The "Thumb" of Michigan’s Mitten is a mix of logging-era port cities along the Lake Huron shore and rich agricultural land now attracting visitors who gawk at a new crop in the fields near Elkton and Ubly: 400-foot tall wind turbines.
Willkommen to Frankenmuth, called "Little Bavaria" for the cultural heritage of its founders. Frankenmuth is famous for its family-style chicken dinners at the Bavarian Inn and Zehnder’s restaurants plus Bronner’s, the world’s largest Christmas store.
Michigan’s Sunrise Side is as different from the west side of the state as, well, sunrise is from sunset. The pace is slower, and without a multitude of chain hotels and condos, lodging leans toward small motels and cabins, and homey restaurants serve good food without a hint of pretension.
The Lake Huron shoreline near Alpena is known as “The Shipwreck Coast” for the number of sunken vessels in the area.
Michigan's "Little Finger" and "Tip of the Mitt" region is a year round recreational wonderland, where world-class golf and winter sports galore long ago replaced the logging operations that brought settlers here. Traverse City is the hub of the Grand Traverse region, which is known for its cherry orchards and vineyards, resort towns, beaches, fishing villages, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Stretching from the beaches of Lake Erie near Monroe to the halls of the State Capitol in Lansing, the southeast corner of Michigan is a sprawling metropolis that blends the beat of the Motor City with the university vibe of Ann Arbor, within easy reach of outdoor recreation, cider mills, and the charm of historic small towns.
Detroit, founded in 1701, is known for its professional sports and performing arts, music festivals and Cultural Center museums.
Beaches and berries, sand dunes and sunsets, town and country. Southwest Michigan is a potpourri of agriculture, recreation, city lights and lighthouses. This corner of the Lower Peninsula benefits from Lake Michigan-moderated coastal temperatures and sandy soil, which have made it a productive fruit belt. Ribbons of roads through gently rolling terrain connect orchards and vineyards, roadside stands and wineries, small town antique stores and laid-back resort areas.
The Upper Peninsula (UP), surrounded by the waters of the Great Lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior, is connected with the “Mitt” of the Lower Peninsula by the Mackinac Bridge, which spans the five-mile wide Straits of Mackinac. In that waterway sits Mackinac Island with its Victorian era architecture, the gleaming white Fort Mackinac high on the bluff, and famous fudge shops. Getting around is on foot, by bicycle or horse at this motor vehicle-free retreat.
From world class trout fishing on the Muskegon River in Newaygo to riding across the Silver Lake Sand Dunes in an off-road vehicle or enjoying an exhibit at the stunning Grand Rapids Art Museum, Michigan’s West Central section offers a satisfying sampling of indoor and outdoor recreation.
The stretch of Lake Michigan Beachtowns continues with one of the top family beaches in the country at Grand Haven, also known as Coast Guard City U.S.A.
