Let’s go to Michigan! During our latest little road trip around the U.S., we went to Michigan not once, but twice! We went up there to visit friends and hang out, but we also went back with my parents to show them how nice the western coast of the state is.
And on our way to other places, we stopped by the small, lakeside resort town of St. Joseph. This gorgeous beachside community is home to only 8,200 folks, but it gets somewhat hectic now and then in the summer due to the influx of visitors from both other towns in Michigan and from the Chicago area.
Angela and I stayed here one night, and also visited for a few hours on a stop through with my parents. We mostly just walked around, visited a brewery (naturally), ate some food (obviously), and enjoyed some quiet time in a beautiful place.
So yes, let’s check out some photos of St. Joseph!
The downtown area is really cute, with nice shops, restaurants, and other places to which you’ll gladly fork over your money.
Of course, for us, we were immediately drawn to ice cream. Our lust runs deep! We asked for the best ice cream spot and we got two competing answers. For whatever reason, the people weren’t too nice at the first place Ang popped in, so we went to the other one.
Kilwin’s is a small franchise in the region, and they really know what they’re doing. They’ve got that ice cream we were seeking, but also fudge and other candy that’ll make your heart come alive. Nice folks, too!
Yeeee!
Walking around, there are some killer views of the lake with the beach down below the town. It’s a great place to sit and watch the world go by, and it makes for killer sunsets (which you’ll see at the end of this post).
My folks, doing just that.
Hey, people!
And with that, it’s brewery time! Silver Harbor Brewing Co. sits just outside of the main drag, and we highly suggest you pop over there for some fantastic craft beer and great food.
Also, they have a staff that does it right. Nice people, great space, rock on.
And there ya go! There’s way more to do in St. Joseph, but as our time was limited here, we had to pick and choose. So, we chose to take it easy, have some walks, drink good beer, and eat good food. The town itself is really cool and has a lot going on for such a small place, and we highly recommend you swing through to enjoy it!
Be sure to check out our other Fabric of America posts.
A very special and very big thanks to everyone in St. Joseph, especially all the fine folks we met at all the places we visited. Thanks to all of you for being so wonderful.
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Have you ever been to St. Joseph? If so, what’d you think? If not, what say ye? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Beautiful place. Grew up there’s….really miss this place.
Time to get back there for a visit! Thanks for stopping by, Jim!
We love our little town.
So do we! :) We’ll be back this summer as well. Thanks for reading!
Good old St Joe! I haven’t lived there since 1961 but I often stop by to visit friends and sit on the bluff to remember the old days. Too bad the amusement park down on the beach near the river was closed and leveled decades ago. You would have seen a nice wooden roller coaster, the boardwalk, and many other rides. Don’t forget to visit and walk out on both the south and north piers that jut out into the lake along the St. Joseph river. Swing by the Saint Joseph High School and try to guess when it was built because it looks like a brand new school. Hint, it was built while I still lived in SJ but was heavily remodeled and updated a few years ago. Check some of the local restaurants out an look for fresh lake perch! Local perch and walleye are the best the world has to offer. Go across the Wayne Street bridge, past some awesome harbor views and into the twin city of Benton Harbor. It was once a metropolis of 40,000 people but faced years of abandonment and decay. Today it is making a very nice comback at the intersection of Water Street and Territorial Road. You can tell I’m proud of the Twin Cities.
No problem with St. Joe pride! Thanks for all the tips, Newt. We’ll be back in June and we’ll heed your recommendations.
What a wonderful review of our town. Thanks for letting others know about it. I’ve lived here for a long time and I love to see so many new faces enjoying our area in the summer. Hope to buy you a beer next time you’re in SJ.
Glad you liked it, thanks for reading! We’ll actually be back in June (8-10) and are looking forward to it.
thanks for coming!! SW Michigan is such a hidden gem, so don’t tell TOO many people! Ha!
Haha yeah, can’t have it being overrun. Thanks for reading, Paul!
Its our home town (both my husband and I). We raised two great kids there and we still love our little piece of paradise! Our house overlooks the lake so we totally agree about the killer sunsets! Thanks for the nice blog!
Must be nice! I couldn’t do it in winter, but it’s a great place to be for us when the weather is warm. Thanks for reading, Colette!
I have good friends who moved there 9 or 10 years ago. They love it! I’ve been there many times and will be back many more times, God willing.
Keep on visiting! We can’t wait to go back. Thanks for stopping by, Gayle!
Everyone should purchase there little piece of Saint Joseph. More the merrier… Call us… we’ll be happy to help! Michael Lirones, Broker/Owner, Gold Realty. 269-332-8580
Well, not *everyone* haha. Can’t have it getting too big! Thanks for reading, Michael.
[…] gals! While we’ve visited the beautiful lakeside town of St. Joseph, Michigan, before – read that post here – we returned this past summer to hang out for a couple of […]