DaK decided to take a few days to explore the northern west coast of Michigan’s lower peninsula (including Ludington, Manistee, Frankfort, and Cadillac.) We haven’t spent much time in most of these towns, so off we went. We based our trip in Manistee in a brand new (opened the week we arrived) Hampton Inn right on Lake Michigan.
Manistee is an old, small town that is hanging in there with a cute main street and river walk, but not a lot to do other than enjoy the beautiful beach on Lake Michigan. So, we split up our time spending one full day each in Manistee, Frankfort, Cadillac and Ludington. Each offered different advantages. Along the way we visited at least one brewery in each town as well as biking in Frankfort and Cadillac. Surprisingly, there was also a nearby concert every day of the week including a Gordon Lightfoot cover band in Onekoma (20 minutes north of Manistee) and a jazz band from Detroit that performed right on the grounds of our hotel.
We started and ended our trip by discovering a phenomenal new brewery in Manistee on the east end of Main Street. Third Life Brewing Company opened less than a year ago and serves fantastic beer (bring in your own food). We met the brewer who was very friendly, knowledgeable and dedicates his beers to local customers. Summers on the Beach (12.25% abv) was one of the best Imperial Stouts I’ve ever had! Karen experimented with mixing two of their beers (a Belgian peach and a blueberry wheat) and really enjoyed it too!)
Published by