Like I mentioned in my article last week (found here: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/how-came-love-living-pure-michigan), I just happened to grow up in a small town. My hometown may be small, but there is always something going on, and if there's nothing going on, there are still all the museums and cultural sites to visit. Because Muskegon just so happens to sit on Lake Michigan, with 26 miles of shoreline and includes 57 more inland lakes, adding to the total shoreline mile count. I decided to put together a simple guide for visitors and locals alike, on popular attractions.Most of the items on this list are in or within a half hour drive of the city of Muskegon, but a few are a little bit farther. Be safe, but have fun!

1. The Best Way to Arrive to Town- The Lake Express Cross Lake Ferry.

This is a high speed ferry that takes both cars and passengers from Milwaukee to Muskegon. The trip takes two and half hours. It may be a little bit of an expensive trip, but it is well worth the cost, especially for those traveling with kids. The views as it's departing/arriving in the ports are gorgeous, in addition to the fun had on the top deck when it finally gets out onto Lake Michigan at full speed.

2. Visit a Museum or Historical/Cultural Site

There are so many that one could visit, that spending a month in town, may not be enough time to see all the museums and sites. Some include:
-Hackley and Hume Homes
Monet Garden
-Hackley Library - The first floor has beautiful stained glass windows and the second floor has really cool glass floors.
-USS Silversides Museum
-Pierhead Lighthouse Tour - you can see for miles from the top
-Drive down Scenic Drive to the Blockhouse - it used to be a fort that protected the Lake Michigan shoreline
-Muskegon Heritage Museum
-Century Club Shops
-Tour the Milwaukee Clipper
-Take a trolley ride tour
-Frederik Meijer Gardens
-Van Andel Museum
-Dutch Village
-Shelby Gem Factory
-The World's Largest Weathervane
-The LST 393 Ship
-Heritage Park
-Lakeshore Museum Center
-Scolnik Depression-era House
-Fire Barn Museum
-Muskegon Museum of Art - Sometimes they have a children's "make and take" day on the second Saturday of the month
-Any of the antique shops
-Frauenthal Performing Arts Center - it was built in 1929

3. Take a canoe or kayak trip.

Taking a canoe or kayak trip down the Muskegon or White Rivers can be a relaxing half day or day trip. They are surrounded by lots of different species of trees and other trees. It is a great way of spending time with loved ones and getting in some exercise at the same time. If you would like to take a trip on the Muskegon River and need to rent kayaks/canoes, Guy's Ultimate Kayak Service or Putters Creek have some that you could rent out.

4. Go on a hike or bike ride.

There are a few bike trails in the are, but two of the most popular are the Lakeshore Trail (12 miles) with that goes through downtown and has gorgeous views of Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake and the Musketawa Trail (26 miles), a secluded, yet safe trail. It goes past some old railroad landmarks, which is kinda cool. The Lakeshore Trail also has some benches and picnic tables to take a break during your trip if need be.

5. Take a class.
There are multiple gyms that offer different exercise classes outside. In addition, there are some yoga studios that offer a few classes outside. Yet another option is to take a class to learn how to Paddleboard. The sport of paddleboarding has become very popular in recent years, so it might be fun to learn how to paddleboard. I have seen teens to older adults in their 50's or 60's paddleboarding, so literally anyone can learn.

6. Check out the Farmer's Market, or better yet, visit a farm.
The Muskegon Farmer's Market recently moved to downtown and it is booming. There are stands with anything from fruits and veggies to flowers, pottery, bread (that is fermented the old fashioned way), bakeries, fair-trade Colombian coffee, and dozens of other vendors. On Saturdays, it can get pretty busy, and there might be a local band playing some music or other special event. The Streetwater Local Foods Market is an organic local farmer's market to check out as well.

There are also a couple farms close by that are worthy of checking out. One of them is Country Dairy. There you can take a tour of the plant and see how they package milk for sale or how they make their ice cream or cheese curds. In the farm store you can buy their delicious ice cream and for a small fee drink as much of their delicious chocolate milk as you want.

An actual farm that you can visit is Lewis Farm Market. They have a lot of different activities any time of the year, including a petting zoo and a corn maze. They grow over 25 different varieties of apples, peaches, pears, cherries, apricots, plums, nectarines, and other fruits/veggies that are in season like strawberries and asparagus, for example.

7. Want to go on a thrill ride? Then check out these attractions!
Michigan's Adventure - theme park and water park for one low price
Thunderbird Raceway
Whitecaps Baseball Game
Berlin Raceway
Craig's Cruisers Family Fun Center - mini golf, go karts, slick track, bumper boats, arcade, three locations - Muskegon, Grand Rapids, and Holland
Sports Complex in Muskegon State Park for luge (ice skating, hockey,luge in winter)
Mt. Garfield Motorcycle Hill Climb - every other August in even numbered years, (Aug. 7th, 2016 (I remeber watching this growing up and it was always really cool to watch))

8. Attend one of the many festivals.

All are at Heritage Landing unless otherwise mentioned.
Muskegon Bike Time - concerts, Blessing of Bikers (Motorcyclists), stunt show, tattoo contest, Rebel Road (July 14-17, 2016, Downtown, but check website for exact locations of each event, around the same time every year)
Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival - fireworks, parades, honoring the Coast Guard, carnival,car show, ship tours (July 29-Aug. 7, 2016, in Grand Haven, by pier, check website for specific locations for each activity, around the same time every year)
Unity Christian Music Festival - 4 days of popular Christian artists performing, super family friendly, (Aug.10-13, 2016, around the same time every year)
Muskegon Polish Festival - everything Polish related - food, Polka dancing, a Catholic Mass, kids activities, music (Sept. 2-4, 2016 at Hackley Park in downtown, this is the first I've heard of such a festival so I have not idea if it will be a yearly, bi-yearly deal or what)
Michigan Irish Music Festival - everything Irish related - music, beer, food, merchandise, dance competition (Sept. 15-18, 2016, around the same time every year)

