Breakfast: Let the heavenly scent of fresh-baked artisan breads & pastries bring you into The Bread Gal. Order the Cardamom Bun, a seasonal danish or scone, and a few extra loaves of bread to bring home with you!

Early-Day Outings: Spend some time time pursing the SVRC Marketplace. From Purple Sage Beads to The Little Yarn Shoppe, SVRC is an indoor, European-style market with diverse eateries & retail shops — and you'll want to explore each & every inch within it!

Enjoy a “country drive” out to Pride and Country Village to experience six eclectic shops (each housed in a historic farm building), including The Farmhouse and The Mill seasonal shop.

Mid-Afternoon: Enter through the bamboo gates of the Japanese Cultural Center, Tea House and Gardens of Saginaw, revered as one of the most authentic Japanese gardens in North America! Stroll the picturesque property along the banks of Lake Linton, and tour the traditional tea house.

Awaken your senses at Saginaw Art Museum, housed in a historical 1904 Georgian-Revival mansion. Explore Italianate gardens and the permanent collection of art in excess of 2,000 objects spanning 4,500 years! Or, discover the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, featuring 200 sculpted works that span the 70-year career of "America's public sculptor."

You could also venture out to the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and experience the Wildlife Drive Auto Tour, June to October, sunrise to sunset. (Keep your eyes peeled for nesting bald eagles!)

Or, reserve a boat ride through the Refuge with Johnny Panther Quests Adventure Trips to experience the “Everglades of Michigan” through the eyes of an expert local guide. Bring your cameras, binoculars, picnic baskets, beverages, and a desire for adventure!

Travel out of town a touch to experience wood-fired craft brews (and farm-to-table menu items, scratch-cooked over fire) at The Maple Grille Restaurant & Microbrewery. Sip beers, wines, and hard seltzers on the back patio of Loggers Brewing Company — and grab a bite from on-site food trucks to tide you over until dinner! Or, visit the tasting room of EverNorth Spirits Co. to taste true, community-driven whiskeys, brought to your glass by the minds behind The Bourbon Junkies.

Breakfast: Kickstart your day with decadent & buttery! Crepes et Amis is locally loved for its sweet & savory crepes, and next-door Iron Dame Baked Goods brings French-inspired treats (like coffee pastry cream-stuffed Tiramisu Croissants) to the Downtown Midland streets. Cafe Zinc at The H Hotel is an intimate bistro with fresh-baked breads & pastries, a roaring fire, and options from Apple Bread Pudding French Toast to the Chef's Weekly Benedict.

Look to Live Oak Coffeehouse for specialty coffee, kombucha on tap, and delicious quiche, or taste life-changing Creation Coffee, roasted locally, with your warmed cinnamon roll. Get to Grove Tea Lounge for a Masala Chai Tea Latte, and choose between the Brunch Bagel or Skillet Wrap — you can't go wrong.

Morning Outings: Spend the morning shopping Downtown and don’t miss spots like Serendipity Road, a makers market with artisan vendors, Peel 'N Pare for all-things-kitchen & cooking, or Coyer Candle Co. for hand-poured soy wax candles.

Spend some time exploring along the picturesque, 30-mile Pere Marquette Rail Trail. Start at The Tridge to experience a unique three-way bridge at the confluence of two rivers!

Speaking of water, keep a morning paddle with Ike’s Mobile Kayak Rentals or Nor'East Outdoors on your radar, along with a visit to Chippewa Nature Center to hike nearly 19 miles of trails… or simply relax with a cup of tea and watch the Pine River idle by from the River Overlook.

Into the Eve: Stop into Whichcraft Taproom for more than 80 varieties of Michigan-made brew, 40 available on tap, and a wide selection of cider, mead, and wine. Or, kick back at Midland Brewing Company for craft beers that honor regional & state history — Copper Harbor Ale, cheers — and pub-style food, served in the laid-back setting of an outdoor beer garden.

Toast to the (bittersweet) end of a memorable second day in the Great Lakes Bay? You simply must, at Three Bridges Distillery & Taproom! Order the Smoked Rye Whiskey Old Fashioned or frothy Blue Jasmine Fizz, and raise a glass to all that's still ahead for days three & four!

