Romantic Getaway in South Haven, MI

Falling leaves blew over the street and swirled around passing cars. Quiet walkers in fall colors strolled down the sidewalk with a burly dog as the sun faded behind Lake Michigan. South Haven, MI was an enchanting destination. Magnetized by the setting from a book, The Time Traveler’s Wife, my wife was imagining a memorable romantic weekend similar to the novel, but without time traveling.

We reserved a room at the Old Harbor Inn the night before and were pleasantly surprised when we arrived after dusk. The inn was small, old, and weathered with a boardwalk of creaky planks that lead to our room. It sat over the river inlet that connected to the lake offering views of the small river harbor, a bridge, and a park on a hill with large trees. Our room was simple and spacious. The bed and room furniture were clean, the TV and décor were dated, and there was a black iron balcony – it was a perfectly romantic hotel.

Escaping Detroit’s hustle and muscle is why almost everyone in Michigan has two houses. One close to the city for work, and the other “up north,” as they like to say, which really means: not in Detroit. Second homes are used mostly in the summer and less frequent in the fall and winter, known as the “off season” for these small towns. Which was good for us, rates are cheaper in the “off season” and the town and beach are less crowded.

Arriving in South Haven, which is west of Detroit, we realized why people had second homes here. The west coast of Michigan is lined with natural sandy beaches and spotted with old lighthouses that sit off river inlets hugged by small towns. Most of the lighthouses are inoperable but are kept up and maintained in remembrance of the Great Lakes maritime past. The lighthouse in South Haven was red and stood among the timeless lighthouses of the Great Lakes.

Day 1
Awaking the next morning to sea birds and a crisp lake breeze we jogged to the beach. Turning back through the neighborhoods bordering the beach we passed many of the bed and breakfasts we had seen online. Most were large homes with decks, ornate woodwork, available parking, and a few had libraries, and one even had a piano. The area was quiet and serene for a sunny autumn day, and we felt like we were apart of a favorite novel.

Throughout the afternoon together we explored the small beach town the best way we knew how – on foot. Everything we wanted to see was huddled around Phoenix St. which made it easy to ditch the car. The town was friendly and full of small boutiques, antique stores, coffee houses, unique chocolate shops, used bookstores, restaurants, and a surf-and-skate shop. The aura offered was small town comfort but with city appeal.

Talking to local store owners and passer-bys we received great tips for dining and finding those obscure gems only locals know about. One such gem was an Italian restaurant found in a rural neighborhood 10 minutes from town. We drove there that night through dark woods and a windy street, and found it just as described, “totally out of place.” The food was excellent and the service was good. We were beaming when we left. Another such gem was the Chocolate Café, where we had the best hot chocolate and chocolate covered strawberries we’d ever had. We still haven’t tasted better, and my wife is a true connoisseur.

Returning to the hotel we realized Old Harbor Inn had a Jacuzzi on the bottom floor. We grabbed our towels and sunk in for the evening, no one was there but us. The pool lights danced on the teak ceiling and through the large windows you could see the moon over the calm river inlet.

Day 2
Peering out from our balcony the next morning we decided to walk to the red lighthouse in the sunshine. The jetty leading to the lighthouse was long and wet from the big waves and strong wind. We had to walk in the middle of the jetty to be sure we wouldn’t get wet or be pushed off into the canal. Coming to the edge of the lighthouse we realized it was a lot bigger than we’d imagined, and the view over the lake was stunning. We held hands and looked out over the white-capped waves in awe. It wasn’t a salty merciless ocean, it wasn’t a calm mountain lake, it was a powerful Great Lake and beautiful.

We left South Haven that evening after visiting the Sunset Junque Shop, a carnival themed junk store 10 minutes north of town. It was straight from a Tom Waits video and stuff was cheap. We took a lot of goofy photos, I played my wife a song on an old white piano, and she danced. Upon leaving I asked the cashier if we could live there, my wife laughed and dragged me to the car.

Driving home in a light fog I asked my wife to retell the ending of the book The Time Traveler’s Wife. She recounted it slowly so it would last most of the two hour ride east towards Detroit. In the rearview mirror we left behind the swirling leaves, the sunset over Lake Michigan, and the enchantment of South Haven – the destination of our first romantic getaway.