Legendary Michigan Ice Cream Shop Closing After 66 Years

Michigan ice cream is delicious any time of the year, but summer is when most ice cream shops are busiest in the state. In fact, many ice cream shops are only open during the spring and summer months in Michigan, because the demand just isn't there for the colder part of the year. I love eating ice cream in the winter, but I get that many people crave hot chocolate or hot toddies in the winter instead of frozen treats. Now, a Michigan ice cream shop is permanently closing after decades of serving the community.

One of the most popular summer spots in Michigan in South Haven, off Lake Michigan. It's definitely a great tourist spot, offering gorgeous beaches and views. Every summer season, people flock to South Haven from all over the state and even other parts of the country.

For decades, people have also enjoyed Sherman's Dairy Bar in South Haven. Now, the popular Michigan ice cream spot has announced it's closing after 66 years in service.

On their Facebook page, Sherman's Dairy Bar announced that this season would be its final one. "We want our loyal fans to be the first to know: the 2024 season of Sherman's Dairy Bar will be our last," they stated in the post, which was also on their Instagram page. "We have loved being part of your summer traditions for 66 seasons, and we know many of you have fond memories of a scoop at Sherman's. We would love to see you before the season officially ends on October 26. For now, we hope you will share your favorite Sherman’s memory in the comments and stop by to see us as we make this final season one to remember."

So, the good news is that if you haven't made it to Sherman's Dairy Bar yet this season, you still have time to get there before Oct. 26 and enjoy some delicious ice cream before the shop closes for good. The shop is located at 1601 Phoenix Street.

Sherman's started in 1916 as a dairy farm and delivered milk to residents in South Haven. They started ice cream in 1958. More recently, in 2019, Sherman's handed over its ice cream production to Hudsonville Ice Cream. Sherman's will be missed, which you can tell by looking at the response to the shop's Facebook post about the closing. The post has more than 1,400 "reactions," as well as nearly 800 comments, and it keeps growing. Do you have an ice cream shop that you miss? Contact me about it.

Summer always brings a bevy of vacation options, some more exotic than others. But, you don't have to travel far or do something major to have a great vacation. There are many fun and affordable staycation ideas that can give you a memorable vacation memory by just staying close to home.

So, what exactly is the definition of a staycation? It's pretty self-explanatory, but according to the Oxford Dictionary, it's "a vacation spent in one's home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions. Similarly, Merriam-Webster says it's, "a vacation spent at home or nearby." I think it's a stretch to call any vacation that's spent in your home country a staycation. That would mean that someone living in Michigan who travels to California for a vacation is really having a "staycation." It makes much more sense to define a staycation as a vacation where you literally stay at home or do something fun in your local area. Thankfully, there are a plethora of great staycation ideas out there.

Plenty of cities have "be a tourist in your own town" activities promoted by their local city tourist bureaus, which are perfect for a staycation. Really, staycations have been around forever, but they increased in popularity during the pandemic, when people actually weren't allowed to travel abroad. Still, even after the pandemic, the staycation is going strong. According to an international study by tourism and hospitality experts in the U.S. and China, the "staycation phenomenon" that started during the pandemic is still very popular and likely to stay as a new normal. The study, dubbed "Customer Preferences for Staycation Package Attributes," is published online in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. It researched the local staycation preferences of Chinese tourists, as well as staycation information from the U.S., Netherlands and Indonesia.

I love a good staycation. It can be stressful to plan a huge trip to squeeze into your time off. By the time you get everything packed, do all the flight stuff and get to your hotel, you might just feel like resting for the short while that you're at your destination. What's more, you can often find so many great places close to home that you've never experienced before. I've had so many great staycations where I ventured to a part of town or the state that I had never been before, and those are among my favorite vacation memories. In that spirit, here are some fun and affordable staycation ideas. Send me your ideas, too.

Have a vacation in your living room or bedroom. Make it a movie-watching marathon. Watch a string of your favorite guilty-pleasure movies or binge-watch a brand new series. Either way, it'll be cozy and comfy.

If you have a state or national park nearby, use your vacation time to go adventuring. Being at a local park can offer some breathtaking scenery, especially in the summer. Have a picnic out there, too. If you don't have a state or national park close by, try a local park.

Nearly every town has a local museum or art gallery. Perhaps you've never really had the time to visit your local museum or art spot. Use your vacation time to explore those local spots, and you might find a new favorite place.

If you've driven by that new hotel for a while and wondered what it's like inside, why not book it for a night? You don't have to be traveling to say at a hotel, Airbnb or local bed-and-breakfast. It can make for an exciting adventure right in your backyard.

Using vacation time to plan a big party for friends is a good use of that time. Instead of traveling around the world, bring to world to you. Invite lots of your good friends, and spend some of the cash you would have on a vacation for your party. It'll be the party of the year. Make that decade.

Pamper yourself. Maybe you think having a spa day is too much of a luxury, but if you're saving money by not taking a big trip, why not use that money for a spa day? It's not just for ladies, either. Guys can book a spa day for a variety of services. It'll make for a day of bliss.