Planning a Girls' Trip in South Haven, Michigan

Looking for the perfect spot for a girls' getaway? Our book club of ten women, all in our 40s and long-time friends from a Chicago suburb, found it in South Haven, MI. When it was my turn to host, I suggested we take our love for books on the road. I chose a novel set in nearby Saugatuck and planned our trip around the book's themes. It turned out to be the perfect blend of relaxation, adventure, and literary inspiration.

The Summer Cottage by Viola Shipman is a book about Adie Lou, a character who renovates her family's summer cottage in Saugatuck, Michigan and operates it as a Bed and Breakfast.  In the book, Adie Lou speaks often about the charming rules she grew up with at her cottage.  Later, she names the bedrooms in her B&B after the cottage rules: 

1. Leave your troubles at the door
2. Soak up the sun
3. Nap often
4. Wake up smiling
5. Build a bonfire
6. Go rock hunting
7. Dinner is a family activity 
8. Ice cream is required
9. Be grateful for each day
10. Go jump in the lake
11. Build a sandcastle 
12. Boat rides are a shore thing
13. Everyone must be present for sunset
14. Shake the sand from your feet, but never shake the memories of our summer cottage.

I decided to use this list as the foundation of our trip.  Everyone blindly selected a rule which correlated to a room assignment.  Our plan was to make sure we did all of the rules over the weekend! You'll find how we incorporated the rules in italics throughout the text of this article.  

We arrived on Friday and did a quick Walmart pick up for essential groceries.  While eating lunch and enjoying a cocktail, it was clear everyone was happy to be there, so rule #1 was already achieved; we left our troubles at the door! 

We walked to downtown South Haven and giggled when our group was mistaken for a bachelorette party.  We continued on to a restaurant called Taste and found there was a bit of a wait.  South Haven is busy in the summer!  Side note: Taste does have a private room for up to 12 people which can be reserved for a $75 fee.

We were okay with the wait, put our name in, and headed to New Holland Spirits for cocktails. We sat inside for a round of drinks and then took a round to go.  Yes--South Haven has a social district! We were able to sip and shop.  

We woke up smiling ! After coffee, we walked to the South Haven Farm Market.  Many of us purchased items and were impressed with all the vendors! We continued on a fitness walk down the pier and around South Beach and then headed back to the house for a quick lunch while we got ready for our beach day! 

Soha Surf Shop offers kayak and paddleboard rentals at South Beach, so we rented two paddleboards for the day to keep us busy while soaking up the sun! We checked some more book club rules off the list: rock hunt, jump in the lake, build a sandcastle, boat ride on the shore (subbed for paddleboards)! We were relaxing in our beach chairs, so the nap often option was also available!  We debated renting a boat from one of South Haven's marinas, but a friend was driving up on Saturday, so we weren't sure on timing for the rental.  I have a list of boat rentals and on-water experiences for our next trip!

We catered dinner from a private chef servicing Southwest Michigan, Stephanie with The Good Company. The dinner was very gourmet! This was our family dinner. Normally ice cream is required when I go on trips to Michigan with my family, and we usually indulge at the South Beach Cafe near the pier at sunset. However, we were stuffed from dinner, so we counted Stephanie's peach cobbler dessert in order to check off the "ice cream" rule! 

After dinner, we walked down to the end of the pier ensuring that everyone was present for sunset. It was fun to see the boats come in from the lake while watching the sky turn its many shades of pink for its famous Michigan sunset. 

Once back at home, we "built a bonfire" at the fire table on the patio.  We sat around the table and talked until quiet hours at 10pm.  Respectful of the city's rules, we went inside to listen to music until bedtime. 

Yoga is a gratitude practice, ensuring we work toward being grateful for each day, which is rule #9! Jami from Bend Yoga was easy to work with to arrange a private yoga session for our group.  We highly recommend adding this to your girls' trip! Yoga on the beach was a resort-like experience.  

On a previous girls' trip, we scheduled a winery tour! I want to mention this because winery tours have become very popular in southwest Michigan, and we receive many inquiries about them (read more about wineries in southwest Michigan here)! Michigan has over 140 wineries and vineyards.  Most of the state's grapes grow within 25 miles of Lake Michigan and the shoreline regions are protected by the lake air from early frosts in the fall and early blooms in the spring. You can find more information about Michigan wine, beer, and spirit trails here. 

Back in 2020, we stayed in South Haven and our Hops Noggin tour guide picked us up right at our house.  The "Outback Wine Tour" at that time took us to three wineries and lunch at the Round Barn Public House. We went to Lemon Creek, Tabor Hill, and the Round Barn Estate.  We reserved a beautiful wooden cabana at the Round Barn which was set next to their grapes.  There was live music, a food truck and lots of wine! We laughed and danced and had the best time! Hops Noggin was great to work with and they even let us add on extra time at our last stop, the Round Barn Estate.  

While it is beautiful to go to an actual winery, you can also find wine tasting rooms right downtown South Haven at 12 Corners, Gravity, and Warner.

*Update 1/1/25 After 6 years, Hops Noggin is no longer providing tours.  You can find more tour options in our winery blog under "Transportation/Tours" here. 

We hope this article provided you with ideas for enjoyable things to do on your next girls' trip to southwest Michigan!

Anchor Point Premier Vacations would be happy to host your next group trip.  You can view our large properties (5+ bedrooms) here. 

*Book a luxury property in southwest Michigan here.