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Here you will be welcomed by the owners of the second oldest winery in Michigan.  Beginning in 1938 this boutique winery is still a family owned business.  Come and see it's historic location inside the Waterwork's Station!

There have been three generations of Warner's overseeing the Michigan winery.  They enjoy the location which is situated on the riverbank in downtown Paw Paw.  They have transposed the village's old water-works building into the winery's Wine Haus and are anxious for you to come and visit them, get a taste of history and enjoy some quality wine.

The building is a state designated historical structure built in 1898.  The tasting room features a re-creation display of functioning European Champagne Caves.

The winery also has a 1914 Grand Trunk Railroad passenger rail car that serves as a spot for private parties.

The winery invites you to taste and experience their wines and champagnes with a complimentary wine tasting at their Wine Hous 7 days a week for free.  You may even get to meet the Warner winemakers while you are there.

You can take a self-guided tour of their famous champagne caves.  When you are done the tasting room staff will be glad to answer any questions you may have.

The winery also has a restaurant called Kevin's..Tavern on the River.  Now that's a cool name, going to a Tavern on the River makes you think of being in some European country sipping wine and visiting with friends.

Winery Hours:
Open 7 days a week
Mon-Sat: 10am until 5pm
Sunday: 12pm until 5pm
excluding major holidays

Location:
Warner Vineyards Winery
706 S. Kalamazoo Street
Paw Paw, Michigan 49079
1-800-756-5357

South Haven Tasting Room
515 Williams Street
South Haven, Michigan 49090
1-269-637-6900
CALL FOR DAYS & HOURS

Kevin's… a Tavern on the River
Lunch & Dinner Daily
Sunday Brunch: 11am until 4pm
Closed Mondays
Reservations Recommended
Call: (269) 657-5165
Email kevins@warnerwines.com

This national historic landmark offers an insiders view of the rich archaeology and history of a 17th century Huron Indian village.

The museum is owned by the city and the park features several exhibits as well as being the home to the Longhouse Theatre wit on-going video showings.
You will be able to learn about this outstanding Indian culture.  The Ojibwa Indians formed the base culture of the Upper Great Lakes and tells the story of why Huron Indian refugees established a village in St. Ignace in 1671 (before there was a St. Ignace).

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Nestled in the southern shore of Lake Michigan the St. Julian Winery is the oldest and largest winery in Michigan.

The winery is a family owned business, started by Mriano Meconi in 1921.  Being Italian certainly helps in the wine industry, good wines and Italian heritage seem to go hand in hand.  He emigrated from Italy to Canada at the age of 13 and in 1936 moved his wine business from Canada to Paw Paw to be closer to Lake Michigan Shore grape-growing region.

Family tradition keeps this winery producing quality wines for your enjoyment.

The main winery in Paw Paw offers free tours on a year round basis.  Monday thru Saturday beginning at 9:30 AM, there is no tour at noon, and the last tour starts at 4 PM.  Sundays the tours run every half hour beginning at 12:30 PM and the last tour is at 4 PM (all times are Eastern Standard Time).

The winery is handicap accessible and all ages are welcome to come and visit the winery.

The winery has 5 tasting rooms at their retail outlets and you can taste the wines to find the one you enjoy most, for free.  There are two in Paw Paw, one in Frankenmuth, one in Dundee and one in Union Pier so wherever you are in the area there is a wine tasting room close to you.

There are grape varieties used to produce their wines.  The vinifera varieties from Europe, hybrid varieties from Europe which are then cross bred with native American and French grapes and the native American varieties.  Hybridization produces varieties that can withstand the cold Michigan winters and in turn produce high quality wine.

The grapes are purchased from 100 growers in the region of SW Michigan and come from an area within a 45 mile radius of Paw Paw.

The winery has a banquet hall called the Apollo which is available for rent for parties and corporate functions.  They also host special events throughout the year so be sure to check with them to find out if there is anything special going on when you are going to be in the area.

Location: 716 S. Kalamazoo St, Paw Paw, Michigan 49079

Phone: 269-657-5568 or 800-732-6002

Email: wines@stjulian.com

Are you interested in seeing what some consider to be the "8th wonder of the world?"  If you are then you need to go to St. Ignace in Michigan and see the Mackinac Bridge.

The bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the western Hemisphere with 7,400 feet of 4 lane highway suspended over the Straits of Mackinac.
The Golden Gate Bridge is 950 feet shorter than the Mackinac Bridge.

The bridge is a critical transportation link between Michigan's two peninsulas and is responsible for the huge flow of tourism and economic growth to the area.
The total length of the bridge, including its approaches, is approximately 5 miles over 34 water piers.  The two main towers extend 552 feet above the water and go down 210 feet below the surface of the water into a base of bedrock.

While on the bridge you will be able to seed Lake Michigan to the west and Lake Huron to the east.  You will also be able to see Mackinac Island and its Grand Hotel from the bridge.

Driving across the bridge you will be able to see the freighters pass under you.  Seeing the size of these ships will help you realize just how immense the structure truly is.

Make sure you spend a little time around the area at night so you can see the "Might Mac" light up the Straits of Mackinac.

The bridge opened to traffic in 1957 after a many year struggle to get the necessary funding approved.  The American Bridge Division of United States Steel Corporation, awarded a $44,532,900 contract to build this superstructure, began its work of planning and assembly. In U.S. Steel's mills the various shapes, plates, bars, wire and cables of steel necessary for the superstructure and for the caissons and cofferdams of the foundation, were prepared. This accomplishment took the skill and ability of many people in many different rolls to get accomplished.
IN June of 1998 the count of people that had crossed the bridge was 100 million.  In 2008 through the month of August there were 2,538,559 vehicles that crossed the bridge.

Fees: Passenger vehicle - $1.50 per axle or $3 per car.  All other vehicles are $3.50 per axle.

For your pleasure here is Dr. David B. Steinman's poem “The Bridge at Mackinac".
Answer:
The Bridge at Mackinac

In the land of Hiawatha,
Where the white man gazed with awe
At a paradise divided
By the straits of Mackinac

Men are dredging, drilling, blasting,
Battling tides around the clock,
Through the depths of icy water,
Driving caissons down to rock.

Fleets of freighters bring their cargoes
From the forges and the kilns;
Stones and steel - ten thousand barge-loads -
From the quarries, mines, and mills.

Now the towers, mounting skyward,
Reach the heights of airy space.
Hear the rivet-hammers ringing,
Joining steel in strength and grace.

High above the swirling currents,
Parabolic strands are strung;
From the cables, packed with power,
Wonder-spans of steel are hung.

Generations dreamed the crossing;
Doubters shook their heads in scorn.
Brave men vowed that they would build it -
From their faith a bridge was born.

There it spans the miles of water,
Speeding millions on their way -
Bridge of vision, hope and courage,
Portal to a brighter day.

Spend some time at the largest state park in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula.  Here you will be able to see the largest stand of virgin white pines remaining in the Lower Peninsula.

There is a Forest Visitor Center where you can learn about Michigan's forests through exhibits which focus on the history of logging, forestry, and the numerous ways the trees harvested are used in our daily lives.  This center is also the main interpretive center for the 3.9 million acre state forest system managed by the DNR, the largest state forest system in the United States.

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