With the weather cooling and the colors changing around Michigan, it’s the perfect time of year to plan a road trip, even if you can only get away for a day. There are plenty of easy, beautiful, fun day trips that you can take from Norton Shores.
Wineries of the Leelanau Peninsula
In less than three hours, you can be in the wine country of northern Michigan. The Leelanau Peninsula is home to many well-known wineries, including Cherry Republic, who produces cherry wines and foods from the cherries the area is famous for.
Golfing in West Michigan
West Michiganders have access to beautiful golf courses north, south, and right here in Muskegon County. North of Norton Shores, near Traverse City particularly, are courses known for hosting professional championships, including the U.S. and British Opens, since the 1950s. Players from around the globe now come to play the courses in Northern Michigan. To the south, golfers have several options to choose from, including Benton Harbor, Three Oaks, Gull Lake, and Battle Creek.
Closer to home, you can find great golf in Muskegon and Ottawa Counties, at clubs like Pigeon Creek in West Olive or the Muskegon Country Club. Right here in Norton Shores, you can get in 9 or 18 holes at Oak Ridge Golf Course, where the fairways are bordered by oak trees and the greens are rolling. A great game of golf could be right in your backyard.
History of Greenfield Village
On the east side of the state in Dearborn, Michigan, visitors can get a taste of American history at Greenfield Village, part of the Henry Ford Museum. You can see the lab where Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, the workshop where the Wright brothers built the Kitty Hawk Flyer, take a ride in a real Model T and steam locomotive, or wander through four real, working farms. You can step back in time in a three-hour drive from Norton Shores.
Christmastime in Frankenmuth
For many Michiganders, the turning weather of fall signals a need to get ready for the holiday season, and that means a trip to Frakenmuth’s Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland. Open year-round since 1945, Bronner’s is a one-stop destination for all things Christmas: trees, lights, stockings, outdoor decor, nativity scenes, ornaments, and so much more. Truly, Bronner’s is the world’s largest Christmas store, so you can feel festive regardless of the season.
Big City Fun in Chicago
An easy drive over state lines, Norton Shores residents can find themselves in the bustling city of Chicago in just a few hours. Conde Nast Traveler has called Chicago the “best big city in the world” five years in a row because of the unique and plentiful things to do that the city has to offer. The art, food, and theater scenes in Chicago are some of the best in the world, and “classic Chicago” offerings never disappoint. Take your picture at the Cloud Gate “bean” statue in Millennium Park, ride the ferris wheel at Navy Pier, take in a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, and stand on “the ledge” at Willis Tower. Whatever kind of adventure you’re looking for, you can find it in Chicago.
The fact that Norton Shores is so conveniently situated to take great day trips is just one of the benefits of living in our lakeshore city. And if you don’t feel like wandering that far from home, there’s still plenty to do in Norton Shores.
