The day before my first last day of school (I can't believe my college career is almost over), one of my roommates invited me to tag along with her to South Haven, Michigan. This little beach town can be found between Holland, Michigan and Benton Harbor, Michigan. Although I was only there for a day, I throughly enjoyed my time there. I couldn't believe that I live only forty-five minutes away from this vacation spot. Here are the top four places I went to that are worth the trip.

1. Sherman Dairy Bar

waffle, strawberry, chocolate, cream, ice cream, ice
Rachel Anne Ramos

Pictured Above is a "baby" Red Velvet Delight in a cake cone. Sherman Dairy Bar has so many flavors it's a bit overwhelming, but in all the right ways. They make everything in their ice creams in-house from scratch. They offer you anything you could possibly want from malts, shakes, floats, sundae, or just plain old ice cream. Their ice cream is distinctively creamier and more rich than the typical ice cream, and I highly recommend this place! If you aren't relatively close to Michigan, check out these top ice cream places in the US.

2. The Idler Riverboat 

The Idler Riverboat has a great selection of Hurricane drink specialties. It's a perfect place to sit outside to grab lunch or dinner with a few casual drinks on the water. The staff is super welcoming and amicable. The menu is not only loaded with good food (creole cooking), but yummy drinks to supplement. I do see myself heading back up in the next coming weeks before it gets chilly.

3. Admiral Jack's Bar & Grill

Admiral Jack's is right next door to the Idler Riverboat. I only grabbed a drink here, but I also checked out their menu. Their menu has everything from crab cakes to buffalo chicken sandwiches. On top of killer food, they also have a great selection of drinks. These two restaurants along the water have similar vibes, but have their own unique menu items. Have a drink on the water; you'll love it.

4. Captain Lou's

Captain Lou's is a bit far away, but still a reasonable walking distance. There are three bars within this lovely establishment which makes my heart so very happy. I sat at the outside bar hidden in the picture above, and had a Captain Lou Sangria. The vibe at this place made me happy especially because the bartenders truly love their jobs and it shows by the way they approach their customers. At one point during our stay, they were jamming to Disney Classics – they're one of us

If you haven't been to South Haven, Michigan take a day or weekend to head up there. I promise it will be well worth your time! There's an unbelievable amount of places to explore. The quality of the food and drinks I've had were up to standard, and amazing as far as causal dining goes.