Ashland University (Ohio)

City: Ashland, OH

🌳 Brookside Park — Ashland (playground, splash pad & mini-zoo)

🎨 Ashland County Historical Society Museum — Ashland

🦋 Fin, Feather & Fur Outfitters Aquarium — Ashland (kids love the fish & gear shop)

🎢 Kroc Center Indoor Pool & Play Zone — Ashland

🛝 Pumpkin Falls Mini Golf — Ashland

🎭 Ashland Community Theatre — Ashland

🎳 Luray Lanes — Ashland

☀️ Downtown Ashland Shops & Ice Cream Trail — Ashland

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The South Street Grille — Ashland

🍕 DorLo Pizza — Ashland

🥞 Downtown Perk Coffee & Café — Ashland

🌮 La Campesina Mexican Restaurant — Ashland

🍗 O’Bryan’s Pub — Ashland

🍦 Whit’s Frozen Custard — Ashland

☕️ Goldberry Roasting Co. — Ashland

🥗 Uniontown Brewing Co. — Ashland

Davenport University (Michigan)

City: Grand Rapids, MI

🌳 John Ball Zoo — Grand Rapids (lions, petting zoo & sky trail)

🎨 Grand Rapids Public Museum — Grand Rapids

🦋 Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park — Grand Rapids

🎢 Rebounderz Trampoline Park — Kentwood, MI

🛝 Millennium Park — Grand Rapids (beach, bike paths & playgrounds)

🎭 Grand Rapids Children’s Museum — Grand Rapids

🎳 Wenger’s Bowling — Grand Rapids

☀️ Downtown Market — Grand Rapids (indoor food hall & family fun)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Mitten Brewing Co. — Grand Rapids

🍕 Peppino’s Sports Grille — Kentwood

🥞 Anna’s House — Grand Rapids

🌮 Donkey Taqueria — Grand Rapids

🍗 Two Beards Deli — Grand Rapids

🍦 Love’s Ice Cream — Grand Rapids

☕️ Madcap Coffee Company — Grand Rapids

🥗 Terra GR — Grand Rapids

Ferris State University (Michigan)

City: Big Rapids, MI

🌳 Hemlock Park — Big Rapids (playground & river trail)

🎨 Artworks Gallery — Big Rapids

🦋 Mecosta County Park System — Big Rapids (beaches & campgrounds)

🎢 Card Wild Adventure Park — Big Rapids (go-karts & mini golf)

🛝 Top Taggart Field — Ferris State Athletic Complex (family tailgates!)

🎳 The Gate Entertainment Center — Big Rapids

☀️ Downtown Riverwalk Trail — Big Rapids

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Schuberg’s Bar & Grill — Big Rapids

🍕 Pizza King — Big Rapids

🥞 Cranker’s Restaurant & Brewery — Big Rapids

🌮 El Burrito Loco — Big Rapids

🍗 Sawmill Bar & Grill — Big Rapids

🍦 The Custard Cup — Big Rapids

☕️ Biggby Coffee — Big Rapids

🥗 Blue Cow Café — Big Rapids

Grand Valley State University (Michigan)

City: Allendale, MI

🌳 Millennium Park — Grand Rapids (trails, lake & beach)

🎨 Grand Rapids Public Museum — Grand Rapids

🦋 John Ball Zoo — Grand Rapids

🎢 Rebounderz Trampoline Park — Jenison, MI

🛝 Spring Grove Park — Grandville, MI

🎭 Meijer Gardens Concert Series — Grand Rapids

🎳 BAM! Entertainment Center — Holland, MI

☀️ Grand Haven State Park — Grand Haven, MI (30 min beach trip!)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Sundance Grill — Grandville, MI

🍕 Peppino’s Pizzeria — Allendale, MI

🥞 Anna’s House — Grandville, MI

🌮 Lindo Mexico — Grand Rapids, MI

🍗 The Winchester — Grand Rapids, MI

🍦 Hudsonville Ice Cream Parlor — Hudsonville, MI

☕️ Ferris Coffee & Nut Co. — Grand Rapids, MI

🥗 Terra GR — Grand Rapids, MI

Lake Superior State University (Michigan)

City: Sault Ste. Marie, MI

🌳 Rotary Park — Sault Ste. Marie (playground & St. Mary’s River walk)

🎨 River of History Museum — Sault Ste. Marie

🦋 Soo Locks Park — Sault Ste. Marie (watch ships pass through!)

