Sandwiched Between Detroit And Chicago Is A Michigan River City With Camping, Historic Charm, And Tasty Eats

In a state known for small-town magic along the Great Lakes and the remote Isle Royale National Park, Jonesville is home to Michigan's first public school and oldest Carhartt retailer. Thrift shoppers or road trippers on a weekend jag from Detroit to Chicago or other points along U.S. Route 12 will discover many reasons to drop in or stay over in this friendly city on the St. Joseph River, or otherwise known as "the St. Joe." Settled in 1828, Jonesville, now home to 2,300, offers secluded camping, historic downtown charm, and tasty eats.

Located a little over 100 miles from downtown Detroit and three hours northeast of Chicago, the village of Jonesville initially sprang up as a manufacturing center along the St. Joseph River because of its waterway to Lake Michigan and a train that ran to Detroit along U.S. Route 12. It might come as a surprise, but Jonesville wasn't incorporated as a city until 2014.

Overnight guests to Jonesville looking for outdoor adventures, kayaking on the river, or hiking may enjoy Way Back In Campground. A mere 2 miles from the city center, Way Back offers four-person cabins with a bunk bed for the kids, 45 RV sites with electric and water hookups, and seasonal tent camping and frontage on the St. Joe for outdoor enthusiasts. For those who prefer a massage after a day of play, Munro House Bed and Breakfast is just two blocks off Route 12 and offers spa packages and rooms starting at $152 at the time of publication.

The Jonesville sidewalk begins slightly north of the city at the Coney Hut Drive-In and Bigby Coffee, and its tree-lined, two-story, historic downtown picks up a few blocks later at the Jonesville Middle School. Hungry visitors have their choice of everything from donuts and sandwiches to shawarma, pizza, and steak, all within walking distance of one another. Jonesville Bakery is open 4:45 a.m. until 2 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and offers salt-rise bread and doughnuts "as big as your head," according to one Google review.

Salt-rising bread is a unique and controversial Appalachian comfort food that uses bacteria for leavening. The original recipe, which dates back to the 1800s, hasn't been proven to cause food poisoning. Shirley Goodness Cupcakes, across the river and to the north, specializes in special occasion treats and sometimes offers "cake butts" — the part of a cake cut off to make it level — to guests.

On the two blocks in between, visitors have Main Street Pizza, Saucy Dog's Barbeque, Shawarma Station, Ramshackle Brewery, and Olivia's Chop House before they've gone another block. Rosalie's Roadhouse, located slightly south of the city, serves authentic Italian dishes, including pizza using locally sourced ingredients in a converted 1852 Victorian home. It has a 4.5-star rating on Google, with many guests commenting on the atmosphere and fast, friendly service.

Just south of the city center, the historic 32-room Victorian Italianate home of Michigan's one-time Lieutenant Governor E.O. Grosvenor keeps watch over the river and offers private tours by appointment. Once each year, the Grosvenor House Museum, off Liberty Street, also acts as a home base for RiverFest. This annual festival, held on the third weekend of May, offers visitors and sojourners alike a bevy of events, from military reenactments and a restored 1870 chuck wagon to cornhole tournaments and classic car shows, which line the recently completed Rail Trail.

Converted from a railroad bed, a 1.4-mile Rail Trail provides public access to the Jonesville section of the St. Joe. To head out from Jonesville, park where you can and walk over (there are only two spaces at the actual trailhead). Dubbed the Baw Beese Trail on AllTrails, this paved trail heads south, joins a sidewalk, and runs to Hillsdale, Michigan, where it joins the North Country Trail. This 4,800-mile trail connects North Dakota's Lake Sakakawea State Park to the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail terminus in Vermont's Green Mountain National Forest, making it the longest National Scenic Trail in the U.S. If you plan on trekking alone, read up on these safety tips to know before a solo hike.