X Ryan Gerard, owner of Third Coast Surf Shop, at the New Buffalo City Beach Dine at the Stray Dog in New Buffalo Sandboarding at Warren Dunes Harbor Country Beautiful beaches and friendly fishing villages are just a short drive away. Lynne Konstantin I Arts & Life Editor tretching along 15 glistening miles of the eastern shore of Lake Michigan are eight charming hamlets (Sawyer, Harbert, Lakeside, Union Pier, New Buffalo, Michiana, Grand Beach and Three Oaks) that make up HARBOR COUNTRY (harborcountryorg). Just a 32-hour drive from Metro Detroit, the Southwest Michigan coastline, billed as "Eight Great Towns, One Great Lake," combines to offer everything from picturesque fishing villages and white- sand beaches to sleek luxury resorts and high-rolling casi- nos (hit the slots and a taste of opulence at the FOUR WINDS CASINO RESORT; fourwindscasino.com ). IS To start, make your base at centrally located New Buffalo's beach-front HARBOR GRAND 34 June 20151 RED THREAD (harborgrand.com), a 55-room warm and comfortable take on the Prairie-style design of Frank Lloyd Wright (who designed three homes in nearby GRAND BEACH) with luxury bedding, spa showers, fireplaces, an indoor pool, complimentary bike rent- als and 24-hour Ben & Jerry's ice cream delivery. While there, check out the MARINA GRAND RESORT (marinagrandresort.com). Mod- ern Scandinavian design, a water- front setting, suites with Europe- an kitchens and soaking tubs and a DVD library "hand-selected to reflect a love for artistic and social merit, and a lust for the lack of it," the Marina Grand provides beach towels and chairs to experience the silky-sand beaches. "Harbor Country is an easy, beautiful destination with a tremendous variety of things to do," says Collette Kemper, manag- ing partner of the Toast Hotel Group, which owns both Grand Beach and Marina Grand. "But at the end of the day, a success- ful experience is one that makes a guest feel completely relaxed, comfortable and cared for. We're good at that." If you're looking for something more intimate, there are also loads of inns and B&Bs to choose from, like the LAKESIDE INN (lakesideinns.com), a favorite spot for Al Capone and movie stars during Prohibition. The inn, in LAKESIDE, is housed in a historic-landmark building dat- ing to the 1880s and steps from its own private beach. Stroll the wooden walkways or catch a wave (yes, in Michigan) at the NEW BUFFALO PUB- LIC BEACH. First, stop at the THIRD COAST SURF SHOP (thirdcoastsurfshop.com) in St. Joseph and New Buffalo, to stock up on rentals, lessons in stand-up paddleboarding (and SUP yoga), sandboarding and skimboard- ing, tours, or drop the kids off at the shop's Kids' Beach Camps for surfing, sandboarding, sand castles and soccer. Made up of three miles of stunning Lake Michigan shore- line and six miles of trails and dunes that tower 240 feet above the water, Sawyer's 1,952-acre WARREN DUNES STATE PARK is open for hang gliding, sand- boarding, picnicking and swim- ming and offers more than 300 campsites. While you're there, climb the dunes (including paral- lel dunes, blowouts and para- bolic) of MOUNT RANDALL, near Three Oaks, for unparalleled views of both the lake and the countryside. Harbor Country also offers plenty of shabby-chic and an- tiques shops along the quaint towns' tree-lined streets, elegant restaurants and comfort-food diners plus summertime events.