Gatlinburg, TN

Gatlinburg is known as “The Gateway to the Smoky Mountains” for good reason—it is nestled right on the edge of the National Park, making it a popular mountain resort town.

Gatlinburg Tips: 

• Get into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! The whole point of visiting Gatlinburg is the close access to the park, so make sure to get into nature!

• Gatlinburg is extraordinarily touristy—it’s like the Disney World of mountain towns. Personally I do not love places like this, so if you are similar minded I would recommend staying in a small town on the North Carolina side of the park versus Gatlinburg. Bryson City is my personal favorite!

  • Pigeon Forge is the same level of “touristy” but with even more “attractions”. If you have small kids there is plenty of entertainment options in PF! Gatlinburg is definitely more walkable and a better base camp in my opinion, but the two are only 15 minutes apart

Adventures & Ales Top Gatlinburg Recommendations: ​

• Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail: A beautiful nature drive with places to stop off for nature views and historical buildings.

• Traveling with a group? AvantStay has some amazing larger homes for rent! Use my link here to save $250 off your booking!

• Go winery hopping: There are several wineries in Gatlinburg that you can pop into for free samples and to bring home some delicious wine if you choose to do so!

  • Smoky Mountain Winery: My favorite that we visited! Their tasting offered a plethora of samples for free and Tiffany, who was working, was absolutely fantastic! This spot is slightly off the main road, so be sure not to miss it!

  • Sugarland Cellars: The tastings here are $5, the only winery you have to pay to sample at, but they have Sangria slushees that are absolutely delicious and totally worth it! They have two locations, one right in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg and one right on the edge of the National Park.

  • Bootleggers Homemade Wines: Located in the Ole Smoky Holler, a small spot to sample wines with cute merchandise as well!

  • Goodwater Vineyards: An extremely nice family owns and operates this winery, pop in for samples and chat with them!

  • Tennessee Homemade Wines: Another winery with solid wine and free samples. Owned by the same team as Tennessee Cider Co

  • Gatlinburg Wine Cellar: The most touristy of the wineries, this spot has lots of sweet wines in their two locations on the main strip

• Clingman’s Dome: About 45 minutes from Gatlinburg, this lookout tower and viewpoint is definitely worth the drive. The ride is gorgeous as well, be sure to stop at the Newfound Gap Overlook for great views just a few minutes away from Clingman’s Dome. At the dome expect traffic/parking to be a hassle there are tons of people who stop here. To get to the tower you walk up a steep hill to the overlook, but it is only a half a mile each way and is paved. It is the highest point in the Smokys!

• Tennessee Cider Company: The first cidery in the Gatlinburg area and new to the scene. Their ciders were delicious and the staff was super nice!

• Cookie Dough Bliss: Edible cookie dough, what more do you need to know?! It is absolutely delicious and located right next to Goodwater Vineyards

• We had a complimentary stay at Greystone Lodge and it was lovely! The views of the mountains and river out back were great and it was conveniently located in the heart of the city!

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

Gatlinburg Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Go moonshine hopping! You can’t visit Gatlinburg and not have some moonshine. Each moonshine tasting is $5 for all of the samples.

  • Ole Smoky Moonshine: The classic! Located in Ole Smoky Holler. Don’t skip the pickle!

  • Sugarlands Distilling Company: The first couple samples here are extraordinarily awful and burn, but persevere, it gets better!

  • Doc Collier Moonshine: This is a smaller and newer space with some great options! They also have moonshine slushees that were delicious!

• Ole Red: A really popular bar/restaurant with live music. Crowded and overpriced but it is entertaining

• Pigeon Forge: Another area to explore with lots of attractions

  • Be sure to visit the Yee-Haw Brewing outpost in The Island for an extremely delicious pretzel and solid beers!

Sugarland Cellars

Other Things to Do in Gatlinburg:​​

• Smoky Mountain Brewery: More restaurant style than brewery with pretty standard beers. Get the Supermug (33oz)! They have locations in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Turkey Creek, and Maryville

• Gatlinburg Brewery: Super yummy pizza! Beers are pretty average but it’s worth checking out while you’re in the area!

• Check out Knoxville which is just an hour away, or Asheville, an hour and a half away!

  • Check out my guide to Knoxville here and my guide to Asheville here!

Memphis, TN

Memphis is a fun city full of blues and beers set on the Mississippi River

Memphis Tips: 

• Nashville gets all the Tennessee credit for music cities but Memphis does a good job competing. Be sure to check out the live music, especially the blues! 

Adventures & Ales Top Memphis Recommendations: 

• The Lorraine Motel: This is the sight of MLK Jr's assassination and it has been transformed into a civil rights museum

• The Peabody Hotel: Check out the ceremony with ducks that is hilarious and adorable. Get there early or you won't be able to see anything!

• Wiseacre Brewery: Tiny Bomb is their most famous but they've got other delicious beers as well! 

• Check out the Overton Square area, a hip little area with lots of bars and restaurants!

Graceland

Memphis Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• Graceland: Elvis's home is crazy expensive. As a non-dedicated Elvis person, I did not want to pay to go in so I just went around the grounds and such. It was still cool to see, totally your call on your level of Elvis fandom on whether it is worth it

• Beale Street: You have to at least walk down it once and check out some blues music, but otherwise I'd head elsewhere to enjoy your evening 

New Orleans, LA

New Orleans is a magical city. I lived there for almost five years and absolutely love it!

NOLA Tips: 

• Drink on the streets. There is no open intox law here, so pop a beer or pour some mimosas and hit the streets. At bars you can ask for a drink to go so you don’t have to rush to finish anything ever

• Get out of the French Quarter. So many tourists stay in the Quarter and don’t see the rest of the city, which is a tragedy. Spend one night on Bourbon, not all nights.

• If you visit in the summer months be sure to bring a raincoat, it rains almost every day from the humidity, but usually only for an hour or so

• Check out my other New Orleans blogs here:

  • The Best Bars in New Orleans

  • The Best Weekend Trips From New Orleans

Adventures & Ales Top New Orleans Recommendations: ​

• Bacchanal: My favorite place in the city. Live music, cheese plates, and wine bottles in an adorable courtyard. Walk in and pick out your own cheeses and wine, and then snag a spot while they assemble your cheese plate. They have a small “real” menu if you want something more hearty, and they have a full bar upstairs if you aren’t in the mood for wine

• Courtyard Brewery: My favorite brewery in New Orleans! They have the best New England IPAs in particular and an amazing staff!

• District Donuts/Stein’s Deli: Two separate establishments, to be clear. They are right next to each other on Magazine Street and both offer fantastic breakfast options. District has fancy delicious donuts and amazing coffee (Vietnamese Iced Coffee here is my fav), while Stein’s has delicious bagels and breakfast sandwiches, with some sass

• Parleaux Beer Lab: A great brewery in the Bywater. Lots of outdoor space! Right around the corner from Bacchanal

Courtyard Brewery

• The Fly: Just off Audubon Park you’ll find a narrow strip of land along the Mississippi filled with locals enjoying the breeze and views. Bring some drinks and a blanket and lounge by the water. The sunsets are gorgeous!

• Avenue Pub: The best beer bar in the city, maybe in the country. So many options. Go after 4pm to get onto the balcony overlooking St Charles Avenue!

• Saba or Shaya: These Israeli restaurants are amazing and have won every top restaurant award in the country. The menus are really similar, as the head chef Alon Shaya worked at Shaya before he got into a feud with the owners and started his own spot, Saba. You need reservations for either spot. Get a bunch of small plates for the table and dig in!

• NOLA Brewing: Sit on their rooftop, drink their specialty releases, and eat BBQ.

The Fly

New Orleans Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Mardi Gras: Mardi Gras is shown as only Fat Tuesday and only women gone wild on Bourbon Street, but it couldn’t be further from that. Mardi Gras is a month long celebration that can be as family friendly as you’d like. My favorite parade day is the Sunday before Fat Tuesday. Be sure to check out Bacchus and the Walking Wine parade that is directly before it!

  • Do NOT try to drive/Lyft/Uber/taxi/streetcar anywhere during Mardi Gras parades or directly before/after

• The Columns Hotel: Go during Happy Hour and sit on the large front porch to watch the streetcars roll by

• Frenchmen Street: It used to be called “the local’s Bourbon Street” but tourists have since claimed Frenchmen as well. It’s still a fun place and definitely worth checking out. This street is packed full of live music bars. Don’t pay a cover, just pop into a neighboring bar that doesn’t charge one. Maison, d.b.a, and The Spotted Cat are my favorites

  • Need some late night grub on Frenchmen? Dat Dog is perfect! Their gourmet hot dogs and fries are the perfect solution after a night full of drinking

  • Brieux Carre Brewing: Right off Frenchmen Street is a cute little brewery with some great brews. Their staff is super nice and I definitely recommend popping in! If it’s packed because the space is small just grab a beer to go and hit up Frenchmen!

• Bourbon Street: You have to do it. Just don’t do it for too long of a time period.

• Pat O’Briens: Check out the dueling piano bar and the flame fountain. Drink a hurricane but be prepared for lots of sugar and rum!

