Situated Along Michigan's Longest River Is A Timeless Outdoor Retreat Home To The 'First Roadside Table'

In Michigan's Ionia County, along the flanks of U.S. Highway 16, there's a rather unassuming plaque wedged into the grass under the shade of slender trees. It commemorates an engineer named Allan Williams, who in 1929 exhibited an act of public altruism that would change how Americans viewed the then-nascent pursuit of "motoring," or road-tripping, indefinitely.

Williams noticed travelers would often pull over to the side of the road to rest after hours behind the wheel. Using a handful of old wooden guardrails, he built a picnic table and placed it by the roadside for public use. America officially had its first "roadside table." Impressed by Williams' hospitable vision, Michigan's Chief of Highway Maintenance ordered more than 100 tables to be erected along the state's highways. These tables soon started to appear all across the country, and their legacy has influenced even the most unique and impressive rest stops across America. And it's here, just south of the village of Saranac, that you can see where it all began.

But there is more to Saranac than its role in American history. Nature parks offer hiking trails and camping opportunities, as well as bird-watching, horseback riding, hunting and fishing, and even disc golf. There's also a popular farmers market, where locals and visitors buy fresh (and often huge) homegrown produce. And conveniently, Saranac is only 30 minutes by car from the city of Grand Rapids.

Hugging a bend of the Grand River in Saranac, you'll find the Saranac Village Nature Park, which features a boating pier and picnic areas. Use the walking trails to explore the park's 63 verdant acres. Five miles further along the river is the Ionia State Recreation Area — one of the many scenic state parks on Michigan's shores — sprawling across 4,500 acres and featuring meadows and wetlands, a lake, and dense woodland.

This is the main camping and leisure spot for visitors to the area, offering campsites and rental cabins (which are closed for renovations until October 2025). If you have a boat in tow, there's a launch site providing direct access to Sessions Lake. Or you can take to the river on a canoe or kayak. Anglers should head to the lakeshore or the banks of the Grand River to catch catfish, bass, walleye, and panfish. There are some lovely trails here too, like the 9-mile Chief Cob-Moo-Sa Trail and the leisurely Ionia Trail (which becomes a cross-country ski route in winter) circling Sessions Lake. And for those interested in disc golf, the 24-hole course is open year-round.

If you're planning on picnicking during your stay, Saranac's Denny Farms is a great place to buy your produce. Doubling as a bakery and occasional barbecue joint, the market sells locally harvested gourds, corn cobs, a riot of different tomatoes, and Michigan blueberries and strawberries. The produce here is of exceptional quality, allowing you to support the local community and sneak more fruits and vegetables into your diet while traveling.