By Joey Amato
For the past few years, I’ve heard about a small
town in Michigan known for its LGBTQ friendliness and charm, but it wasn’t
until recently that I had the opportunity to visit Saugatuck and its neighboring
town, Douglas. If you don’t live within driving distance, you’ll probably have
to fly into Grand Rapids, another Midwestern city worth exploring. The journey
will be well worth it.
By far the coolest hotel in Grand Rapids is the
JW Marriott. I sometimes prefer staying at boutique hotels, but once you get a
peek at this property, you’ll quickly discover why it has become a favorite
among LGBTQ visitors. The curvature of the iconic glass structure not only
reflects the blue sky above but also the river below, which makes for a
stunning visual and Instagram-friendly photos.
History lovers will enjoy the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum located within walking distance from the
hotel. Although Ford’s time in office wasn’t as exciting as some other
Presidents, the museum is beautifully designed and worth a quick visit.
If Presidential history doesn’t spark your interest,
head over to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, a 200-acre indoor/outdoor garden which
incorporates dozens of unique sculptural masterpieces into its landscape. Some
standout sculptures include “The American Horse” by Nina Akamu and “I, you, she
or he” by Jaume Plensa, a composition of three figures whose shells are made of
stainless-steel letters and left unfinished to encourage the universality of
the forms. Another sculptural highlight is by gay artist Keith Haring titled
“Julia” named after Julia Gruen, a friend of the artist.
After touring the gardens, grab dinner at Reserve Wine & Food, an elegant, yet modern two-story restaurant
with an expansive wine menu and delicious cuisine. I opted for the Vietnamese
Caramelized Red Drum, a melt-in-your-mouth fish prepared with radish, peas,
spring onion and herbs over a bed of jasmine rice. Each entrée offers a
suggested wine pairing, however since I don’t enjoy white wine, I chose a very
nice red wine, as recommended by their in-house sommelier.
About a ten-minute walk from the restaurant
is The Apartment Lounge, Grand Rapids’ oldest LGBTQ bar. The bar offers
a wide variety of local beer on tap and wine by the glass, something not too
common for LGBTQ spaces. On the evening I visited, the bar was hosting a movie
night and although many patrons were watching the film, it was still possible
to carry on a nice conservation. If you want to continue the party, head
to Rumors, a popular spot with the city’s younger clientele. Try to befriend some
of the locals, as I learned there are also some underground LGBTQ parties that
take place throughout the year in different parts of the city, which tourists
will have a hard time finding without insider info.
The next morning, I took the 40-minute journey
to Saugatuck. People sometimes refer to the small Michigan town as the P-Town
of the Midwest. At first the town threw me off. I saw dozens of rainbow flags,
but not many LGBTQ people. I saw mostly straight families strolling down the picturesque
streets. For a town with such an abundance of rainbow flags, I was expecting to
be overwhelmed with gay folks, but that wasn’t the case. It was both wonderful
and depressing at the same time. On one hand, I was excited to see the amount
of allied support for our community, but on the other hand, I was disappointed
to not have seen as many LGBTQ people…yet.
That all changed when I visited Saugatuck’s
neighbor, Douglas. Douglas is the lesser known of the two towns, but in my
opinion, exudes more of the LGBTQ flair and small-town charm that I was looking
for. They have rainbow flags everywhere too, but there was something different
about the vibe in Douglas. Instead of a somewhat touristy coastal town, I saw a
town full of artists, musicians, small business owners and creatives.
The Dunes Resort is actually located in Douglas, not
Saugatuck, contrary to popular belief. The lodging and entertainment complex is
a site to be seen with indoor and outdoor dance floors, a cabaret room and
multiple bars throughout the space. Weekends are definitely a busier time for
the property when people of all ages from surrounding towns and cities come to
party. The Dunes hosts numerous events during the week including drag
performances and bingo. During peak months, the property sells out quickly so
I’d recommend staying at Blue Star Motel, a 5-minute walk from the Dunes. Blue Star is
also a great option if you are looking for a quieter lodging experience.
Exploring Douglas was one of the highlights of
my trip. Dozens of art galleries, boutiques and cafes dotted the landscape. I
stopped at a gay-friendly bar called Borrowed Time where a local husband and wife duo named
Dave and Connie D performed classic rock songs from the 60s and 70s on the
outdoor patio. A boutique/art gallery named Coastal Society also boasted a full-service craft cocktail
bar and outdoor sculpture garden. Another incredible boutique called Endora Bohemian sells handwoven Moroccan rugs, artisanal
soaps. A large photo of rock icon Stevie Nicks greets customers as they walk in
the shop, which is launching a new weekly event called Fleetwood Mac Fridays,
where the owner will play Fleetwood Mac music and perform tarot card readings.
If that doesn’t make you want to visit, then I don’t know what will.
Both Saugatuck and Douglas have their own
personalities and one should not overlook the chance to explore both
destinations. I really felt as if the towns had similar but different vibes.
This area of Michigan is also known for its vast
number of wineries and distilleries. Fenn Valley, Crane’s and Virtue Cider are just three places worth visiting. Fenn
Valley Winery was my favorite of the three, offering some delicious wines. Of
the wines I sampled, I would highly suggest the Capriccio, a soft red wine
exhibiting the right balance of fruitiness and dryness.
All this drinking will make you hungry, so head
over to Coast 236, an LGBT-owned restaurant helmed by Chef Mindy
Trafman. I feel like I sampled half the menu during my visit, and everything
was wonderful but most memorable was the Beet Tower, which was served with
chevre, butternut squash, avocado and sprinkled with pistachio nuts. I love
beets and it isn’t something commonly seen on restaurant menus, so when it is
offered, I usually try to order that dish.
To be honest, I’m really not sure if I preferred
Grand Rapids or Saugatuck/Douglas more. try to find the best in a city when I
visit, and I think you should too by exploring them both. I’d love to hear which
you prefer.
Enjoy the Journey!
Joey Amato is the publisher of Pride
Journeys, a website dedicated to LGBTQ travel. Joey has spent over a decade in
LGBTQ media and public relations and currently resides in Indianapolis,
Indiana. He can be reached at joey@pridejourneys.com