'''Michigan''' [http://www.michigan.org/travel/] (pronounced "MISH-i-g'n") is an American state in the Midwest and the heart of the Great Lakes region. It has many attractions, famous landmarks, and scenic state and national parks and forests. In addition to the Great ones, it has about 12,000 inland lakes, 38 deep-water ports, more miles of coastline than any state but Alaska, and more lighthouses than any other U.S. state. Its agriculture features tourist-friendly fare such as cherries, blueberries, peaches, apples, and wine. And its cities include a major metropolis, some university towns, and countless rustic villages.

The state is comprised of five distinct areas, known to Michiganders as "The U.P" (Upper Peninsula), "Northern Michigan" (Big Rapids and Northwards), "Western Michigan" (along the coast of Lake Michigan), "Mid-Michigan" and "Downstate".

Regions

Cities

Several of the major tourism destinations in Michigan include:

  • Detroit -- Michigan's first and largest city, the Motor City
  • Grand Rapids -- Second largest city in Michigan
  • Muskegon -- 3rd most visited county in MI, Ferry to Milwaukee, Summer Celebration
  • Holland -- Beaches and Tulip Time
  • Kalamazoo -- Home of Western Michigan University
  • Lansing -- State capital
  • Saginaw -- Historical logging city
  • Saugatuck-Douglas -- Artsy beach resort
  • Sault Ste Marie -- Upper Peninsula border town
  • Other destinations

  • Isle Royale National Park
  • Mackinac Island
  • Michigan's Adventure - amusement park near Muskegon
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
  • Harbor Country
  • Understand

    Michigan is the only state in the U.S. consisting of non-contiguous non-island territory. The '''Lower Peninsula''' has the majority of the population (primarily in the south), while the '''Upper Peninsula''', separated from it by Lake Michigan and a bit of Lake Huron, is mostly rural. Until 1957 the only way to drive from one to the other was to go all the way around Lake Michigan, or take your car onto a ferry.

    Each Michigander carries a map of the state at all times. Stick out your right hand (palm toward you) and you have a map of the lower peninsula. Stick out your left hand (again with your palm facing you, fingers pointing to the right) and you have an approximate map of the upper peninsula. So don't be surprised if a resident tells you where a city is by pointing at his hand.

    Michigan's economy was previously dominated by the auto industry, but has diversified somewhat as that and other traditional manufacturing industries have moved their facilities elsewhere, and it's beginning to attract more information technology, life sciences, and high-tech manufacturing jobs. Tourism is a growing segment of the economy, focusing in winter on activities in the snow, and in summer on the state's extensive beaches, lakes, and rivers. Hunting, fishing, and sailing are also popular outdoor activities.

    Get in

    Michigan has several airports, but most international or cross-country travelers will fly into Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) [http://www.metroairport.com/] just west of the city, or transfer there to a smaller airport elsewhere in the state. Grand Rapids' Gerald R. Ford International (GRR) [http://www.grr.org] also has daily flights from various parts of the country. Regional airports (which also have direct flights from cities in nearby states, such as Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Milwaukee, and Cincinnati) include Detroit's Coleman A. Young (DET) [http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/airport/], Flint's Bishop (FNT) [http://www.bishopairport.org/], Lansing's Capital City (LAN) [http://www.flylansing.com/home/], Kalamazoo/Battle Creek (AZO) [http://www.azoairport.com], Muskegon (MKG) [http://www.muskegonairport.com], Midland/Bay City/Saginaw (MBS) [http://mbsairport.org], Traverse City's Cherry Capital (TVC) [http://www.tvcairport.com], and Marquette's Sawyer (SAW) [http://www.sawyerairport.com].

    Driving into Michigan can be accomplished by one of the highways that enter and extend through Michigan. From Ohio, I-75 goes through Detroit, Flint, and Bay City, and Mackinac city, ending in the U.P. city of Sault Ste. Marie. From Indiana and Illinois, I-94 passes through Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Jackson, Ann Arbor, and Detroit, and ends in Port Huron in the thumb of Michigan. I-196 branches from I-94 and continues up the lakeshore to Grand Rapids. I-69 enters from east Indiana and Indianapolis, crossing I-94, and passing through Lansing, Flint, and Port Huron. US-131 stretches from I-80/90 in northern Indiana through Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Big Rapids, Cadillac, and northward. The Upper Peninsula can be entered from Wisconsin via US-2 from Duluth, and US-41 from Green Bay or Milwaukee. Michigan has major bridge/tunnel border crossings from Ontario, Canada located in Detroit (from Windsor) and Port Huron (from Sarnia), with a less heavily used crossing at the northern twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie.