9. Visit any one of the many (state) parks/beaches.
Things that must be done at least once at any one of the beaches include, but are not limited to: swimming in Lake Michigan, watching a sunset over Lake Michigan, camping if at all possible (personally, I think camping are better accommodations than staying at a hotel). A recreation passport is required to get into the state parks ($31 non-MI resident, annual; $9, non-MI resident, daily)
Kruse Park - has a dog beach for those traveling with dogs, and a boardwalk that goes over the dunes
Rosy Mound
Muskegon State Park - lots of trails for hiking and biking, walk the trails at Snug Harbor and you will be able to see an Eagle's nest, get ice cream at Hometown Creamery afterwards (see item #13)
Drive down Beach to get to Pere Marquette - sand volleyball, beautiful beach, there is always at least one bonfire pit at the end of the park by the lighthouse for public use, and then go on Lakeshore when leaving
PJ Hoffmaster State Park - if you decide to camp, here would be the best place, lots of nature activities for kids throughout the day, beautiful beaches (river and climbing large dune/rolling down make it more fun), take the Dune Climb Stairway to get amazing panoramic views of the Lake/dunes - it is well worth the climb, the visitor center is also really cool/interesting, especially for kids
Duck Lake State Park - continue driving on Scenic after visiting the Blockhouse until you get to Duck Lake State park and then hike to Lost Lake.

10. Visit a ranch and learn how to ride a horse.
Rainbow Ranch - offer horseback riding, lessons, and hay rides
Double JJ - offer horseback riding, lessons, indoor and outdoor waterparks, full rodeos on the weekends, cabins that are cute and comfortable (also offer tubing, sleigh rides, and dog sledding in the winter months)

11. For those over 21, go on a tasting tour/pub crawl.
rooftop deck and bar above Typsy Toad
outside courtyard Bar at Mike's
Pigeon Hill Brewery - they have some other good non-alcoholic beverages as well, like Faygo - a Michigan-based pop company (my favorite flavor is Rock N' Rye)
Racquet's Pub - a Chicago-style pub
Unruly Brewing Company
Hennessy's Irish Pub
The beer tent at Hackley Park during Parties in the Park on select Fridays
*all of the above are in order, within walking distance of each other and can be done in a pub-crawl style
12 Corners Vineyards Tasting Room

12. Eat at one of the dozens of local restaurants after a long day.
Restaurants with an "*" serve fresh fish from the Fish Monger's Wife (see next point). For full descriptions of the types of restaurants, check out the travel guide at the end of the article, but if you do, just know that The Brew House and That 70's Dough are both closed.

G&L
Max and Marley’s
Fricano’s - they have some of the best thin crust pizza's you can find
Lake House - they have beautiful views of the lake during dinner time
Hearthstone* - little bit on the pricier end, but food to die for
Boar’s Belly*
Se4sons Gastro Pub*
Mia and Grace*
Hennessey’s Irish Pub*
Rebel Pies
Curry Kitchen
Dockers
The Deck
Courses
Kazumi
El Tapatio
Pints and Quarts
C.F. Prime
Rykes - they make the best baked goods around
The Station
Biggby Coffee
The Coffee Factory
US 31 BBQ
Mr. Scribs Pizza
Toast ‘N Jams
soup at the Salvation Army
Dinner cruise on the Port City Princess
. . . and many, many more!

13. Visit some of the local specialty food shops (including many ice cream stands to get some dessert).

Health Hutt
The Cheese Lady - she has some of the best cheeses/oils you can find
The Fish Monger's Wife - fresh/smoked fish
Lakeside Emporium - some of the best candy around
Wayne's Deli
Coastline Deli - they have the most beautiful panoramic views of the city
Whippi Dip Ice Cream
Frosty Oasis Ice Cream
Frosty Cove Ice Cream
Hometown Creamery - delicious ice cream from an old fashioned ice cream parlor
Norm's Ice Cream

14. Enjoy some of the family-friendly nightlife.
Muskegon may not have any clubs or other nightlife geared towards young adults, but there are plenty of things to do for families after dusk.
Parties in the Park - select Fridays, concerts, food, family fun
Movies on the Beach - movies at Pere Marquette Beach
Movies on Deck - movies once a month on the LST 393 Museum
Worship on the Waterfront - Christian concert every Sunday featuring some big names in Christian music
Musical Fountains - fountains that "dance" to synchronized music with a different show each night, while you're in the area, check out Pronto Pups/Coney Dogs at Coney Land and/or ice cream at one of the shops
Getty Drive-In - old-school drive-in theater featuring four screens with double features on each

So, there you have it, your ultimate guide to visiting/enjoying Muskegon! Happy exploring!

But if that still isn't enough to do check out visitmuskegon.org for an events calendar, visitmuskegon.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/MuskegonCVB_guide2016_Web.pdf for a downloadable guide to visiting Muskegon, http://muskegon.org/go-muskegon/things-to-do/ for more things to do, http://www.michigan.org/travel-guide/ where you can sign up for a free Pure Michigan newsletter and travel guide, and Www.Michigan.org for free summer and winter travel guides.