• Lafitte’s: The oldest bar in America. This bar actually existed before America. Get the purple drank

• Molly’s at the Market: Right in the heart of the French Quarter on Decatur Street this little dive bar is the quintessential NOLA hang. Grab a frozen Irish coffee (size = large obviously)

• Cafe du Monde: You can’t leave New Orleans without getting hot, fresh beignets, and Cafe du Monde is the spot to do that. Don’t go at peak hours (weekend breakfast really) and the line will be relatively short. It moves fast so don’t be dissuaded if it is longer

Mardi Gras on St. Charles Avenue

Other things to do in NOLA:

• Superior Seafood: Go for Happy Hour—get a frozen drink (I love the pomegranate mojito, the French 75 is a local fav as well) and if you like seafood the Oyster Happy Hour is legit as well. During crawfish season you can get that here too

• Crescent Park: You can pop into this park either from right near the French Market off Decatur Street in the French Quarter or down in the Bywater. Gaze at the Mississippi and the New Orleans skyline

  • Pizza Delicious is the city’s best pizza and directly off the Bywater end of the park

• Bayou Beer/Wine Garden: Located in Mid City, this combo beer and wine garden location is the best of both worlds. The palm trees and outdoor set-up really bring the tropical vibes

  • Parkway Bakery: Grab a delicious poboy from Parkway, a couple of blocks up from Bayou Beer Garden.

• Urban South Brewery: A large warehouse style brewery with some great beers! I love the Lime Cucumber Gose and their specialty releases

• Hot Tin: The rooftop bar at The Pontchartrain Hotel

• Miel Brewery: Right around the corner from NOLA Brewing, this brewery is cranking out delicious beers!

Natchez, MS

Natchez is a small historical southern town boasting gorgeous views of the Mississippi River 

Natchez Tips: 

• Natchez can be done thoroughly in a weekend, you don’t need more time than that!

• They have a hot air balloon festival annually in October that is supposed to be awesome! 

Adventures & Ales Top Natchez Recommendations: 

• Natchez Brewing: The city’s only brewery is definitely worth checking out!

• Hang out on the river: Nearly everywhere you go in the city you will be able to glimpse the Mississippi, spend some time lounging by the water (hopefully with a beer in hand)

• King's Tavern: Amazing food, great service, and a really unique atmosphere

• Steampunk Espresso Bar: Adorable coffee shop with some of the best coffee I've ever had!

Longwood

Natchez Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• Longwood: Amazing antebellum octagonal mansion that was never completed because of the outbreak of the Civil War

• Historic Natchez Cemetery: Personally I'm not a huge fan of cemeteries (#creepy), but the history here is pretty astounding 

• Stanton Hall: Another historical antebellum mansion oozing southern charm

Biscuits and Blues Café

Other things to do in Natchez:​​​

• Biscuits and Blues Cafe: Live music and delicious biscuits, what else do you need? 

• Old South Winery: Small and a little odd, but you can get all the wine samples you want!

• Under the Hill: This is a mini-neighborhood at the bottom of the hill right on the river. There are a few riverfront bars and restaurants to enjoy the view

Baton Rouge, LA

Home to Louisiana's capitol and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge has some fantastic spots to check out!

Baton Rouge Tips: 

• Rush hour in BR is truly awful. Try to avoid driving on weekdays between 4-6:30 if at all possible!

• BR is only a little over an hour from New Orleans so it is a quick day trip 

Adventures & Ales Top Baton Rouge Recommendations: ​

• Tin Roof Brewing Co: Great beers, great atmosphere! Free brewery tours and a large outdoor space with frequent live music

• Louie's Cafe: The best breakfast spot! A traditional old diner that I highly recommend

• The Chimes: Don't miss the spinach and artichoke dip at this college bar and restaurant

Baton Rouge Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• LSU:​ Tiger Stadium is incredibly impressive, but the rest of the campus is really pretty as well

• Louisiana's Old State Capitol: This building looks like it's from the medieval times, definitely check it out!

Lafayette, LA

Lafayette, LA is about 2.5 hours west of New Orleans and the heart of Cajun Country!

Lafayette Tips: 

• A relatively small Southern town, you don't need to spend more than a weekend here to see it all!

• Check out my guides to New Orleans and Baton Rouge to complete your Louisiana adventure!

Adventures & Ales Top Lafayette Recommendations: 

• Parish Brewing: Known for their hoppy IPA's such as Ghost in the Machine, definitely a must visit for beer lovers!

• The French Press: An extremely good brunch spot right in the center of downtown!

• The Wurst Biergarten: Outdoor beer garden with beers, food, live music, and an art market on certain weekends ​​

The French Press

Other things to do in Lafayette: ​​​

• Bayou Teche Brewery: Located about 30 minutes outside of Lafayette in Arnaudville, the brewery is a hot spot for locals and has a nice patio to drink your beers on

• Jefferson Street Pub: A popular bar downtown with many beers on tap!

• Lake Martin: Just east of Lafayette, a great place to soak in the swampy side of Cajun Country. 

Little Rock, AR

Arkansas is known as 'The Natural State' and for good reason! There are tons of national and state parks to spend your time outdoors, but don't fret, there are plenty of breweries for your post-outdoor pleasure!

Little Rock Tips: 

• Little Rock is a pretty small city for being a state capital, you can easily walk all of downtown and don't need too much time to take it all in

• There are some sketchy areas of Little Rock so just be aware of your surroundings and make smart choices

• Check out my guide to Hot Springs, Arkansas which is just about an hour away!

Adventures & Ales Top Little Rock Recommendations: 

• Lost Forty Brewing: This was my favorite place in Little Rock! This spot has seriously good beers, a solid food menu (including brunch on Sundays!), and a fun atmosphere

• Flyaway Brewing: Located in North Little Rock across the river, Flyaway has a ton of different pretzels and dips (hello key to my heart), along with fun new beer releases all the time

• Pinnacle Mountain State Park: Definitely somewhere you need to drive to from downtown, but worth it! A rigorous climb up the mountain with great views from the top. Beware, you're literally climbing over boulders, but it's very cool!

Lost Forty Brewing

Little Rock Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Little Rock Central High: There is a mini-museum right across from the high school to learn about the history of the Little Rock 9. The high school is still a fully functioning school so you can't just wander in, as a heads up, but go to the museum and check out the outside of the school

• Clinton Presidential Center: Arkansas LOVES Bill Clinton. It's kind of adorable how idolized he is across the state. His Presidential Center is nerdy, but really interesting to explore!

• Walk the Junction Bridge and explore the River Market District: The Junction Bridge is an old pedestrian bridge that lights up at night in fun colors.  The River Market District is the area right around the bridge with a park, the Arkansas River Trail, and--you guessed it--a market!

Pinnacle Mountain State Park

Other things to do in Little Rock:​​

• At The Corner: Brunch it up at this restaurant, you guessed it, at the corner. Beware, folks line up around the block to get in!

• Rebel Kettle Brewing: Right around the corner from Lost Forty, Rebel Kettle has a nice outdoor patio to enjoy a nice day on

• Vino's: Pizza brewpub! Yum! Semi-isolated from the rest of the city, not in the best neighborhood, but yummy. 

• Stone's Throw Brewing: Lots of beer options, outdoor space, and a food truck that lives in their parking lot. 

• Diamond Bear Brewing: They get a lot of praise for a pretty average brewery, but it's worth popping in while in North Little Rock

Skip: ​

• Core Public House: I've never had worse service in my life. The bartender was drunk out of her mind and had no idea what she was doing. I'm sure they have other, better employees that would make your experience better, but they also had mediocre beer.

• Mug's Cafe: Overpriced below average coffee shop in North Little Rock

Hot Springs, AR

Hot Springs is a super cute little touristy town nestled in a National Park

Hot Springs Tips: 

• You don't need a ton of time to see it all, but it's a cute place so you could stretch it out if you wanted

• It's also just a short one hour drive from Little Rock so it makes a perfect day trip! Check out my Little Rock recommendations here!

Adventures & Ales Top Hot Springs Recommendations:

• Superior Bathhouse Brewery: A great atmosphere, great beers, a huge food menu (read: beer cheese), and it's in an old bathhouse! 

• Lake Ouachita State Park: About a 20ish minute drive from Hot Springs, but a super cute lake and forest.

• Bubba's Brews: One location of a larger brewery, it is really cute. Also a fireplace that is perfect to warm you up on a chilly day!

Superior Bathhouse Brewery

Hot Springs Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Check out the Hot Springs of course!

• Bathhouse Row: All of the bathhouses are lined up for your convenience! Set up a spa day and treat yo'self

• Hot Springs Mountain: Climb or drive to the top to check out the view!

Other Hot Springs Things To Do:​​

• The Grand Promenade: A nice walkway behind bathhouse row to the base of the mountain

• Grateful Head: Pizza and beer garden!

• The Winery of Hot Springs: Wine tasting is always a good choice!

• Core Public House: See my experience at the Little Rock branch of Core to understand my thoughts. But another brewery option

Grand Rapids, MI

Grand Rapids has repeatedly been ranked as ‘Beer City USA’ and with good reason! There is an abundance of fantastic breweries and beer bars sprawling across GR and it’s an overall great city to visit!

