Three days — Saugatuck art colony, Lake Michigan sunset, and the Kalamazoo restaurant scene.
Bell's in the afternoon, Union for dinner and live music. The Vine neighborhood for the walk back.
Live music venue with better food than the bar format suggests — the burger and the fish fry are solid. Good for an evening where you want both dinner and entertainment.
Bell's Oberon Day is the first official day of summer in Michigan — usually March 26 or the last Saturday of March. The Eccentric Café pours the first keg of the wheat ale with a ceremony. Kalamazoo residents show up in shorts regardless of the temperature.
If flying from a major hub, Chicago O'Hare has direct service to AZO. Detroit Metro also connects. Alternatively, Amtrak from Chicago Union Station stops in downtown Kalamazoo — the station is walking distance from Bell's.
Downtown Kalamazoo's main hotel — centrally located, walking distance to Bell's and the KIA. Rates $100–160/night. Nothing fancy but the right location.
Saugatuck is 35 minutes northwest of Kalamazoo — a small art colony on the Kalamazoo River where it meets Lake Michigan. The galleries on Butler and Water Streets, the chain ferry across the river, and Oval Beach are the sequence. The sand dunes at Mount Baldhead are a 300-foot climb with a view worth the burning legs.
Upscale waterfront dining in Saugatuck on the Kalamazoo River — the whitefish and the duck are the standouts. Outdoor deck with the best sunset view in the area. Reserve a table for sunset timing.
A 1,100-acre nature preserve with 11 miles of trails, a farm restoration, butterfly house, and natural history museum. Good for a final morning before the drive back. Free admission.
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