Benton Harbor-Saint Joseph

Benton Harbor and Saint Joseph ("Benton Harbor-Saint Joe" for short) are two nearby towns in the Lake Michigan Beachtowns region of Michigan.

By train



 * Route stopping in Holland:
 * Pere Marquette operates daily between Grand Rapids and Chicago with stops in Holland, Bangor, and Saint Joseph.
 * Pere Marquette operates daily between Grand Rapids and Chicago with stops in Holland, Bangor, and Saint Joseph.

By car
The towns can be reached from US-31/I-196 or I-94. It's about 1 hour and 45 minutes' drive from Chicago.

Get around
Benton Harbor-St. Joseph is very easy to get around by car, though be cautious of downtown St. Joseph's one-way streets.

See

 * Silver Beach
 * Lighthouse
 * Downtown shopping area
 * Sunset over the lake from the bluff
 * Tiscornia Beach
 * Downtown shopping area
 * Sunset over the lake from the bluff
 * Tiscornia Beach

Do

 * Ice Festival (February)
 * Blossomtime Parade (May)
 * Krasl Art Fair (July)
 * Venetian Festival (July)
 * Chalk the Block (August)

Stay safe
Try to avoid traveling alone in the economically depressed areas of Benton Harbor. The area has experienced an increase in evening crimes.

While walking down the rather thin pier (south of the pier containing the 2 lighthouses), be vigilant of your step as the surface of the pier can be icy, wet and uneven due to both crevices in the cement or bumps. One has to be extremely careful, especially watching kids, near the edges of the pier as some portions have no guard rails. It's best to hold little ones' hands and stay on the center, more elevated part of the pier when walking, which is further away from the unguarded edges. Huge gusts of wind and large waves wash upon the pier: at the very least you and your camera get soaked; at worst, the unsuspecting person too close to the edge could get blown right into the deep, frigid waters of Lake Michigan. Tall, tall waves smashing atop the pier, getting people wet even when they were on the highest part of the pier can be seen at times. The choppy waves and their turbulent crashing can make for an interesting sight, but must be handled carefully.

Go next

 * Coloma