Beer City Tips: 

• Check in your beers along your journey to earn free rewards! Grand Rapids has two programs for this:

  • Beer City Brewsader: An app that allows you to earn a super soft t-shirt after visiting 8 local breweries! You can have your shirt mailed to you or pick it up at Founders Brewing.

  • Craft Pass GR: Check in your beers and earn both a cute tote bag after 6 visits and discounts on your future visits to each brewery! Each spot has different rewards. If you decide to pick up your tote at Founders instead of having it shipped you’ll also receive a special treat!

Check out my 2 day itinerary for Grand Rapids Here!

• Grand Rapids gets lake effect snow from nearby Lake Michigan, so be sure to keep that in mind if you’re planning a trip in the winter months!

• There are several companies that offer transportation between breweries if you’re doing a brewery crawl and prefer that route! Once you get to a neighborhood though you can generally walk to several breweries from one spot.

Check out my blog on the best breweries in Grand Rapids here!

Adventures & Ales Top Grand Rapids Recommendations: ​​​

• Speciation Artisan Ales: Seriously some of the best beer I’ve ever had! Speciation specializes in wild beers that are phenomenal, and they also have natural wines and seltzers if that’s more your style. Their staff is super nice and they have a great patio. Definitely go!

• Seven Monks Taproom: A fantastic beer bar with an extensive tap list and can/bottle list. They also have a full food menu and a small patio. We absolutely loved our time at Seven Monks and I highly recommend checking it out! This is their second location, the original is in Traverse City.

• Outside Coffee: A super cute coffee shop that is,—you guessed it!—outside! They’ve got igloos in the winter and frequent live music as well.

• AC Hotel Grand Rapids Downtown: An incredible hotel in the heart of downtown that I highly recommend staying at! The entire hotel is dog friendly and the location can’t be beat—you can walk to a ton of great spots like Hopcat, Grand Rapids Brewing, Founders, Stella’s, Madcap Coffee, The B.O.B., the Grand Rapids Art Museum, and so much more! The lobby of the hotel has plenty of space to lounge or work and its own bar.

• Arvon Brewing Co.: A great brewery specializing in Hazy IPAs and Sours. They have a small but nice taproom and a patio out front.

• Lost Art Brewhouse: Located just across the city line in Walker, but Lost Art is worth the drive! They are making fantastic beers that I highly recommend.

• City Built Brewing: Delicious beers, a Puerto Rican Food menu, and happy hour on both food and drinks.

• Hopcat: A great beer bar with delicious food. I highly recommend the beer cheese, pretzel nugz, crack fries (that are no longer called crack fries), and their hundreds of beers.

• Brewery Vivant: A brewery located in the chapel of an old funeral home specializing in farmhouse-style beers. They’ve also got a farm-scratch food menu and a small patio.

• Mitten Brewing: A brewery with delicious pizzas and solid beers in this baseball themed brewery.

• Grand Rapids Brewing: The city’s oldest brewery has some delicious beers and also a full menu! Located right downtown.

Speciation Artisan Ales

Grand Rapids Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• Visit Grand Haven: The beach town right outside of Grand Rapids!

  • Odd Side Ales: A popular brewery in central Grand Haven. You can get food from The Toasted Pickle delivered to you, they’ve got darts and other games, and it’s a large space overall

  • Grand Armory Brewing: In an interesting location with a coffee shop and BBQ restaurant

  • Grand Haven State Park: The beach! Park for free in the street if you can instead of the paid lot. It gets packed on weekends in the summer as a forewarning

• Founders Brewing: A huge space with a ton of beers on tap. They’ve also got a large food menu and outside seating options. As a forewarning they have made some racist and inappropriate actions and comments, so please go support small and local first.

• Explore Wealthy Street: A cute street with lots of restaurants and bars!

  • Speciation Artisan Ales from above is located here

  • Squibb Coffee and Wine Bar: Delicious food and coffee as well as happy hour specials

  • Elk Brewing: This brewery has some yummy beers and some absolutely killer deals! This location has a nice outdoor patio with a fire pit. PB & J’ale’y is my favorite from Elk!

    • They’ve also got a location in Comstock Park that is larger and has a restaurant

• Explore the Westside: A popular neighborhood across the river that is perfect for bar hopping!

  • The Sovengard: A lovely beer garden style restaurant with an adorable interior and killer outdoor space. We absolutely loved this spot and I highly recommend checking it out!

  • New Holland Brewing—The Knickerbocker: The Grand Rapids location for New Holland Brewing is a large restaurant-style space with a variety of beers and a full food menu to select from. They also have a large patio.

  • Jolly Pumpkin Brewing: This popular Michigan brewery has taprooms all around the state. Jolly Pumpkin is known for their funky beers and their delicious pizzas.

City Built Brewing

Other Grand Rapids Things To Do:

• Greyline Brewing: A great brewery off the beaten path in Northwest Grand Rapids.

• Littlebird: A cute little spot for breakfast and brunch in the heart of downtown. Their sandwiches and toasts are delicious!

• Terra: A cute spot for brunch in East Town Grand Rapids. Their food is solid and it’s in a great location.

  • Terra Bagels: Right next door to Terra is their bagel shop with great bagels and breakfast sandwiches.

• Perrin Brewing: An award brewing in Comstock Park with a full food menu. I didn’t have very good service personally, but I did enjoy my beer

• Madcap Coffee: A cute and chill coffee shop with multiple locations around town.

• Stella’s Lounge: A dive bar/restaurant in the heart of downtown with games and a great beer list.

• The Tin Can Bar: A beer bar with all canned beers and lots of games.

• Atwater Brewery: The Grand Rapids outpost of this popular Detroit brewery is right downtown and has a solid tap list!

• Brass Ring Brewing: A brewery in a pub-style setting with UK-style Ales and a nice patio.

• The B.O.B.: The Big Old Building! This is a Grand Rapids landmark. The B.O.B. has all kinds of things inside of it including a brewery and multiple bars and restaurants. The beers from the brewery are not great but it’s an interesting spot to check out. It gets very club-style at night as a forewarning.

• Harmony Brewing Company: We tried to visit but they decided to open late while we were in town (without sharing that information on their website/social media/Google hours).

Detroit, MI

The Motor City has continued to grow as a tourist destination, I’m biased because I grew up in metro-Detroit, but it’s an amazing city!

Motown Tips: 

• Don’t go anytime from November-April. Winters in Michigan are BRUTAL unless you love cold and snow

• Be mindful where you choose to stay, especially if you’re doing Airbnb or some sort of rental. Most of the city is fantastic and has come a long way, other parts still have room to improve.

Adventures & Ales Top Detroit Recommendations: ​​​

• Eastern Market Brewing Co.: A cute little brewery right off of Eastern Market with delicious beers! Specifically their IPAs are amazing.

• 8 Degrees Plato: A fantastic bottle shop and beer bar! They have a great selection of beers both on tap and in cans/bottles and chill vibes.

• Brewery Faisan: A great spot with delicious and unique beers. They are located near Belle Isle and have a nice patio as well.

• Batch Brewing: A great brewery with an extensive tap list and delicious food. If you’re there in the summer get the beer-slushie.

• The Heidelberg Project: A creative twist on art and awareness. Walk through the neighborhood and see old houses and debris turned into works of art.

• Bobcat Bonnie’s: My favorite brunch spot in Detroit! $3 mimosa bar, Bloody Mary bar, and build your own coffee bar. The food is incredibly delicious too!

• Collect Beer Bar: A fun beer bar with 9 rotating taps along with cans and bottles onsite. They also have a rooftop and are dog-friendly.

Detroit Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Eastern Market: Food, flowers, trinkets—what more could you ask for? A giant farmer’s market in the heart of downtown!

• Detroit Institute of Arts: Now I’m not an art person if you haven’t noticed from my lack of art museum recommendations for other cities, but the DIA is amazing. They have an extensive collection of fantastic pieces, highly recommend!

• Belle Isle: A cute little island on the Detroit River. It is basically one large park where you can gaze at Canada and the United States at the same time. You need to have the Michigan Recreation Passport to enter or it is $11 for non-Michigan residents.

• Campus Martius Park: Transformed into a winter wonderland in the colder months and a fake beach escape during the warmer months, full of bars, ice skating (when appropriate), shops, and music.

• Fox Theater: The original of the Fox Theaters around the country, absolutely stunning.

• Greektown: Greek bars, restaurants, casinos. A fun part of town to hop around.

Eastern Market Brewing

Other Detroit Things To Do:​​

• Jolly Pumpkin Brewing Co.: Large beer selection, better pizza selection!

• Nain Rouge Brewery: A solid brewery with a nice patio and tasty brews. Their team is super nice and I love that they are working to increase diversity in the beer industry. Their beer is also exclusively served at Vigilante Kitchen + Bar right next door.

• Condado Tacos: Delicious tacos and margaritas in Midtown, right by Nain Rouge. They have a small patio and beautifully painted interior.

• HopCat: Beer cheese everything. Also 130 beers on tap. Crack fries are real crack [the name has changed but the fries have not]

• Atwater Brewing: One of the biggest breweries in the area—Vanilla Java Porter is my favorite! Also if you have a car while visiting go check out Atwater in the Park, in Grosse Point Park.

• Motor City Brewing Works: A smaller brewery with pizzas, an outdoor space, and a large tap list.

