Heading to Michigan need tips

My wife and I are taking a vacation for a wedding in St. Joseph Michigan in September. We want to see the Henry Ford Museum and Greenwich Village. My question is how much time (day-s) can a person spend at each one of these places? We have a week to spend and ending the week with the wedding so we need places to see before that. Need to know where not to go (stay away from) and good places to go. Any input would be appreciated. We'll be coming from Illinois close to St. Louis Mo.

You can VERY easily spend an entire day each at Greenfield Village and at the Henry Ford Museum, if you like that kind of stuff. I do, it's very hard to check the stuff over the way I like to in only a day. If you like planes, go to the AirZoo in Kalamazoo, they have ALOT of cool planes, new, old, big, small. Then there is the Gilmore car museum in Hickory Corners, also down that way. Lots of neat stuff.

Ross

You can spend the better part of a day at the Henry Ford and Greenfield village. Both are time consuming if you like history. St Jo is a neat little town. Walk the pier, storefronts on the water, 3 or 4 miles south is a state park with sand dunes. Frankenmuth is a neat Bavarian town, 100 miles north of the HF and village. Plan on a day there if you go. World's largest Christmas store is there too. If you go have to try Frankenmuth fudge kitchen!

We did the Village and Museum in a day, not long enough but that's all the time we had. I think a truck plant is there also, so a tour of that might be good. When we were there they were changing year product line so it wasn't running but would have like to see it.
Have fun
Dennis

We live only a hour away but once stayed at a nearby hotel with some family and saw almost everything in 3 days. That's going through about every house and doing everything in the museum. I'd say 2 days is good.

Keep in mind it's three hours from St. Joe to Dearborn, and that's taking I-94 with no stops.

You can easily spend a day each in the Ford Museum (now known as "The Henry Ford") and Greenfield Village. You'll be rushed to do them both in a day; my recommendation is set aside two days and take your time.

I often take visitors into downtown Detroit. There is some incredible architecture there. However, if you don't have someone who's familiar with the D to drive you, it's best to stay out of the city because one wrong turn can put you in some very scary places. Here are some pictures I took of the Guardian Building and Michigan Central Depot. <a href="http://s804.photobucket.com/user/mark_in_michigan/library/Detroit%20Architecture">Detroit Architecture</a>

Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan, is a very fun town to visit and it's right on your way. It's also a great place to catch some live music at <a href="http://theark.org">the Ark</a>.

As for the previously mentioned Frankenmuth, it's about 90 minutes out of your way. I'm sure your wife will love it, and you should be able to locate the local brewery while she's shopping for knick-knacks. My wife manages to drag me there once a year, but that's my limit.

I second the Gilmore car museum. Could spend the better part of a day there. There are some good things to see in Detroit, just plan your trip and know where you're going. If you're into baseball, check out a Tigers game. Can get tickets on stub hub fairly cheap for week day games. Binder park zoo is on battle Creek, which is off 94 on your way to Detroit. Nice zoo.

I'll second the binder park zoo if you need to pass a day.

As Mark says, heading to Dearborn is as far opposite St. Joseph as you can get on the southern edge of the state. Figure a good 2.5 to 3 hours beyond St. Joe. Both those attractions are great, and 2 days there would be best. As mentioned, the Air Zoo in K Zoo is real easy to get to from the expressway, about an hour east of SJ. Bell's Brewery is also there, if you are a fan. There are maritime museums in South Haven and Grand Haven north of here 20 and 60 miles. Holland is an hour north and offers the Dutch Village and a real Dutch windmill reassembled there. We like to keep St. Joseph itself kinda small town (and I am on the outskirts of that!). There is a neat museum of machinery used to produce farm-related packaging just north of town, plus a world-class Nicklaus golf course on the water in St. Joe if you play. New Buffalo to the south has the Four Winds with hotel that appears top-notch. And South Bend/Notre Dame is barely a half hour south.

So, a cool trip would be head to Detroit/Dearborn for 2 days, another north to Saginaw/Frankenmuth, over West to Traverse City on Lake Michigan, then a day down to Grand Rapids or Holland along the Lake. End the week in St. Joe, calming down before a Saturday wedding. As always, PureMichigan dot org has a great trip planner.

The waterfront in South Haven is a neat place to walk around and not far away, but be careful. There's lots of cool shops that will hold female attention. Fortunately there are a few watering holes to relieve the pain. Great restaurant in the old bank building for lunch. It's where a $60 starter for my Allis B ended up at $300 by the time my wife got done shopping, but that's another story.

Across the river from St Joe is a city called Benton Harbor. STAY out of that town. Residents of St. Joe will not cross the river. Very high crime and lots of gangs. My daughter lives in St. Joe.

John,

You are coming to a great area and at a great time of year. As others have mentioned The Gilmore Museum at Hickory Corners, Michigan is a must see. It will be close for you and a wonderful place to stay near there is the "Bay Pointe Inn" on Gunn Lake. Beautiful rolling hills and most all the fruit and winery area along Lake Michigan will be in full harvest mode not to mention the colors. Web sites will tell you more of what I mentioned. If you are near St. Louis on the Illinois side of the river you must know of the " Our Lady of the Snows Shrine." I have a wonderful story about that place if you are familiar. Tom

(quoted from post at 01:40:37 05/18/16) My wife and I are taking a vacation for a wedding in St. Joseph Michigan in September. We want to see the Henry Ford Museum and Greenwich Village. My question is how much time (day-s) can a person spend at each one of these places? We have a week to spend and ending the week with the wedding so we need places to see before that. Need to know where not to go (stay away from) and good places to go. Any input would be appreciated. We'll be coming from Illinois close to St. Louis Mo.

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Heading to Michigan, any advice?" Yes....turn around!!!! ASAP!

A little southeast of St. Joe is Shipshewana, Indiana. A half a day trip is really neat, lots of stuff to see in an Amish/Mennonite area. Eat at The Blue Gate resturant, and spend some time in the little Yoder mall and look at all the work clothes and boots, and material for ladies.

we live about 75 miles SE from St joe. in Indiana

You could run south on US31 about 30ish minutes to south bend and see the Oliver (yes the PLow and TRACTOR family) Mansion and Studebaker Museum is right behind it. Both good to see. Unfortunately there is very little Farm stuff there despite being the Oliver residence.

There is also the Hesston Steam museum a few miles west of South Bend on IN rt 2. VERY neat but i'm not sure of the hours/days.

then there is the Hines museum errr i mean tractor junk yard (I jokingly say museum as they have about 1 of everything ever made around there tractor or not). could spend all day there. wear your boots for the mud, weeds and poison ivy. Only open Sunday and Mondays.

Greenfield and the Ford museum are also very good. quite a bit of farm stuff too. about 3 hours east

The Kalamazoo air zoo is not too far (about 45ish minutes due East on I94) and is neat to see. Last i was there it was free.

As someone else said you can go to shipshewana for amish food and stuff. there is also a small Hudson car museum there too. watch where you step around town.. $*&#^#@*^! horses anyway.