The Best Things to Do in Dexter, Michigan: How to Spend a Day in Dexter

Dexter, Michigan is the type of city that feels as if you’ve always known it. With its friendly locals, charming Main Street, impressive small businesses and access to nature and its Border to Border Trail connecting it to Ann Arbor, it is a truly charming place to visit for a day.

dexter_michigan_main_street — Main Street in Dexter, Michigan

If you love to visit adorable and quaint small towns across the United States, then Dexter, Michigan will feel like a familiar friend. Dexter, Michigan is celebrating its 200th anniversary at the time of publishing this article, and it’s a short distance from cities like Ann Arbor and Detroit.

Much like Ann Arbor, Dexter has a great feeling of community, lovely local businesses and delicious restaurants. Because of its size, it’s more of a quiet and sleepy town. Local people walking down its streets are friendly, cars stop for pedestrians well in advance of anyone needing to cross the road, and colourful flower baskets decorate its streets in the spring.

Chris and I loved checking out Ann Arbor’s dining scene with the likes of restaurants like Peridot, so it was nice to discover a few local gems in Dexter, too.

Whether you’ve come to stroll down its charming Main Street, bike, paddle or walk along the shores of its many river paths in Mill Creek Park or the Huron River, or dive into some of its shopping and dining, then there are many ways to enjoy this special corner of Michigan.

A Brief History of Dexter

dexter michigan — Pleasant porches and green spaces abound in Dexter.

Dexter is in Washtenaw County, situated along the Huron River. The river connects it to Ann Arbor to the south, and Hudson Mills to the north. It was originally home to the Anishinaabe tribes living in the area, including the Ojibwa, Ottawa, Huron, and Pottawatomi. It was later taken over by settlers, and established as a village in 1824, but over the years it has grown to be recognized as a city in its own right.

In the early days of the town being settled, it was known as Mill Creek Settlement. Mill Creek and the Huron River were essential to Dexter’s placement between these two waterways. Since the early 1800s, Dexter has been home to a sawmill, a woolen mill, a grist mill, and a cider mill—the Dexter Cider Mill is one of the oldest cider mills in the state of Michigan.

Judge Samuel W. Dexter, for whom the city is named, purchased the town in the early 1800s. He is known to have been an outspoken abolitionist, and his home, Gordon Hall, is believed to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad.

This is just a snapshot into the history of Dexter, and when you visit this city for yourself, you’ll see from the historic buildings lining its main street that it has its fair share of charm and history to offer for all of those who visit.

Getting to Dexter, MI

dexter_michigan_mill_creek — The historic Mill Creek runs through Dexter

For many people who visit Dexter, they’re coming from Ann Arbor. There are two main ways to get from Ann Arbor to Dexter, and the first is to drive. It takes about 20 minutes to drive between these places, and while you may be directed to get there along the highway, I’d highly recommend taking the scenic route.

The best drive to take is the Huron River Drive along the Huron River. This historic waterway has beautiful views along the way, with mature trees and forests, and lovely homes, too. This route really gets you in the spirit for how quiet and laidback the city of Dexter is.

If you enjoy being active outdoors during your travels, another highly recommended route is to bike between Ann Arbor and Dexter. There are several stretches of dedicated bike paths along the Huron River, too. It’s the perfect distance to feel like you’ve put in a decent amount of work in time to enjoy yourself at one of the restaurants or cafes in town.

Things to Do in Dexter for the Day

This small but mighty city offers a lot of things to do during your visit. I’ve tried to outline this article to help you plan out your day in Dexter from beginning to end. But no matter where you start, you won’t be disappointed.

Grab a Coffee

dexter_michigan_joe_and_rosies — Joe and Rosie’s Coffee & Tea at Main and Broad.

I love finding a local coffee shop while I’m on the road. Nearby Ann Arbor is full of great local coffee shops, so I was excited to learn that Dexter has a fantastic local spot in the heart of downtown.

Joe and Rosie’s Coffee & Tea is an excellent place to stop. Not only is it inside an historic storefront with beautiful exposed brick and high ceilings, but it offers delicious, organic, locally sourced and fair-trade coffee and tea, seasonal hot and cold beverages, and a wide variety of snacks, breakfast and lunch items.