• Motown Museum: Learn about the history of the Detroit music scene in an engaging old recording studio.

• The Belt: An alley full of street art and a couple of fun bars.

Southwest Michigan

The area of Southwest Michigan nestled along Lake Michigan near the Indiana border is filled with breweries and chill vibes.

Southwest Michigan Tips: 

• Visit during the summer or fall for the best experience!

• This area of Michigan is made up of a bunch of small towns. Everything is pretty close together, you can get across the whole area in about 20 minutes.

• Lake Michigan stays pretty cold all year long, so don’t expect bath water temperatures like lakes in the south.

• Rip tides are a huge issue on Lake Michigan, if you choose to go out from shore for a swim take precautions!

Adventures & Ales Top Southwest Michigan Recommendations: ​

• Transient Artisan Ales: Transient is located in downtown Bridgman and has incredible beers. No matter the style they do it well!

• Seedz Brewery: A stellar brewery focused on Lagers and Farmhouse Ales in Union Pier. They are dog friendly and have indoor and outdoor seating.

• Watermark Brewing: There are amazing beers at this downtown Stevensville brewery! They have a nice large outdoor space as well with frequent food trucks and friendly staff.

• Haymarket Brewing: The Bridgman location of this Chicago based brewery has a large outdoor space with nature-filled vibes. They have tasty beers and delicious pizzas in a very relaxing environment. Get the elote pizza!

• Stay at this fantastic Airbnb: We had a fantastic stay with a group of 4. This is in Michigan City, Indiana and walkable to the beach!

  • Dune Billies is a great spot for breakfast and lunch a block away!

Warren Dunes State Park

SW Michigan Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Warren Dunes State Park: A sand dune park with a large beach, hiking, and camping options. It is $9 for a day pass.

• Indiana Dunes National Park: This is an interesting National Park just across the Michigan/Indiana border that is along Lake Michigan. It is intermixed with Indiana Dunes State Park so it is a bit spread out.

  • West Beach Dune Succession Trail: An easy 1 mile long trail with 75ft of elevation gain. This trail takes you out to the beach and back to the parking lot through some woods and staircases. Dogs are allowed on this trail.

  • Paul H Douglas Trail: A moderate trail that is 4 miles long with 124ft of elevation gain. It is a bit of a leg-burner in the sand at times and leads out to an isolated beach through dunes and marsh. You can see the Chicago skyline from the beach! Dogs are allowed on this trail.

• Hit the free beaches: There are a bunch of free local beaches with public access. Town Line Beach can be a bit crowded but is nice. Cherry Beach is shaded in the mornings but a lovely spot. The link has a plethora of options along the coast to check out!

• Winery Hop: There are a bunch of wineries in the region! Shady Creek Winery has delicious food and wine and a lovely outdoor space. Located in Michigan City, Indiana.

Transient Artisan Ales

Other Things to Do in Southwest Michigan:​​

• Greenbush Brewing: A brewery and restaurant in downtown Sawyer. The Annex next door has an outdoor patio and small sandwich menu. Solid beers.

• Beer Church Brewing: A brewery in a converted church in downtown New Buffalo. They have phenomenal pizza and a cute patio.

• Burn ‘Em Brewing: This is a solid brewery in Michigan City, Indiana. They have patio seating and a wide variety of beers available.

• Infusco Coffee Roasters: Delicious coffee shop in downtown Sawyer. Grab a coffee and hit the beach!

• Round Barn Estate: A brewery, winery, and distillery. Round Barn has three locations in Southwest Michigan: The Estate, The Brewery, and the Union Pier Taproom. The Estate is the original location that has the round barn, vineyards, and a plethora of outdoor seating. They have a permanent food truck on weekends and you can bring your own food during the week.

Upper Peninsula Michigan

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a gorgeous area between Lake Superior & Lake Michigan with tons of great outdoor adventures!

U.P. Tips: 

• Book your lodging early! There are not a ton of options and they fill up quickly.

• The Michigan Recreation Passport is Michigan’s version of a state park pass. Many of the scenic areas in the U.P. require a recreation passport for entry. The recreation passport cannot be purchased online, they are only available at certain parks.

  • It is $10 for a day pass for non-Michigan residents or $36 for an annual pass, so if you will be in the area for longer than 3 days an annual pass will probably make more sense. Michigan residents can purchase an annual pass for $12 with their license plate registration renewal or $17 any other time.

• There are 3 cities that serve as good bases for exploring:

  • Houghton: This is a larger city on the western side of the Upper Peninsula. The downtown is full of restaurants and shops. Michigan Technological University is also here giving the city college town vibes.

  • Marquette: This is a cute little town with lots of shops, restaurants, breweries, trails and views. It is a great home base for exploring the entirety of the U.P. Marquette is also home to Northern Michigan University.

  • Munising: This little town essentially exists as a gateway to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

• Explore Minnesota’s North Shore along the western edge of Lake Superior while you are in the area—check out my beer and travel guide here.

• On a Michigan road trip? Check out my other guides:

  • Traverse City

  • Leelanau Peninsula

  • Grand Rapids

  • Detroit

  • Southwest Michigan

Adventures & Ales Top Upper Peninsula Recommendations: 

• Kayak Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore: The best way to see the Pictured Rocks is from the water! There are several different companies that offer various length kayak tours. The full day kayak tour with Northern Waters Adventures was a lovely journey from Miners Castle Beach to Mosquito Beach. The scenery is stunning! Be prepared that tours will be cancelled due to inclement weather and kayaking on the open water of Lake Superior can be quite difficult.

• Miner’s Castle Trail: A short .6 mile trail that takes about 20 minutes to see two different viewpoints of the Pictured Rocks. The views are beautiful and I would highly recommend a visit!

• The Lake of the Clouds in the Porcupine Mountains: A stunning viewpoint that should not be missed. The walk from the parking lot to the viewpoint at the top is quite short. You will need the Michigan Recreation Passport to enter. The Lake of the Clouds trail is 1.6 miles long with 351ft of elevation gain and takes about 35 minutes to complete. This trail goes straight down to the lake and back up, but there isn’t a great view from the bottom so it wasn’t quite worth it. The view from the top was much better.

• Summit Peak Observation Tower in the Porcupine Mountains: This trail is 1 mile long with 230ft of elevation gain and takes about 30 minutes. This is a popular trail and leads to incredible views of the Porcupine Mountains. You will need the Michigan Recreation Passport to enter.

• Barrel + Beam Brewery: A fantastic brewery in Marquette specializing in Farmhouse and Barrel Aged beers, ciders and meads. They use all Michigan ingredients and make delicious beers!

• Superior Culture: A fun spot for drinks with kombucha, seltzers and beers. They are in a converted house with a cute space and nice backyard area as well. The drinks are delicious and the vibes are great.

• Blackrocks Brewing: A spacious brewery in Marquette with a nice upper deck, back patio and two different indoor spaces. The vibes here are great and they frequently have food trucks. Located just a block away from Superior Culture.

• Hogback Mountain Trail: This trail in the Escanaba River State Forest near Marquette is 3.8 miles long with 565ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete. Almost all of the elevation is in the last half mile which is very steep and involves a short bit of rock climbing. The views from the summit are fantastic. Wetmore Pond is located here as well and the AllTrails route includes a stop here for the viewpoint. For this trail you will want hiking boots due to the roots and rocks and also bug spray. You will need the Michigan Recreation Passport to enter.

• Keweenaw Brewing Company: A brewery in the heart of downtown Houghton with average beers, fun vibes, a back patio, and cheap prices.

• Contrast Coffee: A coffee shop in Marquette with food as well. This is a popular spot so I’d recommend going early.

• Presque Isle Park Loop Trail: Presque Isle is a popular area for picnics, walks and water access. The loop trail is 2.3 miles long, mostly flat, and takes about 1 hour to complete. It is a nice stroll around the isle with small, rocky beaches throughout. Half of the trail runs along the road and beaches and the other half is through the woods. You could make this shorter if desired.

• East Channel Brewing: A brewery in downtown Munising with a small tap list and Cooking Carberry’s pizza onsite. They have a small patio and average beers.

• Falling Rock Café and Bookstore: A cute little bookstore and café in Munising with a breakfast and all day menu. Quite delicious!

Taqhuamenon Falls

Upper Peninsula Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• Taqhuamenon Falls: This is a must visit in the Upper Peninsula! I chose to do the Upper and Lower Falls trail which was 10 miles long with 636ft of elevation gain and took about 3.5 hours. Most folks choose to just do the short walk from the parking lot of each waterfall to the viewpoints which is less than a mile for each fall. You can also hike one way and then shuttle back to the other parking lot for $17. At the Lower Falls you can get into the river and swim or frolic as you desire. You will need the Michigan Recreation Passport to enter the parking lot.

  • Taqhuamenon Falls Brewery & Pub shares a parking lot with the Upper Falls trailhead, be sure to pop by for a beer and some food! There is also a gift shop, an ice cream shop and a BBQ restaurant here.

• Boat Cruise to see the Pictured Rocks: There are several different tour companies, I would suggest Pictured Rocks Cruises and the sunset spray tour. Book ahead as they frequently sell out, and be prepared that tours will be cancelled due to inclement weather.

