Winter Weekend in Lexington, Michigan: DIY Pub Crawl and more.
Read on to learn why Lexington, Michigan, is a wonderful choice for a quiet winter weekend getaway. Lexington rests at the edge of Lake Huron, 20 minutes north of Port Huron. Visiting this small harbor town in the winter is very different than what you find in the summer months. Our winter weekend was cozy (and a wee bit boozy), and you can totally take our itinerary for your own getaway.
Our Lexington Winter Weekend Itinerary – Click the link to jump to a section!
- Staying Overnight – low-key local elegance
- Friday night, a historic tavern and some delicious drinks
- Saturday – breakfast, the library, an impromptu DIY pub crawl, and a long-anticipated visit
- Sunday – worship and burgers
- Tips for your own winter weekend in Lexington
Staying Overnight – low-key local elegance
To keep the weekend low-key, stay within easy walking distance of downtown. We spent most of our time wandering around and learning about Lexington. Was it cold in February? Yes, but the bite in the air added a certain pep to our steps. Lexington’s downtown is small, quaint, and perfectly walkable, which was a decided plus considering the shenanigans we got up to later.
We opted to stay at the Cadillac House Inn and Tavern, though there are a host of other lodging opportunities within walking distance. Still, it’s hard to beat being smack-dab in the middle of downtown for our winter weekend in Lexington.
The Cadillac House Inn and Tavern
The Cadillac House has a rich history, which always adds a layer of intrigue. The Inn and Tavern first opened in 1860, although (after 100 years!) the inn portion of the business closed in the 1960s. Then, in 2016, the tavern closed for just a couple of years, reopening in 2018 as a fully functioning, beautifully refurbished Inn and Tavern. The bar is especially lovely—all dark polished wood and paned glass.
The hotel and rooms are attractive (elegant, even). Our room was immaculately clean, and the king-sized bed was crisp, clean, firm, and very comfortable. The staff was helpful with all of our needs—they even brought up a portable desk so Gerret had a place to spread out his work. The room had a Keurig coffee maker with some coffee and tea options available.
As you’d expect, the room also had the usual complement of accessories, including a mini fridge, hairdryer, bathrobes (fluffy and very comfortable!), and the usual linens and toiletries. If you’re a coffee fan, Foley’s Market across the street has a wide variety of supplies, including extra coffee pods. The room was a cozy home base for our winter weekend in Lexington.
Oh, if you’re into this sort of thing, rumor has it the Inn is haunted, though we didn’t see or hear anything strange. On the other hand, the fourth-floor cupola room was locked for the winter. It’s that little room way up top that looks like it would have an amazing view; maybe next time!
Friday Night, a historic tavern, and some very good drinks.
Cadillac House – The Tavern
After settling into our room, the hotel’s tavern made the perfect starting point for drinks and a light dinner. Dinner turned out to be spinach dip (piping hot and excellent) and cups of soup. Gerret had the Clam Chowder while I had the Cream of Asparagus. Both were delicious.
We tried some of their special drinks. Gerret opted for a Cranberry Orange Whisky Sour, and I selected a Lemon Roxbury and then one of their Valentine’s special drinks, Kir Royale.
Everything we had here was delicious, and the bartender (a delightful young lady finishing her degree at Michigan State University) was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive.
Steis’s Village Inn
We returned to the room, lounged, and chatted for a while, then decided we were up for an evening adventure. Steis’s is right across the street from the hotel and open late, so we headed over. The main kitchen had closed (fair, really, for a February evening!), so we ordered a couple of fried appetizers, and Gerret had a really delicious porter. Steis’s serves standard American fare, and there was a small crowd of folks enjoying a friendly evening at the bar. It was a great way to wind down the evening.
Saturday – breakfast, the library, an impromptu DIY pub crawl, and a long-anticipated visit
Breakfast Options
You have some options for breakfast on Saturday morning. If you get up early enough, you can grab some pastries from the breakfast nook by the hotel’s front desk. We slept in, so no continental breakfast for us.
On the other hand, The Lexington Coffee Co. (related to Port Huron’s Electric Coffe Co.) was (you guessed it) right across the street. We discovered they do a brisk business! On this particular Saturday morning, the coffee shop was hosting adoptable animals from the Humane Society, and the relatively small seating area was awash with adorable critters and children. Though we came back later, we left for now in pursuit of coffee.