    Amtrak provides daily rail service on three routes to Michigan, out of its hub in Chicago. The Pere Marquette travels through St. Joseph and Holland to Grand Rapids. The Wolverine travels through Kalamazoo, Jackson, Ann Arbor, and Detroit, to Pontiac. The Blue Water passes through Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Flint, on the way to Port Huron. A connecting bus also runs from Kalamazoo north on US-131 to St. Ignace. [http://www.amtrak.com]

    Car/passenger ferries from Milwaukee and Manitowoc, Wisconsin operate during warm months, crossing Lake Michigan to Muskegon and Ludington, respectively.

    Get around

    As the historic base of the U.S. auto industry, Michigan's intra-state travel system is almost entirely dependent on the internal combustion engine. The most extensive public transit system is the Greyhound bus network, which reaches most population centers in much of the state. [http://www.greyhound.com/scripts/TicketCenter/locations.asp?state=mi] Amtrak's three daily rail routes from Chicago connect certain cities in southern Michigan (see "Get in"). Most intra-state air service is out of Detroit Metro; there is no regular service ''between'' the state's small regional airports. Several of the larger cities have local bus services (Detroit also has light rail), but the personal automobile remains the best way to get around within Michigan. Interstate, US, and state highways permeate southeast Michigan, crisscross the rest of southern Michigan, stretch up into northern Michigan, and trickle across the Upper Peninsula.

    See

    Michigan is blessed with many natural beauties. Primary on that list are its Great Lakes (much of Superior, Michigan, and Huron, and a little bit of Erie), the waters of which are even depicted on official maps of the state. The Upper Peninsula region contains many of Michigan's natural wonders, including the Pictured Rocks, Mackinac Island, Isle Royale, Tahquamenon Falls, the Porcupine Mountains, and the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. The Lower Peninsula has expansive forests, rivers, and inland lakes in the north (such as Huron and Manistee National Forests), humongous sand dunes (such as at Sleeping Bear Dunes), and countless miles of beautiful shoreline. In the autumn, "color tours" of the changing leaves in northern Michigan are popular.

    Shop

    Michigan has a draw to shoping based on the many unique coastal towns and the look and feel of its tourist areas and attractions.

    '''Antiques Markets, Shops and Shows''' are a big attraction in the Great Lakes Area. Below is a list of cities, shops and events, in alphabetical order:

    Shops (Open Year Round)

  • TBD
  • Markets & Shows(Regularly Recurring Large Events)

  • [http://www.alleganantiques.com Allegan Antiques Market]. Six Shows every season. Last Sunday of every month, April through September. Visit the web site for exact dates each season, directions and contact information.
  • Do

    If it can be done on or in the water, Michigan probably offers at least a little of it, somewhere in the state. Fishing, sailing, and motorboating are popular on both the Great Lakes and inland lakes. The Great Lakes are a bit cool for some tastes, even in the summer, but are still very popular beach destinations, along with swimming in the warmer lakes inland. Canoeing is also popular on the rivers snaking through protected forests. Some people do surf, mostly the often-substantial waves coming across Lake Michigan, but it won't impress the dudes back home at Hermosa Beach or Waimea.

    In winter, replace water with snow and ice. Hardcore anglers keep fishing through the ice. Although serious alpine skiers might find the idea of skiing in glacier-smoothed Michigan laughable, there are many downhill ski areas, with the most popular resorts in the still-textured Charlevoix/Grand Traverse region of the state. Some great cross-country skiing can be found in both peninsulas, and any incline with a population of kids nearby becomes a sledding hill.

