Whether you’re plotting out the perfect Michigan destination in your travel atlas or just traipsing through the Midwest on your way to the coast, you can count on a pretty place to lay your head in the southwest corner of this state. Let the Double JJ Resort’s ranch rope you in and keep your cowpokes entertained with its waterpark, or relax in the quaint hotel suites of Yarrow Golf and Conference Center.

From flawless fairways fit for golfing greats to antique-stuffed institutions – like the Gerald R. Ford Museum – that give history buffs shivers up the spines, Southwest Michigan is much more than flyover country. Here, you can explore the wide open terrain and the lush riverside, rife with Hopewell tribe burial mounds and more than 400 animals at Lansing’s Potter Park Zoo.

You haven’t had a steak until you’ve tried one of the sizzlin’ sensations at Sundance Saloon and Steakhouse, overlooking Carpenter Lake. Hearty Mid-Michigan meals like that will keep you coming back, and there’s plenty more where that came from. The Butler Burger – Saugatuck’s 50-year tradition – is a must. And foodies will surely fancy Lansing’s AI Fusion Sushi and Grill.

How to Get Here

U.S. Highways 94, 96 and 69 run through Southwest Michigan and will get you to most bigger city stops.

Getting Around

With Michigan’s capital city more than an hour from other Midwest visitor-worthy spots like Grand Rapids and Saugatuck, you’ll definitely want to rent a car or drive your own when you visit. Car rental companies are located at most major cities and some local auto dealers offer rental services. Amtrak also runs through Lansing.