What to do in Grand Rapids, MI?

[GrnBay007]

Traveling there for a wedding and was thinking of spending some extra time there if there are fun things to do/sites to see. Is anyone familiar with the area....can suggest things to do/see? We've never been to MI. It's several months away but I need to know how much vacation time to put in for.

[packinpatland]

I don't know much about GR Mich. but just the fact that you posted this hours ago............and still no suggestions...........don't know if I'd take too much time off. :wink:

[oregonpackfan]

It is the hometown of former President Gerald Ford. Perhaps it has some form of museum dedicated to his presidency. If you are a history buff, you might enjoy it. :?

[GBRulz]

I've been there before for work. The only decent thing was this bar on the lower level of the office.

So, a day is enough vaca :wink:

It's like GB minus the pro football team. Nothing to do except drink!

[Iron Mike]

Grand Rapids is home to Zondervan Publishing
Company.....

http://www.zondervan.com

You could go pick yourself up some bibles and whatnot.

[Iron Mike]

Grand Rapids also has a Steak and Shake:



http://www.lakeworthtx.org/images/steaknshake.JPG

3488 Alpine Ave. I-96, Exit 30B
Grand Rapids, MI 49544
616-785-7082
Faxasak 616-785-3913

[the_idle_threat]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Wow. None of us are candidates for the Grand Rapids tourism board. Do you suppose there even is one?

I especially like OPF's pitch perfect use of the emoticon in his post above. :lol:

[Rastak]

Traveling there for a wedding and was thinking of spending some extra time there if there are fun things to do/sites to see. Is anyone familiar with the area....can suggest things to do/see? We've never been to MI. It's several months away but I need to know how much vacation time to put in for.


I was there a couple years ago......Ford museum and then hang out at a place called "The Bob". It stands for "big old building" and is 4 or 5 places to eat and they brew their own beer. Excellent beer too!

[Freak Out]

It is the hometown of former President Gerald Ford. Perhaps it has some form of museum dedicated to his presidency. If you are a history buff, you might enjoy it. :?

The Gerald Ford museum.....sorry but.. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thats cruel.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Gerald R. Ford was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr. on July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska. His parents, Leslie Lynch King, Sr., a wool trader whose father was a prominent banker, and his wife, the former Dorothy Ayer Gardner, separated just sixteen days after his birth. His mother took him to the Oak Park, Illinois home of her sister Tannisse and her husband, Clarence Haskins James. From there she moved to the home of her parents, Levi Addison Gardner and his wife, the former Adele Augusta Ayer, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ford's parents divorced the following December with his mother gaining full custody.... On February 1, 1916, now settled in Grand Rapids, Dorothy King married Gerald Rudolff Ford, a salesman in a family-owned paint and varnish company, who later became president of the firm.[3] She began calling her son Gerald Rudolff Ford, Jr.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Whups! I think like Gerry Ford I played too many football games without a helmet.

I thought you were talking about Grand Rapids, MN.

[GrnBay007]

Gerald R. Ford was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr. on July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska. His parents, Leslie Lynch King, Sr., a wool trader whose father was a prominent banker, and his wife, the former Dorothy Ayer Gardner, separated just sixteen days after his birth. His mother took him to the Oak Park, Illinois home of her sister Tannisse and her husband, Clarence Haskins James. From there she moved to the home of her parents, Levi Addison Gardner and his wife, the former Adele Augusta Ayer, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ford's parents divorced the following December with his mother gaining full custody.... On February 1, 1916, now settled in Grand Rapids, Dorothy King married Gerald Rudolff Ford, a salesman in a family-owned paint and varnish company, who later became president of the firm.[3] She began calling her son Gerald Rudolff Ford, Jr.

cool. now there's no need to go to the museum :D

[Harlan Huckleby]

http://www.magazineusa.com/ResV/img/history/GeraldFord_Football.jpg

Most people probably know this, but Ford was an All-American football player for Michigan. Lyndon Johnson hated Ford, thought he was dumb, he was the first to say that Ford played too many games without a helmet.

[oregonpackfan]

GrnBay007,

Perhaps in honor of Ford, you could trip over your own feet once you enter Grand Rapids! :)

On Saturday Night Live, Chevy Chase frequently used a stumbling act to mimic Ford's alleged stumbling.

