MUSKEGON, Mich. — Day Trippin' is back! This time, Meteorologist Sam Jacques and Photojournalist Doug Grevious packed up and headed out to Muskegon.
Winter adventures begin in Michigan’s next “it” destination. Enjoy 26 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, three state parks, 65 miles of natural and paved trails, or even learn to luge like an Olympian.
In the winter, Muskegon is a real-life version of Arendal, frozen everywhere and filled with magic.
Slide into your day trip at Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Complex where even the coldest days provide adventure.
Inside Muskegon State Park, this unique winter oasis awaits, where one of only four luge tracks can be found in the United States. Designed for all ages and skill levels, this wild ride is an experience you will never forget.
On-site, they also have a two-acre outdoor ice rink, a ¼ mile skating loop, plus over nine miles of marked and groomed ski trails. For just $10 you can snowshoe from low levels of White Pine Forest to the tops of Lake Michigan sand dunes.
Whether you are an expert or beginner like us, there is truly something for everyone.
"You know everyone wants to be bundled up at home but winter is a time where you can enjoy the outside and we have all sorts of activity and it's good for anybody," stated employee Jaeger Reynolds.
The next stop was Pigeon Hill Brewing Company. Here you can warm up from the inside out with one of their locally brewed beers.
"Muskegon embraces our downtown, we embrace local businesses, and we definitely embrace our beer," explained partial owner Michael Brower.
This self-proclaimed “merry band of misfits” takes beer seriously.
"We like to drink beer and we like to drink a lot of it. You can't do that if it's too thick, too heavy, and too sweet. So we set out to make beers that strike the right balance."
This allows them to make unique beers, like fan-favorite Don't Stop Believing, that you'll never look at as half empty but only as halfway to your next beer.
"Thank you to everyone in Muskegon and Grand Rapids and the whole darn state. We never dreamed that we would be, I guess, a local gathering place as large as we are, much less a brewery that is available throughout the state," Brower said.
Our final stop on this trip was at Lakeside Emporium located in the heart of the lakeside business district in Muskegon.
This is guaranteed to be the sweetest stop on your day trip, with a little something for everyone.
Here you can get wonderful homemade fudge, incredible chocolates and candies like saltwater taffy and Jelly Belly jelly beans.
"We consider ourselves the purveyors of all things pleasant and we hope that that includes the customer experience as well," stated owner Laureen Samples.
Laureen and Gary Samples built this candy shop one sweet treat at a time. Even being surrounded by sugar, they were still the sweetest ones in the room. Through these trying times they've taken a sour situation and made it sweet.
"We've had nine months of road construction that literally almost took the entire district down and as soon as that was over COVID began. So, it's been a challenging time. We're just extremely grateful that between curbside service, shipping, and now people coming in we were able to make it to this point."
So take five, be a sweetheart, and help them out of this crunch. You are sure to enjoy whatever you choose both now and later.
End your day trip with a stroll through Muskegon's fast-growing downtown, visiting a few of its historic sites, or capturing picture-perfect moments along the lakeshore.
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