If you’re new here, it will become abundantly clear that we enjoy coffee shops a great deal.
We were looking for something more relaxed to fit our relaxing winter weekend, so we walked around the corner to the Huron Street Cafe and had a nice leisurely breakfast. It, too, was doing a bustling business on this particular Saturday morning, though there were enough tables that I never saw a line of people waiting for seating.
The Moore Public Library
After that, we walked up the block to the Lexington Moore Public Library. The building was opened in the late 1800s but was refurbished and turned into the village library in 1904. The library is richly appointed inside, with high ceilings, wood paneling, comfortable reading tables, and the long aisles of books you’d hope for – from current releases to old tomes. The stained glass windows are especially beautiful, though you need to see them from the inside to get the full effect.
After learning we were visitors interested in Lexington’s history, we spent an enjoyable hour or so (until the library closed) flipping through a mountain of source books and documents about the area and its inhabitants. The librarians were exceptionally kind, helpful, and knowledgeable about the library and the village.
At this writing, the library is undergoing an extensive renovation and expansion into a second building next door (complete with a second-story glass bridge!), so only the main floor is accessible for now. Construction is slated for completion in late 2024. If you do drop in, consider leaving a donation for the renovation; libraries are treasures beyond measure!
Harbor, Park, and Beach – the Peace of Lake Huron
We left the library and walked a couple of blocks down to the shore of Lake Huron. With a stiff wind blowing in off the lake, it was frigid! Still, we try to visit the big lakes when we’re close, even if the weather is less than perfect. The walk from the library to the harbor and beach was easy—and downhill!
Lexington State Harbor, Lexington Beach, and Tierney Park share a parking lot at the end of Huron Ave. It is a compact area, yet very worth the short walk – even in the cold. We walked out on the breakwater as far as the elbow but no further. With the wind blowing spray off the lake, the long arm of the breakwater was coated in a slick layer of ice. After returning to the shore, we wandered along the beach and watched the wind-driven waves (2-to-3 feet, maybe?) crash ashore.
There is a deep, soul-calming peace to be found standing along the shore of our beautiful Great Lakes. Perhaps especially when the weather chases most other souls inside, and it is you, the wind, and the waves. Winter in Lexington on the shores of Lake Huron is a treasure indeed.
An Impromptu DIY Pubcrawl
The Windjammer Bar and Grill
After leaving the beach, we were looking for somewhere warm, and headed for the The Windjammer. We stumbled in through the side door and found a seat at the bar.
Initially, we were looking for something to warm up. Gerret had a Caramapple Hot Toddy to warm up after the chilly walk on the breakwater, and I had a Valentine’s Special that was a gin raspberry mule, but I don’t remember the name. The bartender was friendly and so busy it seemed like he had a third arm. The service was great, even so.
We had a pleasant conversation with two ladies at the bar who were housesitting. As it sometimes happens, they were from a city near our own home, and we swapped stories about good places to visit. Small world and all that.
The Windjammer purchased a large-screen TV just before the Lions’ first playoff game, so it would be a great place to hang out and watch sporting events. If you enjoy something more relaxed, the walls facing Lake Huron have floor-to-ceiling windows with lovely views of the harbor and the lakeshore to the south.
At some point, while chatting away with others at the bar, we decided to make today a pub crawl. After taking a photo with the old salt at the main entrance, we headed back into the cold.
Village Pub
Hills work both ways, and we climbed the short hill between the shore and downtown, continuing to the Village Pub. The Village Pub is large enough to have two full-service bars, though the interior bar was closed on this particular February Saturday. The main bar was full, so we sat at a table in direct line of sight of a gigantic moose. Moose haven’t been part of my daily life, and it is easy to forget how huge these creatures are (even stuffed and mounted on the wall).
In keeping with the pub crawl, we ordered a cocktail, along with something to anchor the buzzing (chips and salsa.) The salsa gave a standout performance – fresh and flavorful. For drinks, Gerret sipped a Lake Huron Hurricane, and I meandered slowly through a Violet Fog. We tend to have very different tastes in alcohol (other than sour and dark beers), so neither of us cared for the other’s drink but very much enjoyed our own. He likes whiskey and rum, and I like gin and vodka. We enjoyed the snack with our drinks and sat near windows with sidewalk views of downtown Lexington.
