Mole unearths some unusual attractions in the Great Lakes
Have you ever explored the USA Great Lakes region? I don’t mean just nipping to Chicago’s Goose Island brewery (which is very nice) but actually discovering what the area has to offer? Well you won’t be surprised to find out I have but you may be surprised to find out what a truly fabulous area it is.
During a recent trip I was concentrating on the sports that the Chicago and Illinois area has to offer such as baseball, soccer, Ryder Cup golf, NASCAR and American Football and it was not till the end of the trip that I discovered the delights of Michigan.
My first port of call was Holland. It was Holland, Michigan not Holland in the Netherlands, if you know what I mean. Sorry if that sounds like Double Dutch but indeed many of the customs of the Netherlands are retained in the small but attractive town aside the lake. Sinterklaas , handing presents out to good children on December 5 and some basic Dutch language are all in evidence. It did however give me the opportunity to say ‘goedemiddag’ to unsuspecting American tourists who were probably not used to the guttural pronunciation and the warm spray of spittle whilst out on an afternoon stroll. Holland is also home to ‘Big Red’ the ever popular lighthouse that is still in operation today.
Next visit was to Grand Rapids, a larger but still manageable metropolis with a reputation for beer, art and local food. Yes local food which surely is an oxymoron in the US of A? Not so here in Grand Rapids where a combination of an outstanding growing region plus exceptional culinary skills deliver fresh, seasonal and very tasty food in almost every restaurant you enter including the leading hotels such as the Amway Grand and the J W Marriot. Locally brewed beer is also in evidence from small micro establishments and if you organise in advance you can go on a very special cycle pub crawl on a purpose-built drinking charabanc powered by humans. Make a special effort to sample a Dirty Bastard (it’s a beer, not a Leeds United footballer from the 70’s).
Grand Rapids also is home to a unique mixture of art. If you go, make sure you start in the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, 132 acres of natural wetlands, woodlands, meadows and display gardens incorporating changing sculpture galleries with exhibitions by international artists. Follow that with a stroll around the city to see the results of Art Prize, which is the world’s largest art competition with $560,000 in total prizes, $360,000 awarded by public vote, $200,000 awarded by a select group of art experts. In the oddest of venues you will see inventive, off the wall art and sculpture that seems very sympathetic to the city as a whole, not just from a physical aspect but also one of an attitude that is friendly, local, proud, quirky, fun and clever.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026