Fall in Fennville
It’s always been a goal to spend a full fall day in Fennville, so I’m excited we finally made it happen this year! Normally every fall, we head up north, and I wanted to make it a point to spend a full day closeby. Fennville is about 45 minutes from Grand Rapids… so it’s a super easy day trip, and there’s so much to do! We hit up Virtue Cider, Fenn Valley Vineyards, Crane’s Pie Pantry, Pier Cove Park, and ended with dinner at Salt of the Earth. I loved this day… it was so fun to hop around, try a bunch of different (very fall) places, to see the waves roll in at Lake Michigan, and to enjoy an amazing dinner in their little downtown area. Keep reading to hear more about our fall day in Fennville!
Our first stop was to Virtue Cider! When we got there, it was suuuper busy, but still easy enough to stand in line for a flight to try a few different hard ciders! We ended up standing by the barrels where their cider is aged (no place available to sit on this day) but it was totally fine and kind of fun to stand, have some sips, and do a little people-watching! Virtue Cider makes all of their craft ciders on-site in their cider houses. You can grab a glass of cider, or set up a flight. We decided to do the flights since we hadn’t been here before, and I wanted to try a few of them! They also have assorted snacks, and they can fill up growlers to-go. Their ciders rotate frequently, but my favorite was one of their staples — the Michigan Honey cider. So good!
After that, we headed over to Fenn Valley Vineyards to do a bit of wine tasting! This place was also packed (apparently Fennville is the place to go on a beautiful fall Saturday!) but we were able to find a space at the bar to do a little tasting. I loveeeed their wines, but of course, I’m a sweet drinker. And they have so many sweet, delicious options. (They also have lots of other options for you non-sweet drinkers!) I especially loved their peach & honey wine, and it’s definitely a sweeter one, but it’s so good! But we had a good experience, the service was wonderful, and I’d definitely go back someday to enjoy a glass of wine outside on their property. It’s so pretty!
Next up, we headed to Crane’s Pie Pantry. I had been here once before in the winter, so it was a lot quieter then, but it was so fun to be here during their fall busy season. We had friends playing an acoustic set outside, so it was nice actually to wait in the long line for apple dumplings and hot cider, and to sit down outside and watch them play their set! The apple dumpling was so delicious… but they also offer all sorts of other fall desserts! An assortment of pies, cider doughnuts, etc. I wanted to order more, but I knew we were heading to dinner… otherwise I would have gotten more pie. 🥧 But this place is definitely a must-visit in Fennville! They have cider and wine tasting, brews, a full restaurant with sandwiches and all the homemade pies. Yum.
Next up, we drove down to Pier Cove Park. It was closed off for the season… and because the water level is so high right now, but we were able to sneak past a little fence to walk down to this area, which was so pretty. I just love living so close to Lake Michigan. The waves were so big and it was fun to just sit down there and take in the sights, even with how crazy windy it was! I love that this little area has a ton of history associated with it too. In 1839, the village of Pier Cove was once hailed as the “busiest port” between St. Joseph and Muskegon, which is crazy to think about! It was known for lumber distribution, and later fruit became a major shipping commodity. But in 1899, a freeze killed much of the harvest, and all commercial activity ceased in 1917. Now it’s a nice area to enjoy the beach, and take in the views of Lake Michigan!
Our final stop in Fennville was to head downtown and grab dinner at Salt of the Earth. We got there really early (like 5pm-ish) otherwise I don’t think we would have gotten a table without a reservation… so just FYI! But our experience was wonderful; we loved every single dish. For appetizers, we had to try their sote artisan breads and aged cheddar pierogies. So good! For dinner, we split their smoked potato pizza which is house bacon, shaved potato, smoked blue cheese, red onion and herb oil. We devoured every last bite, haha. And for dessert, we had the apple cake (with caramel mousse, mutsu cider, cranberry caviar, almond tuille). This place is definitely a hot spot in town, so if you’re planning to go, make a reservation… or get there really early! After that, we took the back roads home to Grand Rapids and were home in no time! So it’s a super easy day trip — and I had so much fun! Are you familiar with the Fennville area? Did we miss anything you’d add to this list?
Outfit details:
Free People Plaid Cocoon Coat (similar)
H&M Knit Tank (similar)
Madewell Wide-Leg Crop Jeans in Hayes Wash
Madewell The Small Transport Crossbody
Madewell Angular Hoop Earrings (similar)
Madewell The Carina Boot
