Every traveler has a destination they should have visited years ago.
Mine was Ludington.
Despite growing up in Michigan and spending years exploring virtually every corner of the Wolverine State, not to mention most of the world, I somehow never set foot in this city of 7,655 people on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, the second largest of the Great Lakes.
Ludington has an understated charm. Instead of sprawling resorts with budget-busting prices, the gateway to the Up North, the county seat of Mason County and the vaguely defined region of northern Michigan called Up North, offers an increasingly elusive American summer vacation.
Visitors stay in modest independent hotels, rent vacation homes, or pitch tents in nearby Ludington State Park. That makes Ludington considerably more affordable than Traverse City or Petoskey, which are located on the Lake Michigan coast or further upstream in Door County, Wisconsin.
Downtown is compact, walkable, and uncluttered. Flowers line the streets, American flags fly from lampposts and storefronts, businesses are mostly occupied, and neatly mowed lawns show that civic pride still matters. It feels like the kind of Main Street that many communities spend millions of dollars trying to recreate but rarely achieve.
The highlight is Stearns Park Beach. The white sand beach stretches approximately 850 feet and rivals beaches along the American Gulf in Florida and Texas. Admission is free. This is unheard of in many similar beach destinations.
Centuries before vacationers arrived with their beach chairs and coolers, French explorers and missionaries navigated these waters in canoes.
The most prominent was the Reverend Jacques Marquette.
Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century took the gospel to Native Americans while discovering the vast interior of what would become part of the United States. He died nearby in 1675 at the age of 37. His first burial site was in Pere Marquette township on the outskirts of the city, where the Father Marquette memorial cross is now engraved.
Marquette’s legacy can still be seen throughout the Great Lakes and Midwest. Cities, counties, schools, parks, rivers, lakes, and businesses are named after him.
The SS Badger is a 410-foot coal-fired passenger and car ferry that crosses 60 miles of open ocean between Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. More than just a tourist attraction, this voyage serves as an extension of U.S. Highway 10, allowing drivers to avoid the considerably longer drives around Lake Michigan. The route’s history dates back more than a century, when ferries began transporting rail cars across Lake Michigan. Watching the Badger train into the harbor feels less like a nostalgic tourist attraction and more like stepping back in time to a time when ferries were an important part of the country’s transport network.
Sometimes, the most rewarding journey is on the other side of the world. They’re close to home.
Ludington was one of those places for me.
If you go
Ludington is about a 3.5-hour drive from Detroit, 4 hours from Chicago, and 5 hours from Indianapolis.
Snyder’s Shoreline Inn is within walking distance of most attractions and activities. Travelers who prefer the intimacy of a chain hotel may want to book a room at the Holiday Inn Express.
House of Flavors is best known for its ice cream, but it also offers a full menu of comfort foods. For more upscale dining, consider Table 14 or Timbers Prime Steakhouse. The Old Hamlin is a reliable family-style choice.
Pere Marquette Winery is located near the Father Marquette Memorial Cross and produces wine from estate-grown vinifera and hybrid grapes. The tasting room is open on weekends.
Historic White Pine Village, an open-air museum, is also worth a visit. Ludington Harbor Maritime Museum. and two landmark lighthouses: North Breakwater Lighthouse and Big Sable Point Lighthouse.
Legacy Plaza will host the free Live in the Plaza Concert Series every Thursday through August 27th and every Friday from 6pm to 8pm through September 25th. The downtown plaza will also host a farmers market every Friday from 2pm to 7pm through September 18th.
At Stearns Park Beach’s Pure Ludington Sunset Beach Bonfire Series, residents and visitors enjoy bonfires, live music, and sunset views. The final two events of the summer are July 30th and August 20th from 8pm to 10pm.
Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post.
Dennis Lennox writes about travel, politics, and religious issues. He has been published in publications such as the Financial Times, Independent, Detroit News, and Toronto Sun. Follow @dennislennox on Twitter.
