Places to Visit in Michigan’s Thumb
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
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
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
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!!
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.
Also our first time all doing go karts together!! So much fun adding new adventures!!
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
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.
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, 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
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.
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
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!
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I love ❤️ cheese steak ?. Never visited Michigan. Thanks for sharing.
Must visit Michigan!! So much to do and see!
I have never heard of the “thumb” term. The trip looks amazing!
If not from the area, most people don’t know the reference. Also known as the “mitten” state!
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! 🙂
Yes!! You must go with him! We go back every summer from Florida too.
oh I love the title of this article LOL fabulous
Thank you! Most people are not familiar with the term, so I had to share!
I don’t usually make it much more north than Detroit. That may have to change. That pizza alone makes me want to go!
You must go north of Detroit!! Michigan has so much to offer!!
That slide looks like fun for the entire family. And the food – oh my! Definitely want to visit!
Many generations in our family have been on it!
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.
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!
Wow, now I have a reason to travel farther north in the US! Thanks for the tips on things to see and do.
Then you really need to check out the Upper Peninsula!! So many beautiful places to hike. You would love it!
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.
I love it that my girls enjoy it too. Those will be memories they will never forget.
The ice cream and pizza look amazing! So delicious! Looks like a fun trip!
Both were delicious!!
That slide reminds me of one at the fair when I was young. Great memories! And that ice cream cone looks delicious!
Love that it brought back a happy memory for you too.
I love a good diner and there seems like so much to do!
Hubby is the best at finding great diners!
The water slide looks like a fun experience
Fun and brought back so many memories!
I would spend hours on the “Big Slide”. Over and over again. 🙂
Me too!! I wanted to stay and do more!
haha I’ve tried those slides before and it’s scary but fun at the same time!
I agree. A little scary, but way too much fun!
What a fun road trip down memory lane! Love the giant slide. Wheeeee! And that ice cream…yes, please.
I’m a sucker for ice cream!!
That pizza looks yummy! I haven’t been anywhere in Michigan except Detroit!
You must change that!! Michigan has so much more to offer!
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.
If beer and pizza are your things, then there are plenty of places to hit up in Michigan!
Michigan’s thumb looks like it has some fun places to visit! Thanks for sharing these great adventures.
Your girls would enjoy!
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
Love sharing that name with people! Michigan is totally worth exploring more!