    The city of Detroit hosts four major professional sporting teams: the Tigers (baseball) [http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com], the Lions (American football) [http://www.detroitlions.com], the Red Wings (hockey) [http://www.detroitredwings.com], and the Pistons (basketball) [http://www.nba.com/pistons/]. The Lions, Redwings and Tigers all play in stadiums in downtown Detroit; the Pistons play in Auburn Hills approximately 25 miles northwest of Detroit. Detroit also hosts the North American International Auto Show [http://www4.naias.com] each January. Big-city casino gambling with four major casinos (supplementing the several Native American casinos in more remote areas of the state) is Detroit's latest addition. Detroit serves as the cultural and entertainment hub of the metropolitan region, with major concert venues, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra [http://www.detroitsymphony.com], the Detroit Institute of Art [http://www.dia.org], and an active theatre scene.

    In Lansing, you can visit the State Capitol Building, which was renovated in 1992. Many other state government and historical buildings are located in Lansing and East Lansing.

    There are many small towns of interest in Michigan. Frankenmuth, a town in Mid-Michigan, is a replica German town. Very famous is the Zendher's and Bavarian Inn, two restaurants known for their fried chicken.

    If crossing from the Lower to Upper Peninsula, or vice-versa, visit Mackinaw City, St. Ignace, and Mackinac Island. Fort Michilimackinac and an old lumber mill are located on the latter, and these are both open to the public. In order to get to the Island, you must take a ferry. Three different services are available.

    Eat

    If you're planning a trip into Michigan and you want to check off the "must-eat" local specialties, then there are four things you really should be sure to try while you're here. Interestingly, they're all centered around the northern parts of the state, so if you want to try them in their homeland, you'll want to be sure to visit the area from Traverse City to the UP.

  • The '''pasty''' (which rhymes with "nasty", not "hasty") is a traditional food in the Upper Peninsula, made with meat (usually beef), potato, onion, and sometimes rutabaga, wrapped in a light dough with a crimped edge. They originated from Cornwall, in southwestern England, and were brought to the area by Cornish miners who emigrated to the UP. The miners' wives would take everything that was left from the Sunday dinner, chop it up and wrap it in a semicircular pastry case, for their husbands to warm on their shovels and eat for lunch. These days, you can find pasty shops along highways in the UP, although their hours of operation may be limited.
  • Michigan produces rich, creamy '''fudge''', made from milk, sugar and usually chocolate, although you can find vanilla, peanut butter, mint, praline, cranberry, and many more flavors. The most famous fudge in the state has been made on Mackinac Island since 1887, still by hand, shaping and cooling it on marble slabs, right there at the shop.
  • Not surprisingly, lake fish is popular in Michigan, particularly '''whitefish''' and '''lake perch'''. Most restaurants in Michigan that offer seafood will have at least one of the two somewhere on their menu; you can find it broiled, fried, smoked, made into salad, or planked on cedar with whipped mashed potatoes piped around the edge. Lake fish are most commonly associated with Lake Superior, so you'll find it more prominent on menus in the Upper Peninsula.
  • Michigan produces over 70 percent of the tart '''cherries''' [http://www.usacherries.com/] grown in the US, as well as around 20 percent of the sweet cherries. The main cherry-growing region in the state is around Traverse City, where you'll find a cherry festival every July. Cherries, particularly dried ones, get added to some dishes to give them local flair; you may see restaurants offering a "Michigan salad" that includes dried cherries.
  • But although these four foods are most commonly associated with Michigan, they're by no means the state's only specialities.

  • '''Cudighi''' ("COO-duh-ghee"), a sausage-patty hoagie served with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce, is relatively popular in the Upper Peninsula. It was brought to the area by immigrants from northern Italy who moved into the Iron Mountain region, around Ishpeming and Negaunee, and is flavored with sweet spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
  • In southeastern Michigan, a popular treat to celebrate Fat Tuesday and the beginning of Lent is '''p?czki''' ("poonch-key"), which are baked annually in the Polish village of Hamtramck in metro Detroit. The version made in Hamtramck are like large fried jelly doughnuts, covered in powdered sugar or glazed, and most commonly filled with custard, fruit or chocolate, with plum being a particularly popular flavor.
  • Aside from cherries, Michigan is a surprisingly prominent agricultural region, well-known for a variety of products:

