So after living here for three years I finally just found out about this massive event in Battle…read moreCreek Michigan. Advertises carnival rides/food, air shows, local shopping tents, live music, beer garden, events, fire works and hot air balloons. Of course it's hard to pass something that hosts that many things in one afternoon. The parking lot is massive, and plenty of room for everyone. The parking line was pretty long to get in, and it cost 5 bucks, but it was better than walking in my opinion. Sadly, as we were parking we were informed that a few minutes before we arrived that the jet truck had exploded during the air show, and the air show had been canceled. We decided to go anyway because there was still hot air balloons. The line to get in was very efficient and we walked right in. Ticket cost was 10 dollars per person to get into the festival. We wandered around and did some shopping. They have some pretty amazing local talent there making some some impressive things. After that, we got some food. I got a pizza from a local pizza tent which was amazing. We then got some funnel cake. Was everything I remembered from childhood. Haven't had funnel cake since I was a teenager. Food was a little pricey but anyone who has been to an event/festival in the last 5 years knows that food and drink prices are inflated to make a profit. After food we wandered through the carnival rides and decided to do the Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel brought an amazing view of the grounds and showed that the event truly is a popular event in Michigan. After the wheel we decided to go get beer, find shade, and wait for the hot air balloons. The beer garden has some pretty amazing options. Aside from commercial beer they had many options of Michigan made beers. I enjoyed blood orange beer from Cheboygan. Was delicious. After a couple hours of waiting we were informed that the hot air balloons were not gonna make it for the day. We found out that the hot air balloons come flying in on one day and fly out on another and they were delayed due to weather flying in. If you can find out which is happening I recommend going on a day that they fly out and not in. Watching them fly off would be so much more exciting, and there is a higher chance of not getting to see them on a day they are flying in. The slightest winds can delay them. Overall, we were disappointed because we got no air show, and no hot air balloons. However, we did get to see a massive explosion go off. The entire air strip was covered in jet fuel from the truck earlier so they had to ignite it. The explosion felt like a meteor hit the earth. Was so loud, shook the ground, and it was instantly dark outside from the smoke. Was exciting to say the least. A definite must do event for 4th of July even without the jets and balloons. If you're going for balloons find out what day they fly out. We went because it was the 4th, but the festival is 5 days. *Note* you can bring in your own chairs, tents, coolers. We didn't know being our first year. Go prepared for an all day event and zero shade on the grounds.

Even though the river was low it was still a very pleasant float. One spot I had to get out and…read morewalk for about 100 yards. But the scenery and wildlife made it worthwhile. Service was great and got some good instructions before heading out so we felt prepared. Equipment was adequate and in good shape. Highly recommend for an easy peasy trip. So glad we spent the extra money for the 3 hour trip. Seemed to be just right amount of time.

The 1 hour float was pretty good. Had done it before years ago. We reserved a sit-in tandem kayak…read moreand were provided instead with a "sea" kayak (totally inappropriate for river navigation) that was not sit-in. Oddly, a true sit-in river kayak was left hanging in the office. The kayak we got was hard to steer, drifted constantly, and was generally ill-suited to the conditions on the river. Thankfully, we had a lot of experience but another customer would have a hard, frustrating time handling that kayak. And there are some tricky sports to navigate in that section. Not worth the cost overall.

We had a great time exploring the beautiful homes and hearing the history of Marshall. Bailey was a…read moregreat guide with many cool stories. This would be great around Halloween, but had a beautiful night ride in August.

My husband and I did the 90 minute carriage tour. We had such a good time. Marshall is a…read morebeautiful town and I loved learning about the history and the ghost stories. I highly recommend this tour if you're in Marshall.

Braiden helped us at the counter with our purchase and made sure got the best deal and saved us an…read moreextra $10 and was very friendly and polite and even foud us all matching shoes definitely will come back for them. The positive experience we had with him.

Great time with family and friends. Great employees and excellent facilities. Great place to bring…read morethe family and friends.

My friend suggested this place and on top of that i surprised my mother - honestly i thought it…read morewould be more available to see and maybe feed. Unfortunately i was disappointed - it was nice as something new but would i go back....NO!. Definitely a one time deal - Santa was sure nice and chatty; made sure kids took photos first then adults. Happy Watching (I guess) the reindeers.

Went on a reindeer adventure. Saw great reindeer and got some good information from the tour great…read morespot to stop in don't see this is Chicago.

Some walking. Ride the train to Africa. Love the Savannah exhibit, it's amazing! Animals were…read moreactive. Lots of glass so you can photo nicely.

This place is always worth the drive and having a little one to wander and explore with, just makes…read moreit all the more special and memorable. It's quite the expansive property, so make sure you and your little ones are ready for a trek, but it just feels so lush and peaceful, mixed with excitement of getting to feed the giraffes and goats! I'd be hard pressed to find a kid or adult that wouldn't have a blast hear especially when the weather is nice

Athens, Michigan isn't on the major highways - and I haven't seen Alligator Sanctuary advertised…read moreon, say, I-94 - yet well worth the trip. We spent an hour here. You can get a guided tour. We did it on our own. Inside the building, there are about 20 small enclosures for things like a bearded dragon or a snake. Then you go out the back of the building and follow the route. There are outside enclosures for tortoises, several different types of alligators, and a couple of observation deck. There's a building that has caimans in it. Takes about an hour to see the whole thing if you pace it. Some people go faster. There's the opportunity to buy food and feed selected crocodiles. They seem to like raw hot dogs! Helpful staff.

Great stop along I94. short 15 min drive south at the Sturgis exit. The self guided tour is good,…read morebut do the animal encounter! We had Paige help us with the large alligator- she was very well informed and answered all our questions! The alligator was twitchy, but she made sure my daughter had all the contact she wanted! Highly recommended!

This free venue bring community. Local fund raising venders and neighbors enjoying lawn shows…read more Bring a chair and enjoy a show, two offered each night. Handicap parking available and carts to assist as needed. Restrooms close by. Beautiful place for the young and old.

We are so fortunate to live so close to this wonderful park!…read more It's a great place for the kids to play on the playgrounds, walk the dog, go sledding in the winter, enjoy the festival, plays and concerts in the summer.