• Palms Book State Park: Home to Kitch-iti-kipi, the “big spring.” This is a popular destination to go out on a raft above the spring where 10,000 gallons of water is coming up through the ground per minute. Touristy but actually quite cool to see. You will need the Michigan Recreation Passport to enter.

• Sugarloaf Mountain Trail: This trail near Marquette is 1.4 miles long with 300ft of elevation gain and takes about 35 minutes to complete with great views of Lake Superior. This is a popular trail because it is pretty short and still leads to a panoramic view. The trailhead parking is a 2 minute drive from Hogback Mountain.

• Munising Falls Trail: This is a popular, short .5 mile long trail with 3 viewing platforms of Munising Falls. You will need a National Park Pass to enter. Located just 5 minutes from downtown Munising.

Kayaking Pictured Rocks

Other things to do in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula: ​​​

• Explore Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin: The Meyers Beach Sea Cave Trail is 4.7 miles long with 270ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes. There is a boardwalk section which then pops out to the rugged lake shore. There are some great views but a majority of the trail is quite boring unfortunately. It is $5 to park here and a National Park Pass does not count.

• Visit Bayfield, Wisconsin: A cute little town centered around exploring the Apostle Islands. Wonderstate Coffee is a great spot for breakfast and coffee!

• Hidden Beach: A literal hidden beach near Marquette! Parking is a bit past where Google says the beach is on the side of the road and then there is a trail through the woods to get to the beach itself.

• Bayshore Park: A nice area on the water near the marina in Munising with beach access, picnic tables, and restrooms.

• Wagner Falls Trail: A small waterfall near Munising that is a quick 2 minute walk from the parking lot. Pretty if you are in the area but do not go out of your way to see it.

• Campfire Coffee: A cute coffee shop in downtown Negaunee with food options as well.

• Digs: A restaurant and bar in downtown Marquette with solid food and drinks. They also have a nice back patio space.

• Ore Dock Brewing Company: A brewery in downtown Marquette with a nice patio, good vibes, average beers, and frequent food trucks. They also make hard seltzers.

• Drifa Brewing Company: A brewery just outside of downtown Marquette across from the lake. They have a nice outdoor space and frequent food trucks + live music. The tap list is small and beers are average.

• ByGeorge Brewing Co: A brewery in downtown Munising with flights, a small patio space, and average beers. Driftwood Deli is connected next door for food.

• Velodrome: A coffee shop with two locations—one in the heart of Ishpeming and another in Marquette. They have a small food menu as well.

• Bike! There are a ton of bike trails in the U.P. to explore.

• Manistique Boardwalk Trail: This 3.1 mile, mostly flat trail takes about 1 hour to walk and has parking lots at both ends of the trail. It is essentially a paved greenway that runs along the northern shore of Lake Michigan with a lighthouse and beach.

• Mackinaw Trail Winery & Brewery: Wine and beer flights in Manistique right near the boardwalk. They are located on the river which is nice but the beers were mediocre and very overpriced. They also have a location in Petoskey.

• Teal Lake: A pretty lake in Negaunee with beach access and nice views.

• Rustic Grounds Coffee Trailer: A coffee truck in downtown Munising with tasty beverages.

• Bridge View Park: A nice spot for views of the Mackinaw Bridge. There is a picnic area, informational building and restroom. This is the last exit before the bridge. There is a $4 toll to cross the bridge.

• Whitefish Falls Trail: A small, isolated waterfall in the middle of nowhere right off the main road. This trail is a quick 5 minute walk. The AllTrails has you go deeper into the woods for no reason—once you see the waterfall you can turn around. If visiting Kitch-iti-kipi from the Marquette area you will pass right by this so you might as well stop. Otherwise, do not go out of your way to see it as it is quite small.

Traverse City, MI

Traverse City is a stunningly beautiful city nestled on the Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. It makes for the perfect weekend getaway, no matter what you like to do!

Cherry Capital Tips: 

• There is a little airport here to fly into, or Grand Rapids is a two hour drive and Detroit is four.

• Paddle for Pints is a convenient way to brewery hop, kayak, and see various parts of the city! Be sure to book far in advance!

• While in Northern Michigan, explore the Leelanau Peninsula, the peninsula on the West side of Traverse City. Check out my guide to the area here! Check out my Frankfort recommendations here!

Adventures & Ales Top Traverse City Recommendations: ​​​

• Get out on the water! I’d suggest kayaking, or renting a boat from Aussie Watersports!

• 7 Monks Taproom: A great beer bar with a solid selection of taps along with food and patio seating.

• The Workshop Brewing Co.: The best beer in TC! A large space with a plethora of beers and wines to choose from! They’ve also got a small food menu.

• Jacob’s Farm: A delightful spot for pizza, BBQ, drinks, and live music on a scenic farm.

• Right Brain Brewery: A stupendously large tap list, and be warned—the flights here are massive! Right off Boardman Lake.

• Filling Station Microbrewery: Breakfast pizzas, beermosas, and a large tap list! Also right off Boardman Lake.

• Peace, Love and Little Donuts: Fancy mini donuts! Yum!

• Winery hop: There are 40+ breweries in the TC area to indulge at! They all make their own wine and some have quite the view to soak in.

  • My favorites on the Old Mission Peninsula on the East side of Traverse City are:

    • Bonobo Winery: Delicious wines, lake views, and a small food menu

    • Mari Vineyards: Set in a castle-like setting they’ve got a huge outdoor space with amazing views

    • Bowers Harbor Vineyards: Another great winery, you can wander the vineyards here which is cool. They’ve also got their own hard ciders!

  • For the Leelanau Peninsula side see my guide here!

• The Little Fleet: A food truck park with a bar and outdoor seating. The place to be on on a weekend night!

• Hit the course: Golf is super popular in Northern Michigan so pick a course and make a tee time! I enjoyed our experience at The Old Course at Sugarloaf, it was pretty inexpensive and was nice overall. Their Bloody Mary’s are absolutely superb.

Short’s Brewery

Other Things to do in Traverse City:

• Drive an hour to Short’s Brewery in Bellaire: You’ll hear me preach this over and over—Short’s beer is so good! Soft Parade will forever be one of my favorite beers. They’ve also got fantastic food.

• Rare Bird Brewing Co.: Average beers, yummy food!

• MiddleCoast Brewing Company: Located inside State Street Market which has some food stalls as well! The beers here are pretty average.

• Silver Spruce Brewing: Basic beers in an industrial taproom.

• North Peak Brewing: Average beers and a full food menu.

  • They also own Kilkenny’s next door, an Irish Pub that has North Peak beers available.

Leelanau Peninsula, MI

The Leelanau Peninsula is a gorgeous area of Northern Michigan filled with small towns to explore and surrounded by the gorgeous Lake Michigan!

Leelanau Tips: 

• Visit between May-October unless you are a winter fanatic! Businesses also have limited hours outside of the summer season as a forewarning

• We used Sutton’s Bay as a home base and enjoyed the ability to explore the whole peninsula from here. Sutton’s had the best “downtown” on the peninsula in my opinion as well, with several restaurant options and shops to wander

  • The beach at Sutton’s Bay is not overly impressive though, as a heads up

• Be sure to get into Traverse City while you are in the area! Check out my guide to TC here! Heading a little further south? Check out my Frankfort recommendations here!

Adventures & Ales Top Leelanau Peninsula Recommendations: ​

• Hop Lot Brewing: A cool ‘outdoorsy’ brewery in Sutton’s Bay. They have a plethora of games, a fire pit where you can make s’mores, and frequent live music.

• Mitten Brewing: The ‘Up North’ outpost of the popular Grand Rapids brewery. Snag a flight on a cute Michigan shaped board! They’ve got a small snack menu (the pretzel is MASSIVE as a heads up!) as well as an onsite food truck. Located in downtown Northport.

• Peterson Park: A great spot to hunt for Petoskey stones on the rocky beach or to catch a Lake Michigan sunset!

• Tandem Ciders: An adorable cidery in a converted house. They offer a large variety of delicious ciders on draft and in bottles, as well as a small snack menu.

• Sutton’s Bay Ciders: Soak up amazing views of Lake Michigan from this cidery. They’ve got a meat and cheese board if you’re hungry to accompany your ciders!

Peterson Park

Northern Michigan Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park: A gorgeous park to explore! The entrance fee is $25 if you don’t have a National Park Pass, which gets you access to both entrances (below) for a week.

  • Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive: A 7.5 mile loop drive with scene viewpoints and trails

  • Dune Climb: A must! If you want to go beyond the initial dune you see be prepared that it can be hot and intense! If you want to get down to Lake Michigan over the dunes plan 3-4 hours. It took approximately 45 minutes round trip to get to the top of the fourth dune where you have nice views of Lake Michigan.

  • Glen Haven is a historic little village with a beach that is part of the National Shoreline as well

• Fishtown in Leland: Another historic little village with touristy shops, and you guessed it, fish!

  • Village Cheese Shanty: A cute little rustic sandwich hut

• Explore the Wine Trail! Northern Michigan is full of wineries! Be prepared that Ubers/Lyfts can be hard to get in this area so if you are planning to get “irresponsible” explore the various winery tour options

  • Mawby Vineyards: My favorite winery in the area! They have all sparkling wines which were delicious. Sex (yes that’s actually the name) is their best seller, but everything was fantastic!

