Michigan Vacations, Michigan Vacation Reviews, Tourism Guide

Michigan Vacation Guide

Known as the heart of the Great Lakes region, Michigan is a state filled to the brim with national parks and forests, as well as plenty of state parks, and is second only to Alaska in terms of coastline. With more historic lighthouses than any other U.S. state—even surpassing Massachusetts—Michigan is also famous for its wine, apples, cherries, blueberries, peaches, celery, and maple syrup. Home to Grand Rapids, Saginaw, and The Motor City itself, Detroit, Michigan is broken up into two peninsulas. The Lower Peninsula contains the majority of the population, while the Upper Peninsula is the rural farmlands. And while these days you can drive across, up until 1957 the only way to get from one side to the other was to take the ferry across or drive all the way around the coastline of Lake Michigan.

One of the most amusing local traditions for this state is that every Michigander can point to where they are from in the state using simply their hands. The right hand, fingers up and palm towards you, represents the Lower Peninsula, while the left hand, fingers to the right and palm towards you, represents the Upper Peninsula. Often times residents will simply raise a hand and point at it when referencing where something is, which can be confusing for first-time visitors.

While traditionally Michigan has always been dominated by the automotive industry, with the GM factory and others, the recession of recent years has slowed the pace and changed directions. These days the economy is based largely on tourism and outdoor activities, with visitors coming to the state to take advantage of the miles upon miles of coastal areas, the forests, and the produce. While one can experience the Michigan of the 20th century in places like Detroit or Grand Rapids, the modern traveler will find more focus these days on the rural regions and national parks, such as Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore or the Isle Royale National Park.