Harbor Country is the place to live if you enjoy the lake atmosphere. Harbor Country is located in the Southwestern part of Berrien County, Michigan. It includes the cities of Michiana, Grand Beach, New Buffalo, Union Pier, Lakeside, Harbert, Sawyer and Three Oaks. This area virtually covers 15 miles along Lake Michigan.
There are many things to do in Harbor Country from the Lake Michigan beaches, both public and private, to wine tours, to the Four Winds Casino. This area is perfect for a romantic trip or a family vacation.
Places to Stay:
There are a wide range of accommodations offered to include area bed and breakfasts, hotels, resorts and rental cottages. Here are just some of the options:
- Bluefish Vacation Rentals: With a wide variety of homes for rental, to fit all types of budgets. You can look for a one-bedroom cottage or up to 2- to 5-bedroom properties.
- Grand Beach Motel: is a family-owned-and-operated motel. It may only have 14 comfortable motel rooms, but it also has authentic log cabins to enjoy that outdoor atmosphere.
- Treasure House Bed and Breakfast: A small Victorian home that has been divided into a bed and breakfast. It is located in downtown Three Oaks, which is full of other activities, such as restaurants, galleries, local shops and markets.
- Four Winds Casino Resort: a hotel within the Casino, you can have a luxury room, suite or celebrity suite. For example, the Celebrity Suite offers a 60 inch high definition television with surround sound, private waterfalls in your room and a master bathroom with a luxury, soaking tub with spa luxury items, such as bath salts.
Things to Do:
Wineries:
Harbor Country is known for its wineries. In fact, it has a ‘wine trail.’ It has been noted that with the Lake Michigan climate and terrain, wine production is quite successful in this area. Some of the wineries in the area are:
- Domaine Berrien Cellars
- Free Run Cellars
- Hickory Creek Winery
- Lemon Creek Winery & Fruit Farm
- Round Barn Winery
- St. Julian Winery & Tasting Room
- Tabor Hill Winery
If you are a wine aficionado, you can get a map and travel along the wine trail to over 20 wineries. This trail is even lined with Michigan Lake Shore Wine Trail signs to guide the way.
Beaches:
And a visit to Lake Michigan would not be complete without the beach. You can enjoy just about any type of water adventure you want. There are three main beaches:
- New Buffalo City Beach
- Road End Beaches
- Warren Dunes State Park
New Buffalo City is the best beach for swimming and sand dunes. There are showers and bathrooms and a snack bar.
Warren Dunes State Park has it all from swimming in the summer to cross-country skiing in the winter. It has 3 miles of shoreline and 6 miles of trials for walking, hiking and skiing.
Road End Beaches are used by walkers or bikers to visit the beach. There are no lifeguards or facilities. There is a bicycle path available and street access to the beaches.
If you are a lake person, Harbor Country may be the place for you to visit, vacation or even live.
In addition to the wonderful attractions mentioned in the article above, it should be mentioned that the area is also known for it’s many great restaurants, u-pick farms, and outdoor recreational activities. Hiking through Warren Woods Forest Preserve or the Chikaming Township Park and Nature Preserve are one option. Several beautiful golf courses offer a challenging attraction. Cycling the back road bikeways include 12 tails that range from 5 to 60 miles down secondary roads over rushing streams and through picturesque rolling hills. The Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce publishes a free guide for the area. You can request a free copy from their website at http://www.HarborCountry.org
The area is also an extremely popular vacation destination. With it’s close proximity to Chicago, we have found the Harbor Country area to be the perfect location for family reunion vacations and families who like to vacation with other families and share the expense of renting a house for a week. We have been accommodating vacationers for weekend getaways and a week or longer at “the Beach House at Lakeside, Mi.” since 2001.
Posted by Frank K on November 27, 2009 at 1:00 am