    • Big Little Wines is next door on the property and has still wines if that is more your vibe than sparkling

  • 45 North Winery: Solid wines, a pretty view of the vineyard

  • Shady Lane Cellars: A nice outdoor area with glasses, flights, or tastings. This spot is one of the only wineries I’ve seen where you can do a tasting outdoors versus having to stand at the bar inside

Hop Lot Brewing

Other Leelanau Peninsula Things To Do:​​

• Leelanau State Park: I was not super impressed, but the water levels were very high when we visited so there was no “beach” to wander so that could change the experience. The lighthouse is very average as well. If you don’t have a state park pass I would definitely not spend money to enter

• Knot Just A Bar: A bar/restaurant overlooking Lake Michigan in the tiny town of Omena

  • Leelanau Cellars is next door and has FREE wine tastings! They have limited hours though so be sure to plan ahead!

• Lake Ann Brewing: Located in Lake Ann at the bottom of the peninsula, this brewery has lots of outdoor space, frequent live music, beers, ciders, meads, wines, snacks, cabin-y vibes, and lots of board games

Chicago, IL

Chicago is one of the biggest cities in the country and home to several unique neighborhoods. Take your time exploring each one’s character.

The Windy City Tips: 

• Mmmm it’s windy. Really though. The winters can be insanely brutal, pack appropriately.

• Chicago is pretty huge, so be sure to plan ahead so you’re not driving/Lyfting all over the place

Adventures & Ales Top Chicago Recommendations: ​​​

• Phase Three Brewing: A fantastic brewery in an industrial park in Lake Zurich. They have incredible beers of all styles, an outside space and frequent food trucks.

• Maplewood Brewery and Distillery: Absolutely delightful spot with amazing beers and a fun lounge atmosphere.

• Whisk: A fantastic brunch option that is BYOB and cash-only. Get the biscuits and gravy—ya welcome.

• More Brewing: In the ‘burbs of Chicago, this brewery is cranking out fantastic beers of every style.

• Mikerphone Brewing: A fun music themed brewery with incredible beers. Close to O’Hare Airport as well!

• Forbidden Root Brewery: They have their own herbs and fruits they grow and infuse into their beers—get the Strawberry Basil Hefeweizen. Also cheese plates.

• Begyle Brewing: Great beers and a fun atmosphere!

• Dovetail Brewery: A Lager-focused brewery that is right around the corner from Begyle with solid beers. They also have a small food menu and an outdoor bar in the summer months.

• Half Acre Beer: A large taproom both inside and out with a plethora of beer options. They also have a small food menu. Keeping Together, a Mixed Culture project from Averie Swanson is housed here as well with draft and bottle options.

• Local Option: A super fun beer bar with a full food menu and frequent events. Their tap list is killer!

• Beermiscuous: A great beer bar and bottle shop with 16 taps and to-go cans and bottles. They offer single cans which is fantastic to get a variety of things.

• Parlor Pizza: Delicious pizzas and a great tap list.

Phase Three Brewing

Chicago Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• The Bean: Obviously you can’t go to Chicago without a stop at The Bean! Expect hoards of tourists.

• Explore the Lakefront Trail! This 18 mile path runs along Lake Michigan through various parks and attractions.

• The Signature Room at the 96th: The views are stunning but the drinks are pricey, it’s worth checking out!

• Wander Logan Square: Get a bagel sandwich from Brobagel, pop into some shops!

• Take an architecture tour!

• Pequod’s Pizza: Fantastic deep dish (insert drool here)

• Ohio Street Beach: A popular sandy beach on the lake with skyline views downtown. Close to navy Pier.

• Montrose Beach: A popular area for walking, biking, dogs, volleyball, and a beach on Lake Michigan.

The Bean

Other Chicago Things To Do:​​

• Revolution Brewing: One of the most popular breweries in the city. They have a wide array of beers but their Stouts are particularly great.

• Old Irving Brewing: Great beers and a full food menu. More of a restaurant-style set-up than brewery.

• Pilot Project: A brewery incubator housing small, new breweries as they get their start. They have a great patio and a beautiful indoor space. Located in the Logan Square neighborhood.

• Marz Brewing: A cool spot not too far from Midway Airport with solid beers.

• Hubbard’s Cave/Une Année: This unique space started with Une Année producing Belgian beers and then expanded with Hubbard’s Cave specializing in Stouts and IPAs. They have BBQ onsite and a large outdoor space.

• Goose Island: Not my favorite because Anheuser Busch owns them, but they’ve got quite a few unique beers only at their Chicago brewery.

• Stan’s Donuts: I am a sucker for a good doughnut and Stan’s does not disappoint!

• Taste of New York Bagels and Deli: A pretty authentic NYC bagel spot near Wrigleyville.

• Corridor Brewery & Provisions: A restaurant-style brewery with average beers. The tap list is quite small. Located near Wrigleyville in a popular neighborhood.

• District Brew Yards: Around the Bend Beer Co., Bold Dog Beer Co., and Casa Humilde Cerveceria Artesanal all under one roof with food and games

Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN

Minneapolis and St. Paul are really cool cities full of great breweries & Beautiful NaturE.

Twin Cities Tips: 

• Definitely plan several days to explore—Minneapolis has several distinct neighborhoods to adventure around and then St. Paul is about 20 minutes east with its own downtown to meander.

• Visit between May-October unless you love brutal cold and heavy snow!

• Planning a Minnesota road trip? Check out my North Shore beer and travel guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Twin Cities Recommendations: ​​​

• BlackStack Brewing: Killer beers and the nicest people! This is definitely the best brewery in the Twin Cities and a must visit. Located between Minneapolis and St. Paul.

• Chain of Lakes: Rent a bike and take a journey around the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway to see Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles, and Cedar Lake!

  • Nice Ride is the name of the city’s public bike share system, they are super convenient and reasonably priced!

• Barrel Theory Beer Company: A fantastic brewery in downtown St. Paul making killer beers. The space is small but the vibes are great.

• Fair State Brewing Coop: This employee-owned brewery has fantastic beers, particularly their Lagers. They also have pretzels from the bakery next door and a beer garden in the back.

• Modist Brewing: This brewery has delicious beers and great vibes. They are located in downtown Minneapolis.

• Falling Knife Brewing Company: A fantastic brewery with an IPA-heavy tap list, a small patio and good vibes. Don’t let their industrial strip mall location fool you!

• Boom Island Park: Great views of the Minneapolis skyline, especially at sunset!

• Fulton Beer: A cool spot to sit outside and enjoy your drink taking in the sights and sounds of the city.

• Rise Bagel Co.: I’m a sucker for a good bagel and Rise does not disappoint!

• Stay at Hyatt Centric Downtown Minneapolis: This beautiful hotel is right in the heart of the city! Their restaurant is Six 15 and they have great breakfast, dinner and drink options including six local craft beers on tap. They are also dog friendly!

BlackStack Brewing

Minneapolis and St. Paul Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Minnehaha Falls: A nice waterfall and park. It’s not exactly “hiking” it’s more like urban-hiking, but still nice to get into nature. They have a brewery pop-up here sometimes as well.

• Minneapolis Sculpture Garden: Home to the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry Sculpture, this is a cool place to meander around and check out some art.

• Bell Museum: An awesome museum in St. Paul focused on natural history with a planetarium. Highly recommend!

• The Endless Bridge at Guthrie Theater: Touristy, but it’s free so why not? Go to the Guthrie Theater, go up, go outside, take in the views. It is just a quick stop while you’re exploring.

• The Bakken Museum: A museum of innovation right off the Chain of Lakes. This is more kid focused than adult, but it is in a cool historic building.

Minnehaha Falls

Other things to do in the Twin Cities:​​

• Dangerous Man Brewing: Solid beer and friendly staff! A bit off the beaten path but worth it.

• Waldmann Brewery: A German brewery in St. Paul with restaurant vibes in a converted old house. They have a nice front patio space and good beers and food.

• Bad Weather Brewing Company: Solid beers at this popular brewery in St. Paul. Located right next to Waldmann.

• Day Block Brewing: Good beer, good food, friendly staff!

• Utepils Brewing: Solid beers and you can sit by the river to drink it! Not the best view, but still enjoyable.

• Surly Brewing Co.: A massive brewery in Minneapolis. There is a huge outdoor space, an extensive tap list, and food as well.

• Dual Citizen Brewing Co.: Good beers, chill warehouse-y vibes.

• Inbound BrewCo: Military themed brewery with solid pours.

• Pyres Brewing: A nice outdoor patio not far from the river. Large menu of beer & food!

• Urban Growler Brewing: All female-owned brewery and restaurant! They are not too far from BlackStack between Minneapolis and St. Paul.

• Sociable Cider Werks: Good ciders and usually a food truck onsite as well.

• Indeed Brewing Company: Right around the corner from Able, this place has a cool outdoor patio and solid beers.

• Bauhaus Brew Labs: A trendy brewery with a large outdoor space and games.

• Glam Doll Donuts: Super delicious! Fancy donuts and yummy coffee.

• The Freehouse: Restaurant-style brewery with average beers in downtown Minneapolis. Great brunch!