3 North Lexington
Pub crawl stop three was 3 North Lexington, a local winery and brewery. With so many options to choose from, we decided on a flight of beer and a flight of wine to share. The wines were a variety of Red and White: Fool Me Once, Marquette, Red, White & Blue, and Santorini. The Beers were Lemon Like Us, Eliza Strong Porter, Creepy Santa, and Espresso Royale. Each had a distinct flavor, and we favored some more than others. We encourage you to give them a try and see what you like.
One of the local employers is Gielow’s Pickles, which is exactly what it sounds like. 3 North offered a delicious flatbread made with Gielow’s pickles, and it was well worth it—just enough for a mid-afternoon meal.
Water Tower Sports Pub – long-anticipated and worth the wait.
After a multiple-hour intermission (nap), we drove a few miles to the Water Tower Sports Pub. (See the whole write-up about our experience here.) They are about three miles south of downtown Lexington, in the shadow of the Worth Township water tower. We have had this particular restaurant on our “must-see” list for quite some time, so it was great to finally get there.
Water Tower is known for delicious from-scratch foods, especially pizza, and for having only Michigan craft beers on tap. As I’ve mentioned before, we both enjoy sour beer, and they can be hard to find. Water Tower had several on tap from Michigan breweries, and we tasted them all. They were all very, very good.
We also shared a small Supreme Detroit-style pizza and a basket of hand-cut fries made from Michigan potatoes. Both were outstanding! Water Tower Sports Pub is part of that class of hidden gems that locals treasure – and most tourists miss – because it fits into its landscape so well.
Sunday – worship and burgers
Lexington Coffee Co., Take Two!
We walked across the street to start our morning at Lexington Coffee Co. and tried their drink of the day, which was a Cinnamon Roll Latte. It was tasty, for sure. We sat briefly and drank our coffee before walking back across the street to the Cadillac House. After we prepared for the day, packed up, and checked out, we explored Lexington a little more before we had to say goodbye to this beautiful little village.
Worship
We walked a couple of blocks to attend church. If you want to find one, there are several churches in various flavors surrounding the downtown area. We enjoy attending church while we travel; it is a great way to connect with the local community and give thanks for our ability to travel and see new places. Plus, we love historical and interesting buildings, and churches are often beautiful to see, inside and outside.
Wimpy’s Place
After church, we walked to Wimply’s Place for some tasty burgers. This is a small diner, and the burgers are worth stopping for. You can eat in or get your food to go. This is an excellent opportunity to see Lake Huron one more time. Get your Wimpy burgers to go and have a car picnic down by the water. We chose to eat in, but many people stopped in for to-go orders while we were there.
Other Notables
Village Theater
Lexington has a Village Theater right next to the Village Pub. The weekend we were there, the Village Theater had a concert scheduled. You could easily fit this into the itinerary above if you want to attend a performance. Be sure to check ahead; the concert was already sold out when we made our plans. We had enough time to fit in all the places mentioned above and still make it to a performance without being rushed. Check them out and see if something is playing that you would like to attend, then plan your weekend around that.
Downtown Shops
Many of the downtown Lexington shops were closed for at least part of the weekend, so double-check their winter hours if you’re planning retail therapy. For this weekend, at least, even though some of the stores were open, we weren’t feeling the shopping itch, so we mostly explored and stuck to the bars and restaurants. There are some lovely shops, though, full of charming art and reminders of your time in Lexington.
Tips for your own Winter Weekend in Lexington, Michigan
We thoroughly enjoyed winter in Lexington, Michigan. This is a very popular place for summer vacations, so visiting in the winter was much more relaxing—and to us, that’s what makes it a hidden gem. There were minimal crowds everywhere we went, yet enough people to keep things interesting.
Here are a few tips for your own Winter Weekend
- Shops may or may not be open (about half were). If these are high on your list, call ahead.
- Walking around is easy – sidewalks are everywhere and generally smooth and flat.
- Dress warm if you’re going down by the water – that wind is sharp.
- Bring some cash for Wimpy’s Place – the burgers really are outstanding.
- If Foley’s Market doesn’t have what you need, try Jeff’s Market (in the same parking lot as 3 North), which is a full grocery store.
If you are looking for more towns to explore, check out the links below:
Check out our Tips for Booking a Hotel Stay before you venture out.