🎢 Tahquamenon Falls State Park — Paradise, MI (30 min drive)

🛝 Aune Osborn Park — Sault Ste. Marie

🎭 Dream Makers Theatre — Sault Ste. Marie

🎳 Dondee Lanes — Sault Ste. Marie

☀️ Downtown Waterfront Walk & Boardwalk — Sault Ste. Marie

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Antlers Restaurant — Sault Ste. Marie

🍕 Zorba’s Greek Pizza — Sault Ste. Marie

🥞 Frank’s Place — Sault Ste. Marie

🌮 The Downtowner Pub — Sault Ste. Marie

🍗 Pure Country Family Restaurant — Sault Ste. Marie

🍦 West Pier Drive-In — Sault Ste. Marie 🍦

☕️ Superior Coffee Roasting Co. — Sault Ste. Marie

🥗 Karl’s Cuisine — Sault Ste. Marie

Michigan Technological University (Michigan)

City: Houghton, MI

🌳 Nara Nature Park — Houghton (trails & creek bridges)

🎨 A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum — Houghton

🦋 Michigan Tech Trail System — Houghton (family biking & hiking)

🎢 Mont Rippe Indoor Climbing Wall — Houghton

🛝 Ray Kestner Waterfront Park — Houghton

🎭 Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts — Houghton

🎳 Mine Shaft Entertainment Center — Houghton

☀️ McLain State Park — Calumet, MI (beach & lighthouse views)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Ambassador Restaurant — Houghton

🍕 Downtown Deli — Houghton

🥞 Suomi Café — Houghton (Finnish pancakes!)

🌮 Margaritas Mexican Cantina — Houghton

🍗 KBC Brewery — Houghton

🍦 The Bridge Grill & Creamery — Hancock

☕️ Cyberia Café — Houghton

🥗 Studio Pizza — Hancock

Northern Michigan University (Michigan)

City: Marquette, MI

🌳 Presque Isle Park — Marquette (lakeshore trails & cliff walks)

🎨 DeVos Art Museum — Marquette (NMU campus)

🦋 Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum — Marquette

🎢 Edge of Reality Arcade & VR — Marquette

🛝 Mattson Lower Harbor Park — Marquette

🎭 Forest Roberts Theatre — Marquette

🎳 Superior Lanes — Marquette

☀️ Black Rocks & Beach at Presque Isle — Marquette

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Donckers Soda Fountain & Candy Store — Marquette

🍕 Vango’s Pizza & Cocktails — Marquette

🥞 Third Street Bagel — Marquette

🌮 Sol Azteca Mexican Restaurant — Marquette

🍗 The Vierling Restaurant & Marquette Harbor Brewery — Marquette

🍦 Jilbert Dairy Ice Cream — Marquette 🍦

☕️ Velodrome Coffee Co. — Marquette

🥗 BabyCakes Muffin Company — Marquette

Purdue University Northwest (Indiana)

City: Hammond, IN

🌳 Wolf Lake Memorial Park — Hammond (paddle boats & playground)

🎨 Indiana Welcome Center Exhibit — Hammond

🦋 Community Veterans Memorial — Munster, IN

🎢 Sky Zone Trampoline Park — Schererville, IN

🛝 Wicker Memorial Park — Highland, IN

🎭 The Center for Visual & Performing Arts — Munster, IN

🎳 Lan-Oak Lanes — Lansing, IL

☀️ Whihala Beach — Whiting, IN (25 min beach day on Lake Michigan)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Freddy’s Steakburgers — Hammond

🍕 Gelsosomo’s Pizza — Munster

🥞 Toast & Jam Café — Schererville

🌮 El Salto Mexican Restaurant — Munster

🍗 True BBQ & Whiskey Bar — Munster

🍦 Oberweis Ice Cream — Munster

☕️ Butterfingers Coffee — Hammond

🥗 Region Ale Tap House — Schererville