48 Hours in Grand Rapid

This post focuses on our itinerary for Grand Rapids (GR). We set off from Troy, and on both the way there and back, we stopped in East Lansing for a big Chinese meal (I’ve posted about these restaurants separately!). I referenced various travel guides from Chinese and English platforms, so I think this is a top-tier itinerary—hope it helps, everyone! Day ☝️ 🥡 Lunch - Everyday Authentic Chinese Cuisine: This restaurant totally lives up to its rave reviews! The menu is extensive, and the food is delicious—we’ll definitely be back. 🌉 First Stop in GR: The Famous Blue Bridge: If you have an extra 2-3 hours, you can also visit John Ball Zoo or the Grand Rapids Museum to fill your day. 🍺 Dinner - New Holland Brewing: How could you visit one of America’s most famous “Beer Cities” without having a beer? After dinner, we went to the Lantern Festival (I posted about this separately—it runs until June!). 🏠 Accommodation: The Lafeyette House: I personally prefer Airbnbs or Bed & Breakfasts over hotels. This place is located in Heritage Hill, a historic neighborhood with old-money-style houses full of character. The street views are retro and unique—we’d take a little stroll here every time we stepped out. Day ✌️ 🧇 Brunch - Social Misfits: I found this waffle house on , and it was amazing! The cocktails and latte we ordered blindly were also surprisingly good. 🚶‍♂️ Downtown City Walk After Brunch: We took tons of photos with the flowers at Veterans Memorial Park (like, 10,000 shots! 📸). Plus, you’ll spot exquisite, vibrant murals everywhere here—they have a totally different vibe from Detroit’s murals. 🎏 Afternoon: Frederik Meijer Gardens for the Butterfly Exhibit: We loved the atmosphere here so much that we stayed longer than planned. The garden is huge overall; before it closed, we only got to visit the Japanese Garden and Sculpture Park—but we saw super chubby koi fish 🐠, which was really healing. 🥘 Dinner - Boiling Pot: We had hot pot for dinner here. The taste was decent, but it was so affordable! East Lansing’s Chinese food scene really never disappoints. #Michigan #UniversityOfMichiganAnnArbor #AnnArborSurroundings #GrandRapids #GR #WhereToGoOnWeekends #Detroit #TravelFrog #NicheTravelSpots #LivePhoto