Marine City
Third and final stop on my roadtrip in Michigan’s “Thumbcoast”… aka, the Blue Water Area, is Marine City! It was wonderful to end my trip with this charming small town. The vibe here is definitely… more “Main Street Americana” feel. The coziest of my stops, with that B&B charm, and a great place to wind down. It’s a quaint, walkable, historic river town… and definitely more artsy, with antique shops, theaters, and great restaurants. I did a little shopping on Water Street, enjoyed some wine tasting, checked into my historic B&B, and ate a local’s favorite fish dinner, along with seeing my 111th lighthouse, the Peche Island Rear Range Lighthouse. Read on for details of my day in Marine City!
Be sure to walk Water Street for unique shops, antique stores, and a performing arts theater!
THE HEATHER HOUSE INN
I decided to mix up my lodging a bit on this trip… going from a hotel, to a resort/inn, to a B&B. I don’t typically gravitate toward a B&B, but staying in this town warranted it, it’s just that kind of vibe. I found The Heather House online, and it looked gorgeous, and it didn’t disappoint! River views, a very cozy and welcoming porch, warm breakfast, in a quiet and peaceful town. It was built in 1885, and opened in 1991 as a B&B and is open year-round. I stayed in Flora's room, which had its own private entrance, cozy bedroom quarters, and private bathroom. It was a great place to reset and relax a bit post-shopping, pre-dinner and golden hour. In the evening, I cozied in bed with a movie on TV with editing some photos. The staff was super kind, I was the only guest staying, and she made me feel welcome and at home.
The breakfast the next morning… was incredible. By far the best breakfast I had, top three of my favorite meals of the entire trip, just… so incredibly good. I was seated right by the window, with beautiful river views, and relaxing classical music playing. (I swear you gotta play classical music when it’s a historic B&B!) The meal was a croque madame, a decadent French sandwich made with ham, cheese, béchamel sauce, and a fried egg on top, which is said to resemble a woman's hat. It was so good. And it was served with fresh fruit, orange juice, coffee, and a side salad. I tried to eat every bite that I could, but was legit so full, but didn’t want any part of this breakfast to go to waste. 10/10 would stay again, even if just for the breakfast!
Check out the wine tasting flights at WaterStreet Winery! Very unique (and huge!) wine selection.
MARINE CITY FISH CO.
For dinner, I went to a local, family-owned spot that’s very beloved and recommended, Marine City Fish Co. It’s located right on Water Street, definitely a small-town feel, but such a cool inside space. I grabbed a seat at their unique boat bar, ordered a glass of berry cider, and asked the bartender for the most “popular” dish to get there… which she said was the fried perch. It came with warm bread and butter and a side salad to start. And the meal itself was lake perch fillets (I went panko), with butter and lemon, and tartar sauce, with your choice of side. I had the loaded mashed potatoes. So good! Every bite was delicious and I really loved the vibes in there. I went on a weeknight so it was easy to snag a seat, but I can imagine this place is poppin’ on a summer weekend!
PECHE ISLAND REAR RANGE LIGHTHOUSE
After dinner, I walked literally across the street… to check off the Peche Island Rear Range Lighthouse from my list. My 111th Michigan lighthouse. We’re getting there! This lighthouse is a historic lighthouse that was moved to Marine City upon its deactivation. It was located off Peche Island, in American waters, in the entrance to the Detroit River from Lake St. Clair. Imagine this one… in a river, on open water, as a shoal light, on a concrete platform. It was built as a pair of range lights to guide ships to the south end of the lake. In 1983, it was replaced with a skeletal tower. The old tower was saved (minus its base) and was installed in Lighthouse Park right here in Marine City, and “Marine City” was painted on the side. It’s a gorgeous little landmark right in the middle of the town, you can see it from… wine tasting, shopping and dinner.
The park itself is small and quaint, but perfect for freighter-watching. I was snapping photos of the lighthouse and saw a boat approaching, checked my Marine Traffic app, and saw it was the Paul R. Tregurtha (the Queen of the Lakes, the unofficial but widely recognized title given to the longest vessel active on the Great Lakes.) It makes frequent stops in Marquette, I have a print of it on my wall at home, I geeked out so hard, quickly set up my tripod so I could take photos and video. Such a cool scene! Again, one of my absolute favorite parts of visiting this area was spotting the freighters and being able to see them pass by so up close. Like… they’re RIGHT there!
Hope you enjoyed my itinerary and trip to Marine City! If you have any recommendations for additional things to see (or places to eat/drink/shop) in this area, be sure to leave a comment so that others planning their trips have some additional spots to check out! I could have easily spent another day here, but only spent one night, but it was a great 24 hours in this small, very quaint town. I’d definitely go back. 💙🚢