Welcome

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Dear Visitor,

Saugatuck and Douglas are harbor villages that celebrate diversity-small-town America at its best! Here visitors turn back the pages of time to enjoy a simpler life where no one hurries and no one hurries you, a place where everyone is special and everyone is welcome. Just recently the writers and editors of Midwest Living Magazine ranked Saugatuck/Douglas fifth among the top 100 vacation destinations in the Midwest. And, the editors of Life Magazine cited Saugatuck as "Best Dune Town" among their choice of the eight most perfect summer getaways.

While visiting either downtown area, you can walk - in a safe and friendly environment - to almost everything. In Saugatuck, you can stroll along the boardwalk admiring the boats or explore the dockside shops. Picnic by the gazebo in Wicks Park overlooking the harbor. Ride a Victorian hand-cranked ferry. Rent a canoe, charter a sailboat or tour our waterways onboard an old-fashioned sternwheeler, dinner cruiser or W.W.II amphibious "duck" vehicle. End your excursion at the corner drug store soda fountain where hand-creamed sodas and malted shakes have been a specially for 83 years!

Just across the river, Douglas is home to the SS Keewatin - a Titanic-era steamship, now a museum. Take a self-guided tour of the elegant historical buildings that provide the 19th century charm, then indulge yourself in Douglas' downtown shopping area that has become a magnet for home accessory, antique and interior design enthusiasts. Douglas is also home to the area's first microbrewery, a do-it-yourself Art Barn and West Michigan's largest Antique Pavilion.

For over a century, artists have been drawn to the towering dunes, pristine beaches and other natural splendors of this jewel-like setting on Lake Michigan's eastern shore. Today that artistic heritage persists through strong ties to the Art Institute of Chicago with is affiliated summer school at Ox-bow as well as a broad spectrum of art galleries and art-based activities and events. Consistently named one of American's top 25 arts destinations, it's no wonder the area has become known as "The Art Coast of Michigan!"

You'll find great lodging options in modern pirvately-owned motels, cottages, suites and charming retro auto courts. Of if you prefer a country inn, our "Bed and Breakfast Capital of the Midwest" offers an extensive variety of historic accommodations. Regardless of your preference, travelers are always treated like friends of the family!

Golf enthusiasts can hit the links at one of our three 18-hole championship golf courses while the kids take sailing lessons or an art class. And don't leave without taking the family on a thrilling dune buggy ride! Blending so many attractions you can easily create your own "masterpiece" vacation.

It's easy to understand why Governor Granholm named Saugatuck one of Michigan's 19 "Coolest Cities." The town's Oval Beach is ranked one of the top 25 beaches in the world by Conde' Nast and one of the top two in the USA by National Geographic Traveler. More recently, the Chicago Tribune rated it number one out of the Midwest's five best beaches. Plus, Saugatuck hosts the nationally-acclaimed Waterfront Film Festival each June, just named the third most popular film festival in the world-after Sundance and Cannes the Screen Actors Guild's national magazine. Mason Street Warehouse, an "incubator for Broadway" provides uptown theatre in downtown Saugatuck all summer long, at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. Our Chamber Music Festival, and frequent jazz concerts highlight a topflight eclectic music scene. At the historic Red Barn Playhouse community theatre blossoms and the area offers a variety of arts and cultural programs for all ages. Outdoor art shows, gallery openings and culinary events add extra spice to the Saugatuck-Douglas recipe for fun.

Our lakeshore community offers a place to rest or play any time of the year. Whether you come for an executive retreat, a corporate meeting, a family reunion or your own romantic getaway vacation, you'll be glad you discovered the treasure that is Saugatuck and Douglas. See you soon!

Sincerely yours,

Felicia V. Fairchild, Executive Director
Saugatuck/Douglas
Convention & Visitors Bureau