Five Drive-Worthy Destinations For Your Next Spring Fling

The Flat at Journeyman Distillery
Three Oaks, MI • Drive time: 2 hours

Journeyman draws spirit enthusiasts — whiskey drinkers especially — from all over the midwest, and now the craft distillery is offering road-weary expeditionists a place to lay their heads in the case of one too many. Opened in 2015 just steps away from the distillery, the Flat at Journeyman takes up a 7,000 square feet industrial loft space with enough room to sleep 20. In other words: you’ll wanna round up some friends. It has exposed brick and understated decor, along with a private coutyard perfect for enjoying that whiskey by the campfire. BOOK NOW

DO THIS: Chow on Detroit-style pizza at Staymaker … Beer, glorious beer — pull up a stool at Greenbush Brewing Company or Burn ‘Em Brewing  … Or hit the patio at Haymarket Brewery & Taproom in Bridgman …  Peruse precious local goods at Sojourn … Shop for vintage curios at Ipso Facto … Conquer the trails at Warren Dunes State Park … Pick up meats to grill P. & E. Mullins Local

Urban Cowboy B&B Nashville
Nashville, TN • Drive time: 7 hours

Urban Cowboy owes much of its character to the Queen Anne Victorian mansion it occupies, but hell if they did a fine job restoring it. The rooms (eight in total) are an exercise in eclectic comfort, each offering a dramatically different vibe than the next. The place retains its charm with two communal parlor rooms and the Public House, the bed and breakfast’s bar and kitchen located in the original stablehouse at the back of the mansion. BOOK NOW

DO THIS: Visit Grimey’s and Third Man Records and add something special to your music collection … Get your Nashville Hot Chicken fix at Princes Hot Chicken … Or Hattie B’s … Or Bolton’s Spicy Chicken & Fish … Don your best all-black outfit and hit the Johnny Cash Museum … Shuck a few oysters at Henrietta Red … Throw up an X at Pinewood Social … Pick up a pair of boots at Nisolo … Raise a glass at Corsair Distillery

The Hewing Hotel
Minneapolis, MN • Drive time: 8 hours

Just north of Downtown Minneapolis in the North Loop neighborhood, the newly opened Hewing Hotel repurposes a century-old brick-and-timber warehouse in a nod to the city’s logging past. The hotel features art from local artists and photographers, while the rooms feature custom throws from Faribault Woolen Mills. In the lobby, guests can find some of the best Nordic cuisine the city has to offer in Tullibee. You’ll also wanna keep your eye out for the Finnish rooftop sauna opening later this year.  BOOK NOW

DO THIS: Tour Paisley Park, Prince’s private estate and production complex … Eat delicious seasonal grub at The Bachelor Farmer… Play  a round of mini-golf at Can Can Wonderland … Enjoy a cocktail at Tattersall Distilling … Gear up all handsome-like at Askov Finlays0n … Pick up something for the pad at Forage Modern Workshop … Visit the expanded Walker Arts Center Sculpture Garden

The Bayshore and Eagle
Traverse City, MI • Drive time: 5 hours

The second home of a Detroit-based photographer, the cozy, two-bedroom Bayhore and Eagle is situated atop of a hill just 10 minutes from Traverse City. The 1950s cottage is the perfect base for exploring Sleeping Bear Dunes and nearby towns like Suttons Bay. But you may not wanna leave this comfy nook, which comes replete with vintage furniture finds and a full outdoor wrap-around deck. BOOK NOW

DO THIS: Tie on your hiking boots and explore Sleeping Bear Dunes … Hit the Leelaunau Peninsula Wine Trail … Sip on local suds at Rare Bird Brewing Company … Sample local flavors at their finest at The Cook’s House … Have a beer and a burger at The Franklin … Wade it out with a guided flying fishing trip … Go for a long walk (or bike ride) on the Vasa Pathway

The Oxbow Hotel
Eau Clair, Wisconsin • Drive time: 5 hours

Listing Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon as one of its principle partners, The Oxbow Hotel opened in the sleepy town of Eau Clair, Wisconsin last year for travelers in search for a relaxing outdoor escape in the Chippewa Valley. The Oxbow complex is made up of two buildings, including the Flats — which sits adjacent to the Main House —a motel-style structure with exterior entries that recall the golden days of motel travel. BOOK NOW

 DO THIS: If you time it just right, the Eaux Claires Music Festival is a must … Grab dinner and catch a show at the Laklely … Experience a Friday Night Fish Fry at The Livery … Listen for tall tales at the Paul Bunyon Logging Camp Museum … Tour the brewery that put Chippewa Falls on the map — Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company … Or see what the next generation of beer drinkers are up to at the Brewing Projekt … Rent a bike and hit the city’s nearly 30 miles of bike trails