Places to Visit in Michigan’s Thumb

Share Our Happy!!

Not that I would have ever needed an excuse to head back to Caseville, being that I spent many summers there as a young girl, but we all know how it goes, putting things off. Next thing we knew, it had been 18 years since we made our last trip up to Michigan’s Thumb, and Caseville. Wanting to share our love of brewery hopping with others, was just the excuse we needed to stop procrastinating, and take that Michigan Thumb Road Trip. Enjoy these 7 places to visit in Michigan’s Thumb!!  

Caseville, One of Our Favorite Places to Visit in Michigan’s Thumb

Screen shot map of places to visit in Michigan's Thumb

With a couple different road trip itineraries, we chose to head out toward Caseville first. It’s just over an hour drive from Frankenmuth to Caseville, so here’s our first tip…..eat breakfast before heading out!! You don’t pass much on the way. Some of us were pretty “hangry” by the time we reached Caseville.

Lefty’s Diner

Lefty's Diner in Caseville, Michigan, places to visit in Michigan's Thumb

As we entered town, Lefty’s Diner was right next to the roller rink I used to frequent during summers as a youngster. Lefty’s has a great menu of fresh homemade diner staples. The wait staff was super friendly, and you could see how well they know their regulars!! 

The handcut chili cheese fries, grilled ham & cheese, steak sandwich, and onion rings were enough to fuel us for our next stop. 

Key North Family Fun Center

View from bottom of big slide in Caseville, places to visit in Michigan's Thumb

Let’s just say I was beyond happy to see Caseville still had their famous “Big Slide” I loved as a child. Back in my summer days, it was just the slide and putt putt. Over years, go karts and other activities have been added to the fun!! 

Dad's and child on big slide in Michigan's Thumb,places to visit in Michigan's Thumb

Last time we visited, back in 2000, we only had our oldest, so this was the first time on the big slide for our younger girls. 

View from large slide in Caseville, Michigan, places to visit in Michigan's Thumb

Also our first time all doing go karts together!! So much fun adding new adventures!! 

Large slide at Key North Family Fun Center, places to visit in Michigan's Thumb

After some research, I wasn’t able to find an answer to how old the big slide is, but I do know it was there in the 1970’s. So I know it’s t least over 40 years old!

Caseville County Park

Beach at Caseville County Park in Michigan, places to visit in Michigan's Thumb

Celebrating 100 years this year, Caseville County Park is where our trailer was when I was a young girl. We were able to drive through so I could show the girls where our trailer was located, and I shared some memories with them. 

We parked at the beach to take a short stroll, put our feet in the water, and I shared more childhood memories with my girls. I love how they like to hear about my younger days. 

Thumb Brewery

As I said earlier, wanting to share our love of brewery hopping is what finally made our trip back to Caseville happen. After looking up breweries, and seeing there was one in Caseville, I told Matt we had to go. 

Thumb Brewery in Michigan's Thumb, places to visit in Michigan's Thumb

Loved the laid back atmosphere of the late 1800’s home. Although I’m sure the nights and weekends get a little more wild. You can read our full review on Thumb Brewery HERE

Port Austin, the Tip of Michigan’s Thumb

Grindstone General Store

Scrolling Facebook before our Michigan trip, a friend posted about Grindstone General Store, and the ice cream. I knew I wanted to add this to our road trip as we headed through Port Austin. Have you ever seen such a HUGE ice cream cone? 

Grindstone General Store in Michigan's Thumb, places to visit in Michigan's Thumb

Grindstone General Store, 131 years old, is the last original operating business in Grindstone City, and a historic landmark. Boasting the largest ice cream cones in the thumb, they also have a Made in Michigan Gift Shop, and support local artists. 

The Tap Room at Bird Creek Farms

Outdoor view of Bird Creek Farms in Michigan's Thumb,places to visit in Michigan's Thumb

Although their brewery, Broken Rock Brewery, did not have any of their own beers on tap, this has been one of my most favorite atmospheres for sitting back to drink a brew. A small menu of food is available, but after our ice cream. we had no room to try anything. 

Couple sitting at outdoor bar of Bird Creek Farms, places to visit in Michigan's Thumb

The outdoor seating area overlooked the farm. We sat at their beautiful wood bar top, and enjoyed a brew on a perfect Michigan summer day. I know if we lived in this area, we would spend lots of time here. So peaceful and relaxing. 

Marlette

Treve’s Pizza

Inside Treve's Pizza in Marlette, Places to visit in Michigan's Thumb
Photo Credit: Treve’s Pizza

After leaving Port Austin, we headed south toward Marlette, thanks to my friend Michele. She is originally from Marlette, so she recommended we check out Treve’s Pizza

Let me say, we are pretty picky about our pizza, and Treve’s did not disappoint. Family owned and operated since 1993, they use grandma’s authentic recipes and bake their own homemade fresh breads. 

Where to Stay When Visiting Michigan’s Thumb

We thought about staying up in the area, but the girls didn’t want to give up staying at Frankenmuth’s Bavarian Inn. Since it’s a reasonable day trip to The Thumb, we figured staying in Frankenmuth would be best. What exactly would they have missed out on? You can learn more about why we keep going back to Bavarian Inn here

If you like to camp, there is always Caseville County Park. But there are also a couple state parks just north of Caseville. We camped at Sleeper State Park back in 2000. 

What have you done lately that you enjoyed as a kid? Come let us know on Instagram!!

