|
|
| |
Sports
and Recreation |
|
For
outdoor recreation and water sports, Lake Michigan and the Kalamazoo River around Saugatuck and Douglas provides a delightful
place to come and have fun whether you are an avid fisherman, golfer, bike
rider or just want to sit on the beach and watch the
waves roll in.
The
area has some of the best Salmon Trout, Walleye, and Perch fishing along the
coast. Bring your own boat and tackle or use one of the many fine fishing charter services
that will take you and your friends out to catch the
big ones. |
|
|
| |
 |
You
can ride the waves on your Wave Runner. And, if you don’t bring your
boat or personal water
craft with you, the area has a large number of boat
and  water
craft dealers that can get you a new one, rent you one,
or fix the one you own. For scuba divers, the outer
banks of the Saugatuck shoreline has one of the largest underwater preserves
where you can explore sunken ships, grottos and unique
formations left by the glaciers. |
|
| |
Saugatuck’s
first summer tourists
The
Grand River running through Grand Rapids, Michigan
was originally named “O-wash-ta-nong”
by native Indians. The name means “the
far away water” and was given to the river
because of long distance that could be canoed
on the water way in a week of travel. |
|
|
|
| |
Great Outdoor
Fun
Saugatuck-Douglas
Michigan, is a great place for outdoor fun offering a wide variety of activities from horseback
riding to the famous Saugatuck dune rides, water
craft rentals, golf and a host of other outdoor activities. Visitors can
take a close-up look at the area’s natural beauty
with a hike through Saugatuck Dunes State Park and
the nearby Allegan State Forest. Or, bring you bikes along and tour the
streets of the two towns and beautiful countryside. |
|
| |
|
For
a challenge, visitors can climb 282 steps to the top of the Mt. Baldhead
sand dune, one of the highest spots along Lake Michigan. Climbers
will be rewarded with a stunning birds-eye view of the Kalamazoo river harbor and Lake Michigan. Also available along the beach
of Lake Michigan are the Dune Schooner Rides offered seven
days a week May through September and weekends in October.
Only the Dune Schooners can reach the sand dunes on the shore
of Lake Michigan. Experience a 35-minute ride with a tour
driver and cruise the slopes and valleys of the incredible
dunes and roll through the surrounding woodlands. |
|
| |
|
Great
Fire of 1871
The
tall straight pines that grew wild along the Saugatuck,
Michigan shoreline in the 1800s created a huge
logging industry that supported mix nearly 80
sawmills, finishing mills firms, barrel factories
and other wood product companies. The area contributed
much of the lumber that was used to rebuild the
City of Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871. |
|
|
|
|
| Recognized
nationally as the “Art Coast of Michigan,” Saugatuck Michigan has drawn artists from all over the country to paint its towering dunes,
pristine beaches and jewel-like settings on Lake Michigan’s
eastern shore. Saugatuck Michigan, is the home to the nationally acclaimed Oxbow
Summer School of Art and Artists Residency. Set on 115
acres of pristine woods on Lake Michigan and the Kalamazoo
River, Oxbow, part of the Art Institute of Chicago,
has been a dedicated artist colony since the 1900s.
The school offers courses throughout the summer and hosts weekly
events for visitors. |
|
| |
|
 Along
with the Oxbow art school, the Saugatuck and Douglas communities offer the chance
to visit and explore more than 30 galleries and a mix
of artistic experiences. To celebrate the rich art community Saugatuck and Douglas host “Art-Round-Town”
an outdoor public sculpture exhibit on its streets and
in neighborhood parks. And, the Blue Coast Artists guild sponsors open houses at all participating galleries
four times each year during the spring, summer, fall
and winter seasons. |
|
| |
The
Big Pavilion
Saugatuck
once boasted one of the largest dance halls
and entertainment palaces in the country. Opened
in 1909, the Big Pavilion was three stories
high and had a 7,000-square-foot dance floor
The building was painted red and was the largest
wooden building in the country at the time.
Equipped with its own power station, the Pavilion
had 10,000 outdoor decorative lights could be
seen halfway across Lake Michigan at night.
The Saugatuck Big Pavilion boasted restaurants,
a movie theater and even a roller rink and was
the site of grand balls, plus dance and beauty
contests. The Pavilion came to an end in 1960
when the it caught fire and burned to the ground.
|
|
|
|
|
festival
is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization. Entertainment
professionals from Los Angeles, New York and Michigan created
the Waterfront Film Festival to provide a "middle coast"
venue for independent filmmakers eager to show their work
to sophisticated audiences. Over 6,500 filmgoers are drawn
to Saugatuck Michigan during the June festival weekend.
