I grew up northeast of Traverse City, and I've gone up & down US-131 more times than I can count.
Technically speaking, a "Mr. Beer" will deliver a fermented beverage consisting of water, malt, hops and yeast. These are not known for being high quality kits.
Something else to think about, see if you can find a home brew club in the area. If you can, you can almost certainly observe the brewing process (you want an extract brew for your first, not an all-grain, IMO.) Unfortunately, it seems that there's probably nothing local. GR, Kzoo, Holland/Zeeland, Midland, Bay City and the armpit of the state all have clubs, but being out in the middle of nowhere sort of leaves you short.