Budget Michigan Birthday Trip

[bear_mom]

Frankenmuth does sound like a good day/1 night trip. Where does everyone stay at Boyne? This might be a good option. It looks like there is a lot of things to do. Then we could head over to Mackinac Island for a day and then leave early if the kids don't like it.

Boyne has a hotel at the ski hill, where the water park is. If you don't want to stay at the ski hill, there will be other hotels in the area.

Emily

 

[JulieMoe]

I'd recommend staying in Dearborn and doing one day at the Greenfiekd Village. The second day, you could either di the Detroit Zoo (really an excellent zoo, if your kids like zoos), the Detroit Institute of Arts, or the Detroit Science Museum.

 

[ashleyasiegel]

If your kids like rollar coasters definately make the trip to Cedar Point in Sandusky! Loads of fun...Michigan Adventure is nice too but it is a smaller park but includes their water park. Kalahari is a ton of fun. Most of the hotels in Sandusky are overpriced/not very nice. There is a Great Wolf lodge there also if you don't want to do Kalahari. If we are only go to CP for one day we tend to drive the hour back after the parks to stay in Toledo. They have a nice zoo also.

HTH!

 

[TinaMcTeer]

I second the Double JJ ranch. Located just northwest of Grand Rapids. I am a little partial as I am employed there. There is alot to do. They have horse back riding and lessons. They have a rodeo on Saturday nights with a pig roast that is really delicious, a hay ride and wagon rides. An indoor waterpark and an outside pool. Close by there is Michigan's adventure which is a lot of fun as well. There are alot of options as far as different rooms that you can stay in. Everything from standard hotel rooms (The loft hotel), To three bedroom suites and Family cabins and log homes. Feel free to PM if you would like more information.

 

[Happy vacationer]

I live in the thumb and would highly recommend going to Sandusky Ohio for Cedar Point and/or Kalahari Water Park. We've been to splash village in frankenmuth and there really isn't much for older kids to do in the water park. Kalahari is awesome. There are so many water rides and it's all indoors. Cedar Point is a must do if the kids like roller coasters at all.

 

[budbeerlady]

I second the Double JJ ranch. Located just northwest of Grand Rapids. I am a little partial as I am employed there. There is alot to do. They have horse back riding and lessons. They have a rodeo on Saturday nights with a pig roast that is really delicious, a hay ride and wagon rides. An indoor waterpark and an outside pool. Close by there is Michigan's adventure which is a lot of fun as well. There are alot of options as far as different rooms that you can stay in. Everything from standard hotel rooms (The loft hotel), To three bedroom suites and Family cabins and log homes. Feel free to PM if you would like more information.

Have to say Double J rocks! Dd cannot wait to go back to the gold rush water park. IF your family has some horse experience they offer a horseback trail ride that is cantering for part of the ride. Most places will NOT offer this, usually we are stuck on the walking down the rail, trot for 100 feet type of a ride. This is a huge draw for us! http://www.doublejj.com/

Dd loved the stagecoach ride thru the campground and the steakhouse on property had great food and the best breakfast! We stay in the loft building and its just peaceful at night over looking the golf course.

Michigans Adventure is fun and just up the road from Double J. They have the waterpark and the rides. http://www.miadventure.com/
(2 parks for the price of 1 is their slogan.) We love Disney and go at least once a year but the fun is these places are NOT Disney and fun in their own way. And we can be there in about an hour and a half drive time.

I love Ludington, the state park was where I spent all my July 4th weeks growing up. But camping is expensive if you don't have the supplies up here and they are very booked! Dd gets bored in the town of Ludington. Besides ice cream at house of flavors and watching the badger leave she doesn't want to stay long. The hiking is nice, fun to walk the beach to the lighthouse. Just not maybe so fun for a kids Birthday.

Traverse City is nice, Great Wolf lodge is fun but like any other water park. Dd is bored in town and just wants to play in the water park.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

We have two grandkids - 14 and 11 right now - and we are thinking about taking them to Greenfield Village for a couple of days. Any comments?

Former GV historical presenter here. It's a great place to take kids! It really is a 2 day trip, if you want to do the museum and the village. If you only have 1 day, though, stick with the village. There's so much for kids to do and see in the village, but the museum is really just a lot of exhibits.

Oh, and ask the Firestone Farm people about their sheep. Trust me, they really want to tell you about their sheep.

As for local hotels, the Dearborn Inn is just down the road and very nice, but pricey (lots of weddings get hosted there). The Greenfield Inn is a bit farther down the road (just on the other side of the freeway) and significantly less pricey.

Mind you, I disagree that Mackinaw is a poor choice for a 9 year old girl. Does she like horses? Then she'll like Mackinaw.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

My 12 yo says that the Henry Ford is awesome because it has many of the presidential cars. It also has the chair that Abraham Lincoln was shot in.

Actually, HF has both the Lincoln chair and the JFK car. So yes, two items in which US presidents were killed. Morbid, but cool.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

If you decide on Boyne we have stayed in the mountain grand lodge 3 times. It is very nice, and the water park is in there. We also have stayed in the creekside condos 2 times. The one we stayed in had a hot tub that my kids loved at night! We usually go in the winter to ski, but we did go once in the summer. The time we went in the summer they were having some activites going on so it helped to entertain the kids.

Boyne doesn't have too much for kids besides the water park in the summer. The good thing is you can get to the Petosky/Charlevoix area from there. We love spending time there. You can spend time at the beach, mini golf, ride bikes, etc. My kids love hunting Petoskey stones at Fishermans Island State park. We spend 5 days there without getting bored. We are also spoiled Disney people. We hate being bored on vacation.

My boys also love Mackinac Island, but they like biking, history, and shopping.

 

[FLAngie]

OP here. Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions! I thought that it would be hard to find some place. Now it is going to be hard to pick one out of all the possibilities.

 

[Microcell]

We have two grandkids - 14 and 11 right now - and we are thinking about taking them to Greenfield Village for a couple of days. Any comments?

I went with school when I was about 10 and I loved it! I am a nerd though and love to learn. Henry Ford Museum is right there and I liked the old cars and they have strange things too, like the actual chair Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot and Thomas Edison's last breath. I am not joking.. Those were the two strange ones.. but there is alot to see there that isn't strange!

In Dearborn you can also go tour Henry Ford's house "Fairlane". It is close to University of Michigan Dearborn.

Someone else mentioned the Detroit Zoo.. which I also loved as a kid and it is in Royal Oak. The main street area is lined with cool stores and restaurants to check out! I had a paper route on that same street in the 80's when I was a kid.. it has really changed alot! It used to be a sleepy little town, and now it is the coolest place to be!

I have had good luck getting the Hyatt Regency Dearborn for cheap on Priceline, though you could possibly choose it at hotels.com. The mall it is close to is kind of scummy anymore, but I grew up in that area so the hotel (which still looks nice) holds special memories for me. Who knows, the mall could be better now.. it has been about 6 years since last I went.

 

[hinodis]

Another michigander here. My vote is for Mackinac Island. We have been going there for the last 11 years with three kids. We stay overnight on the island and we stay for about 10 days. My kids have never been bored for one minute. They spend their time riding bikes and playing outside. Its like back in the day when I was a kid and you would get up in the morning and go outside and play all day. Nature provides the entertainment on the island, no need for ANYTHING electronic there. Mission point resort has great packagesthat include the ferry ride to the island. Frankenmuth is not a real kid friendly place. It is all about shopping and eating the chicken dinner.