-Douglas, left at the Center St. light after 1.3 miles, right on Ferry St. at the stop sign, then left on Campbell Rd. — the house is up the hill on the right.
By air
Grand Rapids (GRR) ~45 min; South Bend (SBN) ~1h15; Kalamazoo (AZO) ~1h20; Chicago Midway ~2h15 and O'Hare ~2h45 for the most direct options.
By train
Daily Amtrak service between Chicago Union Station and Holland (~3 hrs), then a 25-minute drive to the cottage.
Hours and seasons change — the Saugatuck-Douglas Visitors Bureau keeps the definitive, up-to-date list of what's open when.