• 56 Brewing: A solid brewery with a nice outdoor patio and frequent food trucks.

• Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative: Just a 5 minute walk from 56 Brewing, this coop has unique beer styles and lots of games.

• Clockwerks Brewing: A pretty mediocre brewery in the heart of downtown.

Minnesota North Shore

The North Shore of Minnesota is a Stunning area along Lake Superior with great hiking and viewpoints!

North Shore Tips: 

• Expect solitude, beautiful views, mediocre food and coffee, and chill vibes.

• The further down the shore you get the more crowded everything is because it is more easily accessible. I loved the Grand Marais area as a jumping off point midway up the shore.

• Everywhere you go in this area is a scenic drive! Highway 61 is the main road running up from Duluth to the Canadian border and is a beautiful road to drive along.

• Although Duluth is a larger city, it is technically part of the North Shore as well. Scroll all the down for my recommendations and thoughts on Duluth.

• On a Minnesota road trip? Check out my Twin Cities guide here!

• Head over to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula while you’re in the area for more spectacular views, cute towns and great hikes. Check out my beer and travel guide for the U.P. here!

Adventures & Ales Top North Shore Recommendations: 

• Mount Josephine Lookout Tower Trail: This trail leads to stunning views of Lake Superior, Isle Royale National Park, Canada, and the Minnesota shore. It is 2.8 miles long with 650ft of elevation gain and takes about an hour and a half to complete. The trail starts very flat and then it gets quite steep as you climb to the summit, but it is worth it for the views.

• Explore Grand Marais: This is a cute little town on the water with a nice downtown.

  • Voyageur Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a full kitchen downstairs and a rooftop deck with nice views. The beer exceeded my expectations but the food was a bit disappointing.

  • Artist’s Point: A little park with a rocky beach that is a great spot to catch the sunset. You can also walk out onto the point and explore that area.

  • World’s Best Donuts: I am not sure about world’s best, but these are some darn tasty donuts. Expect a lineup of folks but it moves quickly.

  • Java Moose: A cute coffee shop with pastries right across from the water.

• Canoe in the Boundary Waters! Most people choose to do an overnight canoe trip, but a day trip works too. You’ll need a permit that whoever you rent a canoe from can help you acquire. This is a must do while in Northern Minnesota.

  • I rented from Ely Outfitting Company in Ely, MN and canoed on Hegman Lake. I was the only person on the lake and it was a wonderful experience. If I were visiting again I would probably rent from an outfitter in Grand Marais and choose a lake off Gunflint Trail because it is closer to the North Shore.

• Middle Falls and High Falls Trail at Pigeon River Provincial Park: This trail is just across the border in Canada, so you will need to have proper identification and an ArriveCAN form completed to access it. The full trail is 5.3 miles long with 738ft of elevation gain and takes about 2.5 hours. The parking lot for the trailhead is the Ontario Visitor Center.

  • You’ll first come to High Falls and then walk through some buggy and muddy woods that are a bit overgrown to Middle Falls and then turn around and come back. I would recommend skipping Middle Falls and only doing High Falls and the Lookout Trail. Middle Falls is just a river view and the trail to get there was not great. Lookout Trail leads to a stunning viewpoint of Isle Royale National Park and the coast.

  • You can also see High Falls from the US side, but if you’re able to I’d recommend the Canadian view, especially for Lookout Trail.

• Oberg Mountain Loop via Superior Hiking Trail: A nice loop with lovely views of Lake Superior, the coast and Oberg Lake. The trail is 2.6 miles long with 500ft of elevation gain and took about an hour and 15 minutes to complete.

• Drive the Gunflint Trail: This scenic road heads west and leads to several trails and lakes. The Moose Viewing Trail is just shy of a mile long to an observation deck where you can frequently see moose.

• Cascade Falls: A quick 1 mile trail right off the main road with 6 waterfalls—the first you’ll come to is the largest. You can also add onto this trail and make a longer hike out of it. This is a nice and easy trail with great waterfall views.

• North Shore Winery: A winery and cidery under the same roof with a few different tasting options as well and cheese and crackers. The property is pretty and they frequently have live music as well. Tasty wine!

High Falls

Minnesota North Shore Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• Devil’s Kettle Trail at Judge CR Magney State Park: This is a popular trail so be sure to get an early start to avoid the crowds. It is 2.2 miles long with 400ft of elevation gain, mostly in two large chunks of stairs right before you get to the Devil’s Kettle itself. This is a pretty unique sight to see and a definite must while you are in the area. It is $7 to park in the state park and the trail took 50 minutes to complete.

• Fifth Falls and Superior Hiking Loop at Gooseberry Falls State Park: Upper, Middle and Lower Falls can be reached with just a short walk from the parking area so this area is extremely popular. Once you venture beyond these there are very few people and you can get back to Fifth Falls following along the river with nice views. The overall trail is 3 miles long with 300ft of elevation gain, but you could also just do the first 3 waterfalls if you’d like.

• Palisade Head: A nice viewpoint overlooking the shoreline and Lake Superior. You can also see Shovel Point and Little Palisade from here.

• Brighton Beach: Rocky beach on Lake Superior just north of Duluth. Nice walking trail, picnic tables, benches.

Canoeing in the Boundary Waters

Other Minnesota North Shore Things To Do:​​​

• Pincushion Mountain Overlook Trail: This is a 4.2 mile long trail with 450ft of elevation gain. It is off the Gunflint Trail and takes about an hour and a half to complete. This was a pretty easy stroll through the woods and a bit boring of a trail. The views from the summit are nice but there are other trails with better views and more exciting trails.

• Castle Danger Brewery: A solid brewery in Two Harbors with a great patio space, frequent food trucks and a good variety of beers on tap.

• Stay at Cascade Lodge: Lutsen was a great base point for exploring the North Shore and I enjoyed renting a cabin here. It was well-priced, clean, and convenient. I would very much so NOT advise the restaurant here though.

• Split Rock Lighthouse: A popular destination with a $12 entrance fee to see the lighthouse.

• Hollow Rock: I am quite sure this is private property but there is a cool hollow rock in the water at a campground!

• Black Beach: A rocky beach that is not in fact black. It is a nice little beach but a bit overhyped.

Ursa Minor Brewing

Duluth Things To Do:

• Duluth was not my favorite. I’d recommend skipping it and driving further up the Minnesota North Shore or driving east to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Overall I found the city to have an unappealing mix of overly touristy and trashy. They also have a massive population of unhoused folks.

• There are lots of parks and seating along the waterfront which is nice. The Lakewalk is a paved trail that runs about 7 miles along the waterfront as well. Here you can see the lift bridge and lighthouse as well.

• Carry a rain jacket if you’re visiting in the summer months—there is a constant mix of rain-sun-rain-sun.

• Big Manitou Falls & Manitou Falls Trail at Pattinson State Park: The largest waterfall in Wisconsin! This state park was nearly empty when I visited and I enjoyed the 3.5 mile long trail with 209ft of elevation gain to Little Manitou Falls and Big Manitou Falls. You can also drive and walk just a short distance to either waterfall if that’s more your style. The park is 30 minutes from Duluth and there is an $11 entrance fee.

• Ursa Minor Brewing Company: The best brewery in Duluth, by far. They have great beers, delicious wood fired pizzas and a fantastic patio space.

• Bent Paddle Brewing Co: A solid brewery with a nice taproom and patio. They have a lovely fireplace, games and frequent food trucks.

• Earth Rider Brewery: A brewery in Superior with dive bar vibes. They have a small food menu and a large outdoor space.

• Enger Tower: A tower in a park with views of all of Duluth and Superior.

• Yellow Bike Coffee: A coffee shop with multiple locations in Duluth. The Fitgers location is on the river at the back of the large Fitgers complex. Heads up they do not have food although it is advertised that they do.

• Duluth Coffee Company: A small coffee shop in downtown Duluth with tasty beverages.

• Positively 3rd Street Bakery: A nice little organic bakery.

• Vikre Distillery: A cocktail bar crafting their own liquors.

• Blacklist Brewing Company: A mediocre brewery in the heart of Duluth with a nice, open taproom and a small tap list.

• Hoops Brewing Company: A mediocre brewery inside a hotel in downtown Duluth. They have a large open space with a huge tap list and a small seasonal biergarten in the back.

• Canal Park Brewing Company: A restaurant-style brewery with below average beers + food and terrible service. They have a nice outdoor patio.

Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis is your classic Midwestern city with lots of space, old factories and chill vibes

Indy Tips:

• Overall Indy is pretty small—in a couple of days you can see a lot of the city and accomplish a lot.

• Be sure to sign up for the Indy Craft Pass, a mobile passport that will take you to the best breweries, distilleries, and craft beverage producers in the area. Get a free Indy Craft Pass t-shirt for checking in at eight of participating locations or check in at 35 locations and receive a handmade Indy Craft Pass beer stein.

Adventures & Ales Top Indianapolis Recommendations: 

• Guggman Haus Brewing Co.: The best beer in Indy! Guggman Haus has a cute spot with a cozy indoor taproom and spacious patio. The tap list is IPA heavy and the beers were fantastic. They also have an onsite kitchen, The Cabin Kitchen.