We hope these places to visit in Michigan’s Thumb inspire you to check out the Mitten State!

For more Michigan fun, check out our:

Things to do Around Detroit: Summer Edition

Share Our Happy!!

40 thoughts on “Places to Visit in Michigan’s Thumb

  • February 13, 2020 at 10:11 am
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    I love ❤️ cheese steak ?. Never visited Michigan. Thanks for sharing.

    • February 18, 2020 at 9:29 am
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      Must visit Michigan!! So much to do and see!

  • February 13, 2020 at 10:48 am
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    I have never heard of the “thumb” term. The trip looks amazing!

    • February 18, 2020 at 9:30 am
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      If not from the area, most people don’t know the reference. Also known as the “mitten” state!

  • February 13, 2020 at 11:34 am
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    Can I just say that the giant slides are my most favorite things?!? My husband has been traveling to MI for business quite a bit and is eager to take us up there to explore this summer. (We’re in Florida, so it is a great time to escape the humidity here!) I will keep this info in mind for when we plan our trip. And I’ll make a strong push for Treve’s Pizza! 🙂

    • February 18, 2020 at 9:55 am
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      Yes!! You must go with him! We go back every summer from Florida too.

  • February 13, 2020 at 11:55 am
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    oh I love the title of this article LOL fabulous

    • February 18, 2020 at 9:55 am
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      Thank you! Most people are not familiar with the term, so I had to share!

  • February 13, 2020 at 1:33 pm
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    I don’t usually make it much more north than Detroit. That may have to change. That pizza alone makes me want to go!

    • February 18, 2020 at 9:56 am
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      You must go north of Detroit!! Michigan has so much to offer!!

  • February 13, 2020 at 1:52 pm
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    That slide looks like fun for the entire family. And the food – oh my! Definitely want to visit!

    • February 18, 2020 at 9:58 am
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      Many generations in our family have been on it!

  • February 13, 2020 at 3:59 pm
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    What a great walk down memory lane! One year we made it back to my husband’s hometown and he had such a great time showing me all of his favorite places when he was growing up. So nice you got to share with your family.

    • February 18, 2020 at 10:00 am
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      That sounds like a fun trip!! Because we moved to Florida almost 12 years ago, we just realized that some of our girls have not seen some of my hubby’s family homes and such. So we plan to do that next time!

  • February 13, 2020 at 4:00 pm
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    Wow, now I have a reason to travel farther north in the US! Thanks for the tips on things to see and do.

    • February 18, 2020 at 10:03 am
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      Then you really need to check out the Upper Peninsula!! So many beautiful places to hike. You would love it!

  • February 13, 2020 at 5:02 pm
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    What a fun trip. A taste of nostalgia is always a good thing. I love it when we go back to NY where I grew up. The girls definitely get a kick out of it and really enjoy going to my favorite places too.

    • February 18, 2020 at 10:04 am
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      I love it that my girls enjoy it too. Those will be memories they will never forget.

  • February 13, 2020 at 7:20 pm
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    The ice cream and pizza look amazing! So delicious! Looks like a fun trip!

    • February 18, 2020 at 10:06 am
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      Both were delicious!!

  • February 13, 2020 at 8:58 pm
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    That slide reminds me of one at the fair when I was young. Great memories! And that ice cream cone looks delicious!

    • February 18, 2020 at 10:07 am
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      Love that it brought back a happy memory for you too.

    • February 18, 2020 at 10:08 am
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      Hubby is the best at finding great diners!

  • February 13, 2020 at 9:46 pm
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    The water slide looks like a fun experience

    • February 18, 2020 at 10:11 am
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      Fun and brought back so many memories!

  • February 13, 2020 at 10:06 pm
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    I would spend hours on the “Big Slide”. Over and over again. 🙂

    • February 18, 2020 at 10:11 am
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      Me too!! I wanted to stay and do more!

  • February 13, 2020 at 10:13 pm
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    haha I’ve tried those slides before and it’s scary but fun at the same time!

    • February 18, 2020 at 10:13 am
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      I agree. A little scary, but way too much fun!

  • February 14, 2020 at 2:35 am
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    What a fun road trip down memory lane! Love the giant slide. Wheeeee! And that ice cream…yes, please.

    • February 18, 2020 at 10:16 am
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      I’m a sucker for ice cream!!

  • February 14, 2020 at 4:53 pm
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    That pizza looks yummy! I haven’t been anywhere in Michigan except Detroit!

    • February 18, 2020 at 10:16 am
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      You must change that!! Michigan has so much more to offer!

  • February 15, 2020 at 12:07 pm
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    Great suggestions! There is something for everyone to do in the “thumb”. I would personally like to go get pizza and hit up the breweries.

    • February 18, 2020 at 10:19 am
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      If beer and pizza are your things, then there are plenty of places to hit up in Michigan!

  • February 16, 2020 at 12:25 am
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    Michigan’s thumb looks like it has some fun places to visit! Thanks for sharing these great adventures.

    • February 18, 2020 at 10:21 am
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      Your girls would enjoy!

  • February 23, 2020 at 7:55 am
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    Michigan’s Thumb? Funny name but There’s so much more to Michigan I know we’re missing. Seen it only during a wedding but it has beaches and hiking we need to discover

    • February 23, 2020 at 9:38 pm
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      Love sharing that name with people! Michigan is totally worth exploring more!

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