[GrnBay007]

Sounds like Grand Rapids is the place to be. :roll:

OK.......anything of interest within a 3-4 hr. drive??

[Joemailman]

Only 50 miles from Kalamazoo...might have a shot at seeing Elvis.

[GrnBay007]

.might have a shot at seeing Elvis.

LOL!!

[MJZiggy]

Sounds like a good time to catch up on some sleep or heavy reading...

[GrnBay007]

Sounds like a good time to catch up on some sleep or heavy reading...

Isn't that what you did on your last cruise? lol :wink: :P

[GrnBay007]

Looks like Mackinac Island isn't too far away....would be cool to go there.

[Scott Campbell]

The beaches on lake Michigan are pretty nice. Tall sand dunes.

[retailguy]

From an "internal" source, the "best" things to do in Grand Rapids...


I'm leaving for there tomorrow, sounds like fun.... figure I'll be done by noon. :wink:

http://www.visitgrandrapids.org/top_10_list.php


Have fun, take good notes, I want a full report when you're done... because I'll likely not be headed there anytime soon... :P

[Little Whiskey]

Grand rapids is about 45 minutes from Holland (its on the lake Mich side of Michigan). nice beaches, moderate size town. some pretty good places to eat. I've eaten a place called something boatwerks. pretty cool place. the lake on the michigan side is much different from the wisconsin side. sandy beaches and calm water. Sand dunes are pretty cool and some places have dune rides. (dune buggies racing up and down the sand mountains......okay maybe thats a redneck thing to do. still cool all the same.) the west coast of michigan is full of small towns that are built up by vacationers. tons of Bed and Breakfast places along the lake. very cool drive up the coast.

Traverse city towards the north is very cool too.

Mackinac Island is okay to see once. no cars allowed on the island. really touristy and expensive. very famous for their fudge and the grand hotel.

your three to four hour time frame will put you almost any where in lower michigan. you can be over to east side in about 2.5 hrs.

from grand rapids, lansing isn't far either. great college town. stay in east lansing though.

kalamazoo is a fun college town too. Bells brewery is located in Kzoo. they make a few of my fav's.

nuf reading yet?

[GrnBay007]

Thanks LW!

[red]

ok, i went to school in k-zoo and lived in GR for awhile after college. and my moms from there

the most important name you need to know is "BOB"

the bob is right downtown accross the street from the big van andel arena. it is 4 or 5 stories like someone mentioned, and each story is a different type of bar (night club, regular eat and drink, game/pool level, and even a piano bar on top. a very cool place to check out.

you might want to check to see if the salmon are running while you're there. there is a fish ladder on the grand river just north of downtown that allow salmon and steelheads to make their way around the damn. when the fish are running there could be hundreds of fisherman lined up allong the shore trying to catch them. theres even bleachers for spectators to sit on and watch all the nuttiness happen. its something you may never see anywhere else in your life. the fish ladder is also connected to the large park system that runs along the river right downtown. its a nice walk on a good day, and the ford museum is part of the parks.

theres also a massive fun mall there.

the lake michigan coast is amazing, from south haven all the way up. sagatuck is a cool little city, lots of little shops and a giant marina with tons of huge boats. but watch out, it is a very "gay-friendly" town. not that theres anything wrong with that.

holland is also a very nice town. holland state park is by far my all-time favorite beach.

don't bother with k-zoo. its a fun college town with lots of nice places to eat and drink. but not much esle that would warrent a whole trip down there.

there might be a good concert playing at the van andel while you're there, check out ticketmaster

[GrnBay007]

Thanks Red. A lot of good info there. :D

[packinpatland]

Looks like Mackinac Island isn't too far away....would be cool to go there.

Isn't it closed till at least Memorial Day?

[red]

Looks like Mackinac Island isn't too far away....would be cool to go there.

Isn't it closed till at least Memorial Day?

and, it is a ways away from GR, like 4 or 5 hours

[packinpatland]

............and a boat ride.

[Little Whiskey]

sagatuck....is a very "gay-friendly" town.


not just friendly, but encouraged. nicknamed sausage-tuck.





the lake michigan coast is amazing, from south haven all the way up.


the whole coast is amazing. from new buffalo (home to the second larges casino in vegas....if it was in vegas) up to the bridge.