• 18th Street Brewery: A great brewery based in Hammond with a taproom in East Indy. They have a small food menu and cocktails as well. They are mainly focused on IPAs and Stouts.

• Sun King Brewery: A distribution-focused brewery near Fountain Square. Their beers are good overall and their biggest seller is their Cream Ale. Their industrial taproom also has food available via the La Margarita outpost.

• Centerpoint Brewing Company: A solid brewery in the Circle City Industrial Complex. There is also a distillery, bar, fowling, chocolate shop, and other small businesses here.

• Bovaconti Coffee: A cute coffeeshop in Fountain Square with pastries and great drinks.

18th Street Brewery

Indy Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• Indy Cultural Trail: A fun greenway that runs throughout Indy! Walk past museums, memorials, the NCAA Hall of Champions, Monument Circle, and so much more! The Canal Walk at White River State Park is also part of this trail along the river. This is the perfect way to start your day.

• Wander the Fountain Square area—this area is really the heart of Indianapolis and full of shops, bars and restaurants.

• Milktooth: A super popular and delicious spot for breakfast, brunch and lunch! I’d recommend arriving before they open to get in line because it gets insanely busy. You can snag a coffee from the coffee bar while you wait.

Cultural Trail

Other Indianapolis Things To Do:​​​

• 450 North Brewing: A hype brewery in the middle of a corn field specializing in Fruited Sours. 450 North is about an hour south of Indy, but worth a visit while you’re in the area. They have a huge tap list and a cool farm set-up. They also have a full food menu and a winery.

• Daredevil Brewing Co.: A fun racing themed brewery in Speedway focused on IPAs and Lagers. They also have pizzas and a nice outdoor space.

• Scarlet Lane Brewing Gastropub: This brewery has four locations across the area. Their Bellefontaine Street is an interesting spot that is quiet. Their tap list is full of very unique beers that were surprisingly delicious.

Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee is a small Midwestern city full of breweries and good vibes

MKE Tips: 

• Milwaukee has a ton of breweries so if you are visiting for a beer trip be sure to plan ahead so you’re not hopping back and forth between neighborhoods.

• Overall the city is pretty small so you could easily get by without a car.

• Summer is the ideal time to visit—the temperatures never get too high, there is relatively low humidity, there are pop-up beer gardens and events and the city is super bike friendly.

• A lot of places have weird hours or are closed during some weekdays, so be sure to triple check opening hours before visiting.

• Planning a Wisconsin road trip? Check out my Madison beer and travel guide here!

• Milwaukee is only 1.5 hours north of Chicago! Check out my Chicago beer and travel guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Milwaukee Recommendations: 

• Lakefront Brewery: A very popular brewery on the river with waterfront seating and a large taproom. They have a full food menu and the cheese curds are superb. Inside it is a German bier hall style set-up with long tables and high ceilings. They also offer tours.

• Eagle Park Brewing: A fantastic brewery just across the river from Lakefront Brewery. These were the best beers in all of Milwaukee. They have a nice taproom and a small patio space along with a kitchen and distillery.

• Amorphic Beer: A great brewery a bit off the beaten path on the north side of the city. Their beers are fantastic and they have fun flight boards made at the shop next door. The tap list is mostly focused on IPAs but there is a good variety overall.

• Café Benelux: A popular Belgian restaurant known for their Bloody Mary’s and fun rooftop space. They are located directly across from the Public Market and have great food and drinks.

• Kinn Guesthouse Bay View: A unique hotel that is structured as guest rooms with a communal kitchen and living space. The rooms are loft style and similar to individual apartments. It is a super cute space and right in the heart of the Bay View neighborhood.

  • Sorella: An Italian restaurant on the ground level of the hotel. They have a nice outdoor patio, a pretty bar, a solid beer selection along with wines and cocktails, and a full Italian food menu with pizza, pasta and appetizers.

• Colectivo Coffee: A local chain coffeeshop with great coffee and food. The Bay View location is huge and has an adorable outdoor space.

Milwaukee Art Museum

Milwaukee Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• Milwaukee Art Museum: A cool art museum in a gorgeous building downtown on the water. It is pretty large with a variety of exhibits so I’d recommend setting aside at least a couple of hours to explore. You have to pay for admission and for parking which I thought was quite silly to charge for both. You can park near Discovery World on the street for free and walk over instead.

• Milwaukee Public Market: Your classic public market with restaurants, shops and bars. Go hungry and eat your way through the different stalls.

• Explore the RiverWalk, a trail meandering alongside the river throughout different neighborhoods of the city.

• Bublr Bikes: The best way to get around town! These rentable shared bikes are docked everywhere throughout the city. Overall they are super easy to use and Milwaukee is very bike friendly.

• Explore the Oak Leaf Trail: This 135 mile trail runs throughout the city and is very nice. In the summer there are pop-up beer gardens along the route.

• South Shore Park: A nice area on Lake Michigan with a beach, marina, terrace, playground and more!

Café Benelux

Other Milwaukee Things To Do:​​​

• Central Waters Brewing Co.: This Amherst, WI based brewery also has a Milwaukee taproom in the old Pabst factory. Dairyland has a kitchen here with delicious burgers, fries and more.

• Third Space Brewing: This brewery has a large taproom and a large outdoor space with a massive tap list. They focus on Hazy IPAs but still have a variety of beers overall. Triciclo Peru is their onsite food truck with empanadas.

• Good City Brewing: A brewery with 4 locations in Wisconsin. They have a full food menu, a wide variety of beers and a rooftop.

• The Explorium Brewpub: A restaurant-style brewery that is downtown just across the river from the Public Market. They have a full food menu and solid beers.

• Anodyne Coffee: A cute little neighborhood spot with coffee in the morning and then pizza and cocktails in the evening.

• City Lights Brewing Co.: A brewery in the old city powerhouse with a small tap list, a unique atmosphere and a large patio.

• MobCraft Beer: A brewery that creates crowdsourced beers in the Walker’s Point neighborhood. They also have a kitchen and specials each weekday.

• Vennture Brew Co: A coffee shop and brewery on the west side of the city. It is a nice open air space that is more coffee focused than beer but a good stop overall.

• Broken Bat Brewery: A baseball themed brewery with games and an indoor wiffleball field. They have a pretty large tap list with average beers.

Madison, WI

Madison is a fun college town with a cute downtown and some superb breweries!

Mad City Tips: 

• Hang out on the water! Madison has several lakes in the city so be sure to spend some time enjoying them.

• Madison is definitely a college town, so prepare for Badger everything! As a Michigan State grad it wasn’t my favorite part of the city, but it is fun to see the culture.

• Madison is quite small, you can accomplish a lot in just a day or two!

• Madison is only 1.5 hours west of Milwaukee, another fun city to explore! Check out my Milwaukee beer and travel guide here.

Adventures & Ales Top Madison Recommendations: 

• New Glarus Brewing: New Glarus is 50 minutes south of Madison but 1000% worth going out of your way to visit. This Wisconsin-only brewery is located on a huge, gorgeous property with a beer garden and views of the surrounding farms. There are only a few beers on tap but it is set up where you either pay for 3 tasters or for a pint, and you keep the glass. Spotted Cow is their most popular beer and a must-try. There is a large gift shop with swag and local cheese/snacks for sale to accompany your beers. The Beer Depot downstairs has to-go beer offerings with a large variety of beers and single bottle options as well. They also offer tours to learn more about their giant facility.

• Memorial Union Terrace: A super cute outdoor restaurant, bar and lounge space on the water on UW’s campus. Grab a local beer and hang out on the water! This is also a popular spot to watch the sunset.

• Young Blood Beer Company: A fantastic brewery downtown near the Capitol building. They have chill vibes, a patio space, a kitchen and delicious beers.

• Stay at Mansion Hill Inn! Madison is full of old mansions that have been converted to bed and breakfast spots and Mansion Hill Inn is fantastic. It is a beautiful old space with modern amenities and attentive staff. Your stay also includes a Madison BCycle pass and there is a docking station at the Inn.

• Working Draft Beer Company: A great brewery in the Marquette neighborhood with an IPA-heavy tap list and a nice taproom. They have a small patio space and fantastic beers.

New Glarus Brewing

Madison Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• The Old Fashioned: A famous restaurant in the heart of downtown with extremely delicious cheese curds that have been rated the best in the state. The bar selection is huge and they have a solid draft list as well.

• Ride around town with a Madison BCycle pass! Madison is super bike friendly and there are BCycle docking stations all over to make things easy!

• Explore State Street: This is the heart of downtown and is a cute, walkable area full of restaurants, shops and bars.

• Explore the Arboretum: A large outdoor space with trails, gardens and events.

Colectivo Coffee

Other Madison Things To Do:​​​

• Colectivo Coffee: A local coffee chain with great coffee and food. They have a few locations in town and have nice outdoor seating options.

• If you are visiting in the summer months be sure to check out Concerts on the Square on Wednesday evenings at the Capitol. This is an incredible event that brings together the city with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, BYOB drinks and food and drink vendors throughout.

• Bascom Hill: A nice viewpoint at the heart of UW’s campus.

• Hop Haus Brewing: A brewery in Fitchburg on the way to Madison from New Glarus. They have a full kitchen and average beers.