A Long Weekend in Ludington Michigan
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How to spend a long weekend in the hidden gem of Ludington Michigan.
I love the Michigan beach towns that line up Lake Michigan: South Haven, Holland, St. Joe’s, Saugatuck… but during the summer, these towns can be over crowded, expensive and difficult to find available lodging. That’s how we made our way just a little further north - about 4 hours from the city of Chicago - and into Ludington Michigan.
To be honest, when I planned this little family getaway, I didn’t know anything about Ludington, so we didn’t even end up staying there. Instead, we stayed in Irons MI, about an hour East of Ludington, but we ended up going to Ludington a couple of times during our trip, because of how fun the cute little town is! However, much of my itinerary is spread out in and around Ludington, so you can definitely opt to stay outside of the town like we did.
My long weekend itinerary includes:
Exploring Ludington
Sand dune rides
An adventure farm & zoo
Dairy farm markets
Day trip to Traverse City
Additional day trip ideas
Take some, leave some, spread it out over more days, or look up other attractions that I may have missed! Either way, you’re guaranteed to have a fun and relaxing vacation with your kids.
Photo of House of Flavors owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow
Day 1: Explore Ludington.
The town of Ludington is not particular large, but it is a really cute area to just walk up and down the main streets and explore the shops and restaurants. You can easily spend just 1 day there, or opt to explore it over the course of 2 or 3 days.
Sandcastles Children’s Museum
If you have young kids, the Sandcastles Children’s Museum is a must-visit. I would say that it is best enjoyed by kids ages 0-9 or 10. It truly does have something for everyone though!
The museum itself is kind of small, but there is just so much to do, that you can easily spend at least 2 hours here. There is a lot of imaginative play, such as a baby nursery, a grocery store, a farm and a post office. My kids especially loved the bubbles area, where you can explore and make bubbles in different shapes and sizes. There’s even a climbing wall for the adventurous ones and a calming corner for those that need to take a little break for a bit.
Check out all the exhibits they have here!
Sandcastles Children’s Museum Exhibits
Keep in mind that it can get a bit crowded. We went during the week, but there were school field trips that came in; I imagine the weekends are busy as well.
Lunch & Dessert
This restaurant and brewery has really good elevated bar-type food and a full bar menu. There are gluten sensitive options too [the food is still fried in the same oil as items containing gluten]! And most importantly, it is very kid-friendly. In addition to the indoor restaurant seating, there is also an outdoor deck, a beer garden, a room for private parties, the tap room and the actual brewery where you can request an in-person tour. We did not experience anything outside of the restaurant, so be sure to call ahead for which of the other areas are also kid-friendly!
We’ve definitely spoiled our kids to expect that every vacation we take *requires* a trip to a local ice cream shop. In the case of Ludington, that shop is the House of Flavors…. in fact, we stopped here 3 times over the course of the long weekend! It is Michigan’s largest ice cream manufacturer and it produces 28 million gallons of ice cream each year. The location on Ludington Ave is actually a restaurant too, but we didn’t get a chance to try any of their food menu. But if it’s as good as their ice cream, then it definitely warrants a stop for lunch or dinner. FUN FACT: House of Flavors holds the Guinness Record for the world’s longest ice cream dessert— coming in at over half a mile long!
Stearns Park Beach
Photo of Stearns Park Beach owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow
Let out some energy with more fresh air by heading over to Stearns Park Beach. It was quite chilly when we went here during the month of June, so we didn’t swim in the lake, but we still had a wonderful time playing in the sand and dipping our toes in the water.
But what I really like about this park area is that there’s a wide open playground in the sand that the kids really enjoyed playing in. It has pretty simple play equipment, but it kept my kids entertained for at least an hour.
Runner-Up Attractions
Ludington State Park Beach
8800 M-116
Ludington MI 49431
Historic White Pine Village
1687 S Lakeshore Dr
Ludington MI 49431
Day 2: Dune rides & farm fun.
This day can be spread out amongst 2 separate days if you wanted to, but the locations are pretty close to each other, so we opted to squeeze it all into one day. Both Mears MI and New Era MI are about 35 minutes South of Ludington.
