A Family Weekend in Whitehall, Michigan

We recently spent a long weekend in Whitehall, Michigan, and it ended up being such a fun mix of slowing down, exploring somewhere new and packing in a few really memorable family experiences.

If you’re looking for a family-friendly West Michigan getaway, here are three places I would absolutely add to your list.

Where We Stayed: The Maple Tree Inn

The home base for our weekend was The Maple Tree Inn in Whitehall. The Inn was an experience in itself.

What originally caught my eye when I was searching for somewhere unique, fun and kid-friendly was their Lakeview Family Suite. It has three beds all in one large, open-concept space along with a full kitchen and dining table. I immediately loved the idea of it feeling like one big family sleepover.

Then I started looking through their photos and just knew we would connect. The style was spot on with what we love. Beautifully designed, but still comfortable and welcoming for families.

And then we met Sally Schrock.

Sally is one of those people who genuinely thinks about how she can make someone feel at home, and you see that reflected in all the little details throughout the Inn.

The thoughtful touches were everywhere, from the cutest Maple Tree Inn merch to Sally leaving her family’s favorite popcorn recipe with all the ingredients to make it. She even had an espresso machine and locally roasted beans waiting for us, making this the first trip I didn’t have to pack my own machine! If you know me, you know that alone won me over.

She pays attention, gets to know her guests and thinks about the details that will make their stay feel special.

Sally even hosted a small meet and greet at the Inn where I had the chance to meet some lovely women, share our story and sign cookbooks. It was a sweet part of our weekend.

The property is so charming. Picture a white picket fence with White Lake and the boat docks in the background, a cozy fire pit area with all the s’mores fixings, and a big lawn where the kids could run and play. It felt quaint and beautiful without feeling like somewhere we had to worry about having young kids.

We even had the chance to meet some of the cleaning and maintenance team during our stay, and by the end of the weekend it genuinely felt like we were surrounded by friends.

There were quite a few restaurants on our list that we didn’t get a chance to try, which just gives us another reason to come back.

One spot we did make it to and really enjoyed was The Gnarly Heifer. They make really good smash burgers, and the casual outdoor picnic-table atmosphere made it especially easy with kids.

Side-by-Side Riding in Manistee National Forest

One of our favorite adventures of the weekend was renting side-by-sides from Back Road Rentals and riding through Manistee National Forest.

Back Road Rentals was only about a 15-minute drive from the Maple Tree Inn, which made this really easy to add to our weekend.

And yes, we brought the kids! Ours range from 3-6 years old, and they had an absolute blast.

There are so many cool places along the way where you can stop, get out and explore the National Forest.

We stopped about halfway through our 3 hour ride at a beautiful scenic spot, unpacked a picnic and took some time to enjoy the view before getting back on the trails.

We got muddy and dirty, explored, laughed a lot and had so much fun. It was one of those activities that was just as fun for the adults as it was for the kids.

If your family loves being outside and wants to add a little adventure to your trip, this was 100% worth it. We had such a great experience with Back Road Rentals and would absolutely do it again.

A Full Day at Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo

Our other big adventure was Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo. When I say you can spend an entire day here, I mean it.

We did, and it still didn’t feel like enough time.

There is SO much to do for every age. Jumping pillows, playgrounds, barrel train rides, pedal carts, apple cannons, paintball, a splash pad, U-pick flowers, pumpkins and apples, a huge corn pit, pig races, tons of animals to feed and interact with, great food and so much more.

I still can’t believe how much they have packed into one place.

Something else that really stood out to us was the staff. Every person we interacted with was genuinely friendly and helpful.

Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo was such a gem and easily one of the highlights of our weekend. We can’t wait to go back!

One Last Stop in Grand Haven

On our way home, we realized Grand Haven worked perfectly with our route, and since it was a Michigan town we hadn’t explored yet, we decided to make one last stop.

We grabbed coffee at Aldea Coffee, which was so good and worth adding to your list. From there, we walked along the pier toward the Grand Haven lighthouse.

There are plenty of sandy beach areas where the kids can play, plus a public playground right by the beach. It was a perfect way to end our trip.