Laid-Back Michigan Vacation
Destination
Page 3 of 3
When it
comes to nightlife, the only game in town is the Douglas Dunes Resort,
which has a sizable disco, a cocktail lounge and video bar, a game room, a
huge fenced-in sundeck and bar with a large pool and lush foliage, and a
piano cabaret. This is also the most gay-oriented accommodation in the
area, and it actually claims to be the largest gay resort in the entire
Midwest. The rambling 20-acre resort has 65 units, ranging from cottages
to motel rooms. Accommodations are clean and simple, and some rooms have
fireplaces and hot tubs. There are also some generally modest but
affordable motels around the area, including the gay-owned Hunter's Lodge,
a rustic but comfortable six-room motor court that underwent a full
renovation in 2004. In addition to being a great value, the motel has an
interesting design, in the style of an Arts-and-Crafts log cabin. Rooms
have lodgepole walls and beds with hand-made quilts, and leafy maple and
pine trees tower over the central courtyard.
You'll find no shortage of historic B&Bs in the area, too. A stately 1890
Queen Anne on the edge of downtown Douglas, the Kirby House is one of the
region's most elegant properties. Five fireplaces, myriad stained-glass
windows, Oriental rugs, and fine oak detailing distinguish the beautiful
interior. Don't miss the delicious breakfast, which might feature
white-chocolate berry pudding or baked peach-and-cream cheese French
toast. Innkeepers Jim Gowran and Ray Riker are friendly and knowledgeable,
always willing to recommend restaurants and help guests plan their days.
In downtown Saugatuck, the Newnham Suncatcher Inn is an attractive brown
clapboard inn with a wraparound porch. Everyone is welcome here, but
hostesses Barb and Nancy make an especially strong effort to encourage
lesbians and same-sex couples traveling with children. They treat guests
like old friends, yet give them plenty of privacy. The inn is decorated
with whimsical touches, such as stuffed animals, toys, and trinkets.
A particularly gracious property is the Belvedere Inn, a regal 1913
mansion designed by a colleague of Frank Lloyd Wright - it's about 3 miles
northeast of downtown Saugatuck. Innkeepers Shaun Glynn and Pete Ta have
run the Belvedere since 2003, tending carefully to guests' needs. There
are 10 richly furnished rooms and suites, and rates include an opulent
breakfast as well as afternoon tea. Glynn is also the chef at the
Belvedere's superb restaurant, which serves such rarified Continental
cuisine as roasted butternut squash and crab bisque; and grilled pork
chops with a celery root mash, morel mushrooms, black mission figs, and a
port-wine reduction. If it's a romantic getaway or a special-occasion
dinner you're celebrating, the Belvedere is your answer.
Andrew Collins is the
author of Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA and as well as numerous other
guidebooks.
The Hunk