Chris and I stopped for a light breakfast during our spring visit to Dexter, and were delighted by their seasonal offerings, like a Honey Bee Latte, Cadbury Creme Breve, and a Raspberry Rose Latte. Since it was such a hot spring day, I opted for the flavoured Coconut Creme Cold Brew, and Chris tried the Strawberry Fields iced matcha and boba, which were both delightful. We also grabbed two delicious pastries from their counter.

With seating outside on the corner, or inside with its beautiful natural light, this is a great place to get the day started on a visit to Dexter.

Take a Stroll Down Main Street

Dexter’s Main Street is home to areas that truly bring out that small town American charm. It’s a good idea to start at one end and work your way up, or go up and down a few times and stop wherever it feels just right.

As you walk along Main Street, some highlights include:

Monument Park and the park’s gazebo
pedestrian-friendly benches and areas great for sitting and relaxing
local businesses, cafes, shops, and restaurants
views of Mill Creek

Walk Through Mill Creek Park

Mill Creek Park is a beautiful park along the shores of Mill Creek. It has well-maintained boardwalks and paved paths, perfect for biking or walking. It also has a small boat launch area near downtown Dexter for non-motorized boats looking to get in the creek, like stand up paddleboards, canoes or kayaks.

The park in total is 625 acres, and as a state park, it can be accessed via other towns and cities in Michigan, too. It features a reconstructed 1790 sawmill and other historic buildings. The original mill was crucial in supplying lumber to the Straits of Mackinac, and operated until 1839. Today the park offers opportunities to better understand the area’s history, scenic nature trails, and educational talks on local wildlife.

The creek also creates a lovely flow of air through the city of Dexter, making it a refreshing place to walk on a warm summer or spring day. You can walk through this park all the way north past Mill Creek’s end, and south further along the Huron River Water Trail, where it connects to other towns.

Grab Lunch on Main Street

There are a few places along Main Street offering great lunch options.

Dexter’s Pub is a neighbourhood staple, offering classic pub fare in a laidback environment. As is the case with many of the buildings along Main Street, it’s in a beautiful historic building with exposed brick and ornate tin ceilings. They also have a streetside patio open during the warmer months of the year.
Riverview Cafe is a charming restaurant in town. This Mediterranean-American restaurant is owned and operated by a multi-generational family, and serves up delicious dishes with a Mediterranean flare. We loved the Village Salad and Gyros.
Chela’s Restaurant & Taqueria is a Mexican restaurant offering a variety of Mexican staples, like Elotes, Carne Asada and Tacos.

Indulge in a Sweet Treat

dexter_michigan_dexter_bakery — Dexter Bakery’s mural is a beautiful sight in town.

There are a few staple places to grab a sweet treat from during your time in Dexter. While Joe & Rosie’s Coffee and Tea has some great options, stopping at Dexter Bakery is a must. There are too many delicious options to count, but some of the offerings they’re best known for are:

donuts
ice cream
cinnamon buns
Belgian cookies

And of course if you just so happen to be visiting Dexter on a warm day or a summer’s evening, grabbing an ice cream at Dexter Creamery will be the cherry on top of your visit to this welcoming town.

Drive Up To the Historic A&W Restaurant

dexter_michigan_a_&_w — The A&W has been operating in Dexter since the 1960s.

As a Canadian who knows about very few drive-up restaurants that still exist in my neck of the woods, this is a pretty iconic thing to do in Dexter.

While I would definitely recommend heading to one of Dexter’s more locally owned restaurants or cafes while you’re in town, the opportunity to sit at a drive up restaurant is special.

If you have a car, you can pull up and park outside of the Dexter A&W, and order food that will be brought directly to your car. If you really want to go the extra mile, there’s nothing more iconic to order than a classic A&W Root Beer Float.

That’s a Wrap on Dexter: A Picturesque American Town

At the end of the day, no matter what you came to Dexter looking to find, remember to take things slow. Bring a book, a bike, or a boat and plan to spend some time breathing a little easier.

As I was walking along Main Street, snapping a few pictures under the bright sun, I caught many people smiling in my direction. It was a knowing smile; I was being let in on a little local secret that they were proud of. I will tell you that there’s nothing I love more than visiting a place where its locals know how special it truly is.

After all, what can there be to want for, really, when you’re surrounded by green trees and parks, bright, historic buildings and peaceful front porches? It’s a charmed life, that’s for sure.

I want to thank Destination Ann Arbor for hosting me as media. All opinions expressed are completely my own.