South Haven FIP

08/29/2026

South Haven has a mural that pretty much covers everything that makes this town special—the lake, lighthouse, beach, blueberries, flowers, and even our famous robin. But if we’re being serious about representing all things South Haven, it seems like our little feathered friend was missing one important accessory. 😂

08/27/2026

FIP friends, Lake Michigan doesn’t always give up her secrets, but on a calm day she’ll occasionally let you peek.

We were out on the boat near Deerlick when my wife took us in for a closer look at the remains of the City of Green Bay, a wooden schooner wrecked here in a brutal November storm in 1887. Six men were aboard, only one survived, and more than 130 years later pieces of the old ship still hide beneath the sand and water along this stretch of shoreline.

Hard to imagine watching this video—the lake is flat, the sun is out, and we’re casually floating over a place where Lake Michigan once showed exactly how unforgiving she could be.

Of course, my wife is approaching it like she’s just found a great parking spot at Meijer.

And yes, before anyone corrects me: I said “ship wrecked” and “Deer Creek” in the video. Apparently, even when I’m talking about a shipwreck near Deerlick, I’m capable of creating a whole new nautical location.

That’s the thing about South Haven. Sometimes you don’t have to go looking for history. You just have to slow the boat down and look over the side.

Another little piece of history hiding in plain sight.

08/25/2026

Bob’s is a local treasure! Can’t make it there? Hit their outdoor vending machines at Ace Hardware—because good bacon apparently never closes! And despite the news about imported beef, Bob’s ground beef is U.S. whole-muscle beef, typically from the Midwest, ground right at Bob’s. Big shout-out to The Lodge, The Groovin Grove, and The Moose Lodge for choosing Bob’s over cheaper food-service burger. Buy local, eat local, support local!

For everyone that has seen the news about imported beef, Bob's DOES NOT use any of this beef in our ground beef. This imported beef is used by the big processors to add lean to the fat from US beef. This product is then sent out to chain restaurants, big box stores and food service suppliers. When you see the sale on 10lb tubes at the big box stores for cheap, this is what you are getting. We grind US beef here from whole muscle, typically mid west beef. Bob's would also like to thank The Lodge, The Groovin Grove and The Moose lodge for sticking with us even though they could buy cheaper burger from their food service companies.

08/25/2026

🎉 I earned the emerging talent badge this week, recognizing me for creating engaging content that sparks an interest among my fans!

08/20/2026

Does anyone remember The Derby?

The restaurant that was near the bowling alley in South Haven?

I remember going there as a kid, and for some reason those memories have stuck with me all these years. We always enjoyed going to The Derby—and now I’m wondering if anyone has old pictures of the place, especially the inside.

Exterior shots, dining room, menus, signs, … anything!

Somebody out there has to have a shoebox full of South Haven history. 😂 Let’s see The Derby again!

08/19/2026

Did Al Capone Know the Way to Hilltop?

South Haven has plenty of old stories—but this one hits a little closer to home for us.

During Prohibition, Al Capone and his Chicago organization were rumored to spend time along the Lake Michigan shoreline, escaping the heat of Chicago for the resorts and hideaways of Southwest Michigan. Stories have placed Capone around South Haven, including Sleepy Hollow and the South Haven Country Club.

And then there’s our old home—the old Hilltop Tavern.

The story passed down with the property is that Capone’s men would stay at the Hilltop, about six miles north of South Haven. Interestingly, an old travel guide actually lists the Hilltop Tavern as a South Haven-area lodging property with a main lodge and 21 cottages—exactly the kind of out-of-the-way place where a few Chicago boys could disappear for a while.

Now, can I produce a 1920s guest register that says:

“Al Capone — Chicago — Cottage #7”?

Nope.

But that’s what makes these old South Haven stories so much fun.

Picture it: a couple big black cars rolling up the hill after dark. Men in suits step out, hats pulled low. Maybe they’re here to fish. Maybe they’re here to relax.

Or maybe you learned a long time ago not to ask the guys from Chicago too many questions. 😂 (This should get some comments) 😎

Nearly a century later, we were living in the same place where, according to the stories, Capone’s boys once laid their heads.

Did Scarface himself ever pull into the Hilltop?

I don’t know.

But if those old walls could talk…

I’m guessing they’d have one hell of a story.

08/19/2026

Did Abe Lincoln Sit Here… or Not? 🇺🇸

What if the story is true?

In August 1856, four years before becoming president, Abraham Lincoln traveled to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he delivered a major political speech at Bronson Park.

And Kalamazoo isn’t all that far from South Haven.

So here’s the fun question: What if Lincoln wanted to see Lake Michigan?

Imagine Lincoln finishing his business in Kalamazoo and deciding he’d come this far west—why not make the trip to the lakeshore? South Haven was already a small settlement, and Lake Michigan would certainly have been worth seeing.

Could he have made the journey west, walked down toward the water, looked across the lake…and sat for a while?

That’s where this story gets interesting.

Today, near Lakeshore Drive and Esplanade Place on South Haven’s North Side, you’ll find two red benches overlooking Lake Michigan. Beneath them are two plaques.

One claims:

“ABE LINCOLN SAT HERE — 1856.”

The other fires back:

“NO, HE SAT HERE.” 😂

So who knows?

Maybe it’s simply a great South Haven story.

Or maybe Honest Abe really did decide he wanted to see the lake that day.

Did he sit here…or not? 🇺🇸

08/16/2026

Go see Kyle today😎

08/16/2026

Say Yes to Michigan 💙

One of my favorite things to do is simply take a slow ride down Blue Star Highway toward Saugatuck.

Most days, you’ll spot a deer grazing in a field. You pass through the little towns, the places of worship, the local stores and the small schools—the places and people that made this area what it is.

Yeah, I’m a FIP. 😎 And if you’re stuck behind me on Blue Star, I apologize. I’m driving slow because I’m taking it all in.

I love this place.

I love the people who share their hometown with us. I love the shop owners, the bartenders and the people who make you feel like maybe you’re not quite as “foreign” as your Illinois plates suggest.

Hattie, Candace, Sam, Samantha, Morgan, Billy, Cory, Eric, Tom, Dave—and all of you. You’re part of what makes this place special to me.

There’s a reason I created this page with a dove carrying an olive branch. 🕊️

It was never supposed to be Michigan vs. Illinois. It was supposed to be about having some fun, laughing at ourselves, getting along and enjoying each other’s company.

We may cross a state line to get here, but once we’re here, we’re all enjoying the same sunsets, the same lake, the same little towns and the same stretch of Blue Star.

I may be a FIP… but I sure do love Michigan. ❤️

And I promise—I’ll try to stay out of the left lane. 😂