Breakfast: Head Downtown to Harless + Hugh Coffee and enjoy, indoors or on the patio, your Cardamom Latte and Lox Toast — or even a mimosa with freshly squeezed citrus! Visit Uptown for Cappuccino and quiche at Live Oak Coffeehouse, or sink your teeth into upscale diner dishes at Uptown Grill, with options like the Lobster & Brie Omelet.

Top of the Day: Still in Uptown, check out nearby shops including fashion-forward Omoni Boutique — then splurge on a massage or facial at Don Angelos Aveda Lifestyle Salon. Why not?

Stroll about Downtown for a blending of modern specialty shops, like My Secret Garden and Violets Blue, alongside historic Bay City Antiques Center/Bay Antique Center, the largest antique mall in Michigan! Be sure to soak up other nearby antiquing opportunities, too, including Americana Company Antiques and Retro Attics Studio.

If vacation fashion is what you're after, discover stylish clothing & accessories inside shops like Ferne Boutique or Fran & Dot Boutique.

Step into Painterly Pottery, a paint-your-own pottery studio, and select from more than a thousand pieces waiting to be personalized. Or, see which project from the Craft Bar menu at Studio 23/The Arts Center speaks to you!

Treat yourself to something savory from an assortment of European cheeses & cured meats at Artigiano Artisan Cheese Shoppe — or something sweet from Sarah's Sweet Escapes or St. Laurent Brothers' historic nut & candy company.

Mid-Day Adventures: Explore Saginaw Bay's sandy freshwater shoreline at Bay City State Park and linger in the lagoon of Tobico Marsh, a sprawling wetland preserve with wooded walking trails, picturesque scenery, and wildlife viewing. (Psst! This place makes beautiful beachy backdrops for vacation photos!)

Right within the park, rent kayaks or paddleboards for the afternoon from Nor'East Outdoors. Dip your paddles into Saginaw Bay and enjoy the offshore views!

Or, jump on the Bay City Area Riverwalk/RailTrail — access points are all around! Experience scenery from wildflowers & countryside to residential districts — even a waterfront boardwalk with bustling marinas and access to dining right on the water!

Dinner: Stroll right from the Riverwalk to Real Seafood Company in Uptown. Enjoy your Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass or Paella Valenciana on the upper Mezzanine or lower-level patio. Both overlook the Saginaw River and the evening sunset!

Into the Eve: Join Bay City Boat Lines to dine on deck and dance to live bands aboard "Rock the Boat" or "Carefree Cruisin'" themed trips — and enjoy your catered meal & a cash bar.

Or, set your sights on BaySail's majestic Appledore Tall Ship schooners! Sail off into the sunset and experience the painted evening sky come alive on Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay.

Breakfast: Begin your day at La Crepe du Jour, where French music — and the smell of made-to-order, Parisian-style crepes — fills the air. Or, bite into warm beignets (New Orleans-style donuts, dusted with plenty of powdered sugar) at N'Orlins Beignets & Coffee.

Morning Outings: Stroll Main Street for ample shops to explore! Sample from Zak & Mac's Chocolate Haus and Frankenmuth Cheese Haus, browse Rapunzel’s Boutique, Adorn Boutique, or White House Boutique (with hand-painted leather handbags & designer jewelry), and wander cobblestone walks to 40-plus options within Frankenmuth River Place Shops' German-inspired village.

Next, visit Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, the world's largest year-round Christmas store. A magical place overflowing with more than 50,000 trims & gifts, be sure to select an ornament and have it hand-personalized as a special souvenir!

Lunch: Feast at Michigan on Main, with 17 Michigan craft brews on tap and a creative, locally sourced menu. For fresh, homemade Mexican cuisine, step inside Poblano's casual cantina — and enjoy your Cantina Burrito or Tacos de Carnitas. Or, dine on the streetside patio at Tiffany's Food & Spirits for spectacular views of Downtown Frankenmuth and Sicilian pizza locals love.

Mid-Day Adventures: If you’re up for thrills, zip over to Frankenmuth Aerial Park for chances to fly through the air and through the treetops! Check into Frankenmuth Kayak Adventures for tranquility in the great outdoors, and paddle yourself along the calm Cass River.

Rather take a relaxing ride? Find Fantasy Carriage Company or Frankenmuth Carriage Company for a personal tour of the city in a charming, horse-drawn carriage, or hop aboard the Golden Ticket Trolley for a tour of town narrated by a local guide!