  • Michigan ranks third in the nation's production of '''apples''' [http://www.michiganapples.com/], which fill the grocery stores to overflowing when they're in season.
  • The western side of the state, near the shore of Lake Michigan, is a prolific region for ''' blueberries''' [http://www.blueberries.com/], growing 45 percent of the nation's total. They're not as ubiquitous on menus as cherries, but if you're in the region during the blueberry season (July through October) watch for roadside stands and "U-pick" farms in rural areas.
  • Michigan's '''morel mushrooms''' [http://www.michiganmorels.com/] grow wild throughout the state, but are particularly common in the northern Lower Peninsula. Locals often go mushroom-hunting, and Michigan morels are sought-after by chefs statewide. There's a morel festival every May in Boyne City and Mesick.
  • The growing season for the small, sweet Michigan '''strawberries''' is short, but worth taking advantage of. There's a national strawberry festival every year in Belleville.
  • Perhaps less enticing, Michigan ranks second in the nation's production of '''celery''' [http://www.michigancelery.com/], mainly around Kalamazoo. There's even a celery interpretive center in the area, where you can learn about the region's celery farming heritage.
  • '''Maple syrup''' [http://www.mi-maplesyrup.com/] has been produced in Michigan as long as Native American tribes have lived here, and it can also be found in the form of maple candy.
  • Drink

    Although not as prestigious as Californian or overseas varieties, Michigan ''' wines''' [http://www.michiganwines.com/] are growing in respectability, with significant vineyards in the southwest (e.g. St. Julian, Tabor Hill, Fenn Valley) and northwest Lower Peninsula (e.g. Leelanau Cellars, Good Harbor, Chateau Grand Traverse).

    Stroh's was one of the last of the great traditional Michigan breweries and a Detroit-area staple, but is now made out of state. However, '''local breweries''' can now be found throughout Michigan. Some of the more widely available Michigan beers are Bell's, Arcadia, Atwater, Michigan Brewing, and Founder's.

    Two native brands of soft drinks (called "'''pop'''" by the locals) are Faygo (perhaps best known for strawberry-flavored "Redpop" and the 1970s top-10 single based on their TV jingle), and Vernor's ginger ale (with its distinctive tangy taste and gnome mascot). The national brands own the restaurant and vending-machine business, but these are available in stores.

    Michigan's bountiful apple harvest is often used to make fresh '''apple cider''', and cider mills are abundant in the apple-growing region. They're only open during the harvesting season in autumn, but if you stop by, you can get cider by the gallon (not "hard" cider, mind you) or just a cup of it, hot or cold. In Michigan, cider is traditionally drunk with cake doughnuts; most cider mills make their own doughnuts fresh on the premises, so you can get them piping hot, and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Most also sell other apple products, like baked goods, apple jellies and butters, and apple-related products like cookbooks and mulling spices.

    Stay safe

    The majority of Michigan is very safe, though of course there are hazards. Some urban areas can be intimidating to travelers, such as downtown Detroit and some of its inner suburbs, but this is based on somewhat exaggerated sensational stories. It is advised to stay out of some areas in Detroit, Flint, and Saginaw after sunset, but most places are completely safe during daylight hours and important main entertainment and cultural centers are heavily policed after dark. Use common sense traveling in and through urban areas especially after dark. Outside of urban areas Michigan is the typical friendly-as-can-be Midwest state.

    If you choose to explore Michigan by car, be aware of local road conditions, especially during winter. Due to the Great lakes, western Michigan and the Upper Peninsula can get a tremendous amount of snow in a short period. This can make travel by road very dangerous.

    Get out

  • '''Ohio''' - Located to the southeast of Michigan, Cedar Point amusement park and the Lake Erie Islands are an easy day-trip.
  • '''Indiana''' - Michigan's southern neighbor is home to the football tradition of Notre Dame and the Indianapolis 500.
  • '''Illinois''' - Chicago, the bustling unofficial capital of the Midwest, lies just beyond the state's southwest corner.
  • '''Wisconsin''' - Located west of Michigan, Upper Peninsula residents traditionally think of Green Bay as the nearest big city shopping and professional football center.
  • '''Minnesota''' - Northeastern Minnesota offer wilderness areas similar to those found in the Upper Peninsula and can be reached by heading west across Lake Superior.
  • '''Ontario''' - Although the border crossing has become more tedious in recent years, Windsor and the rest of Southern Ontario are just across the river from Detroit.