The pre-baby to-do list can be exhaustive and exhausting. Many couples opt to include a babymoon on that list. These getaways provide an opportunity for you to bond while enjoying some R&R in the lead-up to baby. We share our favorite places to babymoon in Michigan – plus some pregnancy-friendly itineraries in those spots.
Mackinac Island
Truly a majestic Michigan gem, Mackinac Island reminds visitors of a simpler time and encourages a slower pace of life.
- Enjoy a two-person private horse-and-carriage ride around the island through Jack’s Livery Stable.
- Take in a sunset cruise by Arnold Mackinac Island Ferry line.
- Feast like royalty during a romantic lakeside dinner at the Carriage House restaurant in Hotel Iroquois.
- Try your hand – err, feet – at some ballroom dancing inside the Grand Hotel.
- Tour the Original Mackinac Island Butterfly House & Insect World (something you’ll want to take your little one to in years to come).
Ann Arbor
More than just a quaint college town, Tree Town boasts live music, culture and fine dining – all ripe for the babymooners’ taking.
- Enjoy a new or classic American play at actor Jeff Daniels’ The Purple Rose Theatre Company in nearby Chelsea.
- Zip into The Little Seedling and Rock Paper Scissors for whimsical baby finds.
- Take in a show at The Ark, a famous acoustic and folk music venue, offering live music performances 300 nights a year.
- Delight your palette at the Gandy Dancer, which conveniently offers valet parking or curbside drop-off – and delectable surf-and-turf fare inside a beautifully restored former train depot.
Grand Rapids
Michigan’s second largest city boasts a vibrant downtown and all that goes along with it.
- Feel baby bop to the beats at a Broadway Grand Rapids production like Fiddler on the Roof (Oct. 8-13, 2019).
- Take in masterpieces of art and nature at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, including the “Mad Mom” sculpture.
- Experience the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, a 20-plus vendor market hall on the inside and a showcase for the work of artisans outside (during special events).
- Valet park and take in a true farm-to-table meal at six.one.six, the JW Marriott’s signature restaurant.
Detroit
No need to stop the car at regular intervals to stretch when you travel to Detroit for a little tourist-in-your-own-backyard time.
- Indulge yourself at IMMERSE Spa at the MGM Grand Detroit, offering an array of his and hers treatments and couple’s rooms.
- Take in the view from along the Detroit International Riverfront.
- Visit the Detroit Institute of Arts, Motown Museum or Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History for some culture and contemplation.
- Feed that hungry baby at Eastern Market’s La Rondinella, a lively Italian restaurant from the man behind the much-lauded Supino Pizza.
- Pick up a “Born in the 313” onesie at one of Pure Detroit‘s downtown locations.
- Dine al fresco while brunching at Townhouse Detroit in the heart of the city’s financial district.
Saugatuck
Seekers of some waterfrontage need look no further than Saugatuck, one of West Michigan’s most popular beach towns.
- Dine and lodge at the Belvedere Inn & Restaurant, where romantic accommodations await in a mansion dating from 1913.
- Enjoy a sunset cruise down the Kalamazoo River on the Star of Saugatuck II, an old-fashioned sternwheeler paddle boat.
- Pop into some of the many galleries and artist studios throughout Saugatuck and neighboring Douglas.
- Take in a show at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, which boasts Broadway-quality theater.
- Lounge at world-famous Oval Beach.
This post was originally published in 2016 and is updated regularly.