Mac Wood’s Dune Rides, Mears MI
Knowing we were close to Silver Lake Sand Dunes, I really wanted to try a dune ride, but with a 6yo, 3.5yo & 8 month old twins, an off-road vehicle would be out of the question. I thought all hope was lost, until I came across Mac Wood’s Dune Rides! This 40 mins dune buggy ride is extremely kid friendly and we were able to safely wear our babies in a front carrier.
Our middle son especially, had such a blast! Just don’t forget to bring an extra jacket or sweater - it can get a bit chilly on the ride.
Before or after your ride, be sure to stop at their souvenir gift shop and have the kids play on the outdoor playground. They also have a small museum on site to explore.
Country Dairy, New Era MI
We stumbled across this Country Dairy farm, and boy, am I glad we did! We ended up coming here a couple of times during our stay, just to east lunch at their market & cafe. They have really yummy salads, wraps, burgers and soups; and not sure if they still do this, but when we went, they had FREE chocolate milk! You can eat inside the cafe or enjoy your meal outdoors at their picnic tables. There is even a little playground that your kids can enjoy, while they wait for their food.
But the real attraction of this place are the farm tours! There are many options to choose from, including a classic farm tour, or horse or calf encounters. During the winter, there are horse-drawn sleigh rides.
Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo, New Era MI
Both my husband and I agree, that if and when we go back to the Ludington area, it would be solely for Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo! We came here for just something fun to do with the kids and it ended up being such a wonderful surprise. We assumed it would just be a small little farm that would take no more than an hour to go through…. we ended up staying here for over 2.5 hours! Among the many animals you will see are alpacas, camels, capybaras, kangaroos, miniature horses and sloths, as well as encounters with a few of these animals. In addition to the petting zoo, they also have adventure attractions such as a barrel train, pedal cars, rope courses, a corn barn, a carousel and soo soo much more! The farm market has fresh fruit from their orchard and a bakery. Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo is an absolute must!
Day 3: Day Trip to Traverse City.
Traverse City is worth a separate vacation on its own, but from where we were staying, it was only about an hour drive. Please note that from Ludington, it is almost a 2hr drive. We did not end up going to any specific attractions here, but we had a great time just walking up and down Front Street, stopping in a few shops and of course buying fudge at Doug Murdick’s Fudge, and also walking through The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. We also spent some time at Clinch Park Beach and grabbed some pie at the Grand Traverse Pie Company. On our way out, we took a photo of the World’s Largest Cherry Pie Pan.
Photo of Clinch Park owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow
Additional Recommendations
Great Lakes Children's Museum
13240 S W Bay Shore Dr
Traverse City MI 49684
Gallagher’s Farm Market & Bakery
7237 E Traverse Hwy
Traverse City MI 49684
The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park
1490 Red Dr
Traverse City MI 49684
Quick stop on the way home.
Up North Farm Market
About 20 mins South of Ludington and on the way back home to Chicago is the Up North Farm Market, which has a great market & deli and also a FREE petting zoo. For the kids, there’s an outdoor play area that includes a play house and traditional style swing set, and for the adults, there’s a farm bar with 8 different beers and cider on tap.
You don’t have to wait until your last day to visit here either; it’s a quick enough stop to fit into one of your already-planned days.
Other day trips.
Jones' Homemade Ice Cream Shoppe
858 Michigan Ave
Baldwin MI 49304
40 mins East of Ludington
World’s Largest Brown Trout Sculpture
915 Michigan Ave
Baldwin MI 49304
40 mins East of Ludington
Cotton Creek Farms
11885 Jewell Rd
1.5 hrs North of Ludington
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
2 hrs North of Ludington
For more vacation itineraries or travel tips, be sure to check out my travel page.
All photos in this post are owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow.
*All opinions in this blog post are my own and I’ve received no incentives*
It’s so easy to plan a staycation when you live in or so close to such an amazing city as Chicago. Between the world-class museums, popular tourist attractions, outdoor parks and beaches, broadway theater and so much more, you will never come up short of ideas for the perfect staycation!