There’s a dreamy place where simple pleasures (quiet gardens, farm-to-table food) peacefully coexist with modern luxuries (iced lattes, adorable merch).
Minutes from downtown New Buffalo, @farmettemichigan rolls a café, marketplace, bakery, and microfarm into one irresistible stop for sustainably sourced provisions.
Take a peek inside the ‘Beach Town Farm Shop,’ linked in bio.
📸 @jodibodtkecreative
#newbuffaloexplored
Late spring is the perfect time to see a rare gem up close: Warren Woods, a centuries-old forest primeval, a few short miles from the shore ✨
Get a glimpse of towering maples, wild morels, and more life below the canopy, linked in bio.
📷 @jescasteele
#newbuffaloexplored
Vintage and antique enthusiasts: There are gems along the Lake Michigan shore.
In beautifully curated shops, you’ll find one-of-a-kind furniture, art, and décor with the soul and character to transform a room—and bring on the thrill of discovery.
Grab a coffee, hit the road, and explore seven standout vintage and antique shops with our guide, linked in bio.
📸 @groupfour@jescasteele
#newbuffaloexplored
Over the past eight years, Ellie and Pat Mullins built a destination for every kind of wine enthusiast at @pebottleshop in Three Oaks. Now P&E is growing.
Find out what’s next for the bottle shop, linked in bio.
📸 @moguelphoto
Small-town Michigan seems like an unlikely place to feel the warmth of Southern hospitality, or the slow-burn heat of authentic Cajun cooking. But at @viola3oaks , they’re serving both for breakfast and lunch, five days a week.
Get a view from the lunch counter at Viola Café through the link in bio.
📸 @jesscasteele
#newbuffaloexplored
On a lazy morning by the lakeshore, staying in your PJs is an easy choice. (One we respect, for the record.) But eventually, you’re faced with an eternally important question: What’s for breakfast?
You’ll find the answer at these seven local breakfast and brunch standouts, where getting up and at ’em has delicious rewards. Get the guide, linked in bio.
📸 @moguelphoto , @jodibodtkecreative , @dkelleghan
#newbuffaloexplored
A heavenly view of the shore’s transition to spring, brought to you by photographer @benjaminrsass :
“There’s something about this time of year, when the shoreline wakes up slowly. Ice retreating, and then all at once—an open coast. The spring rains carry sediment from the rivers and streams out to the lake. Murky bronze water near the mouth and deep blue further out. The two take their time, completely unhurried, fighting and then eventually melding, as if finally realizing the inevitability of being one.
This was shot mostly in New Buffalo at the beach and marsh. The third clip—where both seagulls and ducks take off from the water—was captured at North Lake Park near Grand Mere.
The track is ‘Classic Water’ by North Americans—a favorite instrumental folk album that felt like the right fit.”
#newbuffaloexplored
“Many times, I’ve stood in the back and thought, ‘I cannot believe this is mine.’ I didn’t save it. I kept it going. And I would do it again 100 times out of 100.” —Zach Hackett, Vickers Theatre
Sometimes it pays to follow your heart—and become the unlikely steward of a small town’s beloved mainstreet cinema. Follow Zach Hackett’s path from Vero Beach, Florida, to the historic @vickerstheatrethreeoaks at the link in bio.
📸 @groupfour
#newbuffaloexplored
Baby goat snuggles? Sign us up. From farm excursions to chef-curated dinners, art fests, dance parties, and more, find 15+ feel-good reasons to road trip out to the shore this spring.
Get the full guide, linked in bio.
#newbuffaloexplored
Anyone ready to sprawl out on the couch with friends and a bottle of wine, spend a leisurely hour or two flipping through magazines, or do… nothing? The Living Room—a sophisticated all-day lounge, café, and gathering place at @marinagrandresort —was designed for all of the above, and more.
Local Tip: They host an amazing happy hour every day from 4–5. Settle in for low-intervention wines, house cocktails, and savory snacks.
And a heads up for magazine lovers: Buchanan-based @standmagazines has a brick and mortar home in The Living Room. Shelves are stocked with an exciting collection of independent and below-the-radar periodicals for browsing and purchase.
The Living Room is open to all, every day.
📸 Eric Davis, Justes Kemper, @dkelleghan
#newbuffaloexplored
Spring is so close we can feel it. But before we say goodbye to winter, we want you to meet some of its biggest fans: the surfers of the Lake Michigan shore.
We caught up with locals from one of the southeast coast’s most active surf crews to ask a few questions. First and foremost, Are they crazy? It’s still 32 degrees in there!
Read the Q&A in the link in bio.
📷️: @groupfour@benjaminrsass@zormac
#newbuffaloexplored
