Life on Lake Michigan & Harbour Towne Beach

The Pidge Inn is located at the end of a peninsula, surrounded by water.  Harbour Towne Beach on Muskegon Lake is 100 yards to the east and Pere Marquette Beach on Lake Michigan is a 10-15 minute walk to the west along the channel which connects the two lakes.  The channel forms the end of the peninsula to the north.  Right off The Pidge Inn to the south is Harbour Towne Marina.  While summer may be the best ‘beach season’, all four seasons offer scenic beauty and activities that continue year-round.

Winter is a Scenic Wonder 

The lakes around The Pidge Inn are quieter in the winter, but many say more beautiful and majestic.  Make sure to bring your camera for some great shots of the frozen water and tundra.  When the waterways freeze, the channel looks like it has giant ice cubes and the edge of Lake Michigan freezes near the shore into beautiful frozen wave icescapes.  Muskegon Lake is covered with ice fishing shanties of all different colors.  The waves on Lake Michigan seem to be bigger in the winter and freeze as they splash onto the lighthouses, making for a beautiful image.  You can enjoy watching the surroundings near The Pidge Inn or get out and play!.  Have you tried ice fishing for perch in Muskegon Lake?  Use the sleds and Snurfers from the hotel to enjoy the hill just down the street at Beachwood Park.  Adventure through the parks and trails nearby with the snowshoes at the hotel. For those more adventurous, head over to the North Muskegon Winter Sports Complex.  There you can ice skate, snowshoe, sled, or ride the luge, which is only one of four luge tracks that exist in the United States!    After your snow day, head over to Sherman Bowl to spend the evening bowling. The suites at The Pidge Inn have fireplaces in the living rooms where you can relax and warm up after a day of play.  Many of the museums in the area remain open during the winter including the Silversides Submarine museum right down the road.  The Hackley & Hume Historic site decorates for the holidays and offer special holiday tours.  The Harbour Towne Marina, with the boats gone and the pier lights lit, creates a very peaceful atmosphere around The Pidge Inn in the winter.

Spring and Fall - Seasons of Exploration

Spring and Fall are great times to hit the hiking or biking trails in the area and not work up a sweat.  It’s also a good time to get a beach volleyball game going or head out on kayak or canoe for some water exploring, which we have available for rentals.  On those cooler days, take off and enjoy a scenic drive up the coast past Duck Lake State Park into Whitehall.  If you stay the right couple of weeks in the fall, the trees around Muskegon always put on a tremendous leaf color display.  For the fisherman, there is no bad day of fishing, but a lot of very good fishing days happen in the spring and fall, especially when the whitefish run in November.  The Farmers Market continues to be open, but fewer days, offering interesting finds of food and gifts.  Spring and Fall are a little less crowded on the peninsula, making it a great time for a romantic getaway and those nice walks near The Pidge Inn that include the same amazing views of the beaches, sunrises, and sunsets.  Many evenings you will find deer grazing near the Inn.

Summer Peninsula Getaway Between Two Lakes

Outdoor activities rule the summer season.  There are events and concerts almost every weekend that you can track on visitmuskegon.org.  The Pidge Inn has kitchens or kitchenettes in most rooms, which allows you to stock up on healthy food at the Farmers Market and make your own meals in the room or on the gas grills.  Get up early and watch the sunrise over Muskegon Lake.  If you stay in a marina-side room you can see the sunrise from your deck, if you are staying in a patio room, either walk a few minutes or hop on our beach bikes to watch the sunrise from Harbour Towne Beach.  Spend the day on the big beach on Lake Michigan, or if the waves are too big, relax at Harbour Towne Beach.  During the day you can choose between Michigan Adventure, visiting the local museums, or renting bikes to hit the bike trail all the way around Muskegon Lake.  Be sure to end your day with a short walk to the channel and down to Pere Marquette beach to watch the sunset over Lake Michigan.  If you haven’t already eaten, get there a little early and get an outside seat at The Deck restaurant and watch the sunset while you eat.  Come back to The Pidge Inn before 11 pm on Friday and Saturday, or before 7 on Sunday and you can relax and listen to the live band next door at Dockers restaurant, or visit them for a nightcap.