How far is Clare from the cabins?

About 15 minutes southeast on M-115.

Are the Amish shops open on Sunday?

Most are closed on Sundays. Plan an Amish country drive for a weekday or Saturday, and bring cash.

A day in Clare and Amish country: doughnuts, backroads and the rail-trail

How to spend a day 15 minutes from the cabins: downtown Clare, Cops & Doughnuts, Amish farm stands and bakeries, and a bike ride on the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail.

November 8, 2026 · 4 min read

Horse and black Amish buggy parked beside a country store

Morning: downtown Clare

Head southeast on M-115 for about 15 minutes to Clare, the "Gateway to the North." Start at the famous Cops & Doughnuts bakery, then walk the main street for antiques and diners, and see the historic Doherty Hotel.

Midday: Amish backroads

Clare County has one of Michigan's larger Amish communities. The backroads around Clare and Lake George are dotted with farm stands, bakeries, furniture and quilt shops. Bring cash, expect most shops to be closed on Sundays, and slow down for buggies.

Afternoon: the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail

The paved rail-trail starts in Clare and runs about 30 flat, shaded miles toward Midland. Ride a few miles out and back with the kids, then head back to the cabin for a round of mini golf and the fire pit.

Questions

How far is Clare from the cabins?
About 15 minutes southeast on M-115.
Are the Amish shops open on Sunday?
Most are closed on Sundays. Plan an Amish country drive for a weekday or Saturday, and bring cash.

Ready to plan it?

Tell us your dates and party size. We reply the same day with availability and a direct rate.

Check dates See the cabins

More guides

Stay & Play golf getaways in Central Michigan: how to plan a weekend

Where to play, where to sleep and how to string together 45 holes in two days between Clare, Stanwood and Mt. Pleasant — including a 9-hole course you can walk to from bed.

The halfway stop: breaking up the drive up north on M-115

Why a night in Lake, Michigan turns a seven-hour haul to Traverse City into two easy drives — and what to do with the afternoon you just got back.

A family weekend at Pleasant Meadows: mini golf, disc golf and s'mores

A realistic two-day plan for a family with kids at Cabins on the Green, from check-in to the last marshmallow.

Lakes and fishing near Lake, Michigan: Crooked Lake, Perch Lake and beyond

Where to fish, paddle and swim within minutes of the cabins, from the two lakes the town of Lake sits between to Lake George, Eight Point Lake and winter ice fishing.

Hiking the Green Pine Lake Pathway near Lake, Michigan

A short guide to the Green Pine Lake Pathway in the Au Sable State Forest, reached from M-115, the same highway as the cabins.