One Michigan Town Named Best in U.S. With Less Than 10K Residents

Michigan is home to some great towns. Of course, when people who aren't from here think of The Mitten State, they think of cities like Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and even Flint (which is well-known nationwide for all of the wrong reasons). But, there are some fantastic smaller towns scattered throughout the state and one is gaining national recognition.

So, it came as no surprise when I saw that one Michigan town was featured on Far and Wide's list of the Best U.S. Towns With Fewer Than 10,000 Residents. (Though, I was surprised that there was only one.) With all of the small towns in the state, which one was deemed worthy enough for the list?

Saugatuck Named One of the Best Towns in the U.S. With Less Than 10,000 Residents

If you've been to Saugatuck, you KNOW... The quaint lakeshore town is bustling during the summer months when tourists and part-time residents, but quiets down in the colder months. That's not to say that Saugatuck is dead during the winter - there's still plenty to enjoy.

Of course, Far and Wide focused on the summer vibes and highlighted Oval Beach. They also recommended grabbing some Michigan-made libations at Fenn Valley Tasting Room.

READ MORE: Look Inside Historic Bed and Breakfast For Sale in Saugatuck

I would go a little further and also suggest that folks check out Retro Boat Rentals and then grab something to eat and a drink or two at The Old Boat House. And if you have a chance, check out a performance at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts.

The History of Art in Saugatuck, Michigan

A "fun fact" they shared about Saugatuck is that it was actually an art colony back in the 19th century. The roots of that are interesting in and of themselves. Saugatuck started to become the artsy heaven that we know today way back in the early 1900s when the Art Institute of Chicago opened an art camp there. (It's called Ox-Bow, and it's still there.)

LIFE even featured the art colony back in 1949 and you can see a bunch of the pictures here.

Is there another small Michigan town that you think should have been included on the list? Let me know, and maybe I'll feature them.

Want to take a trip to Saugatuck? Check out this cool A-Frame you can rent.