Alpena, Michigan: Holiday Inn Express and more

December 2024, week night, one night

View from king suite 407 in Holiday Inn Express Alpena, Michigan
Sitting area in king suite 407 below

Holiday Inn Express, king suite 407

I reserved a basic king guestroom in this hotel.  As a platinum member, we received an upgrade to a suite. Although we did not have a river view, the extra sitting area in the room was great. I also received the opportunity to pick a gift from the Christmas tree in the lobby, and received an extra 250 points. Some of the gifts were worth 5,000 points, so I guess I was not so lucky on that draw. 😁

King suite 407 in Holiday Inn Express Alpena, Michigan

This Holiday Inn Express still had Keurig coffee machines in the guestroom. They did not have a fresh brew machine in the lobby, like the location in East Lansing. The guestroom was spacious, comfortable, and very clean. The bathroom shower had glass doors, and a safe was provided in the entry closet.

Breakfast in Holiday Inn Express Alpena, Michigan

Included breakfast was typical for Holiday Inn Express. There is a great view overlooking Thunder Bay River from the breakfast room.

Rose Valley Winery tasting room in Rose City

Downtown Alpena, Michigan wineries, breweries

Alpena Michigan is another great walkable town with paved trails along Thunder Bay River. You can find more information about the trails in my previous post from our stay in October 2021. Austin Brewery is within walking distance, along with many other downtown area shops, eateries, and pubs.

We spent the day traveling to Alpena and stopping along the way. A new visit for us was Rose Valley Winery. They have a cozy tasting room in Rose City, and another tasting room in the West Branch Outlet Mall. This was our first time trying their wine, and Rifle River Red is a new favorite! We learned about the winery from our Reel Craft Pass that we had purchased at the beginning of the year. 

We also stopped at the Huron Shores Ranger Station en route for some great camping maps and information. We are hoping to do some camping in the Huron National Forest next year.

Spicy cheesy bread appetizer at Paddle Hard Brewing in Graying. Michigan

Paddle Hard Brewing in Grayling was a great stop on our way home. The cheesy bread appetizer was a pleasant surprise. It was delicious, and more than we expected.

You can find more information about everything in this post by clicking on the labels at the bottom. Let me know if you have any questions or information to share!