Michigan Vacation Ideas
- Detroit has a gritty glamor all its own. Classic attractions such as the Detroit Institute of Arts (renovated and expanded in 2007), the Fisher Theater, the Max M. Fisher Music Center are downtown landmarks. A redesigned waterfront in the center of the city along the Detroit River opened to the public in 2007. Greektown is a popular destination for dinner. The architecturally significant Book-Cadillac Hotel re-opened in 2008 after a long renovation.
Outside of areas of concentrated redevelopment, neighborhoods of decaying houses, abandoned factories and empty skyscrapers have become landmarks of a different sort. The Detroit train station, designed by the architectural firm that built Grand Central Station in New York, is one notorious site.
Just beyond the borders of Detroit, Dearborn is the home of Ford Motor Company. You can visit Greenfield Village, a recreated 19th-century town, and the Henry Ford Museum, a collection of automotive and historical artifacts.
About 30 minutes west of Detroit, Ann Arbor feels like a different world. Home to University of Michigan, Ann Arbor has the University of Michigan Museum of Art, a children's science center (the Hands On Museum), and a renowned botanical garden and arboretum (Nichols Arboretum and Matthei Botanical Gardens.) Ann Arbor is a walkable town with many restaurants and independent boutiques that make a good day trip from Detroit. - Michiganders call "Up North" the area above mid-state, particularly the area surrounding Traverse City and up to Mackinac Island.Traverse City is about four hours from Detroit; in the area are the Sleeping Bear Dunes, which is a national park with lovely beaches along Lake Michigan, Interlochen Center for the Arts, a camp and academy with events and performances for the public and many wineries.
Mackinac Island lies between the Lower and Upper Peninsulas. No cars are allowed on the island, and its known for the majestic Grand Hotel, horse-drawn buggies and fudge.
Petoskey stones are really fossilized coral. They can be found along the lakes in the area, particularly around Petoskey. - The Upper Peninsula (U.P.) is remote, sparsely populated and breathtakingly beautiful in spots. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, on the shore of Lake Superior, is a rugged and dramatic spot. Fishing and hunting are popular in the U.P. Snowmobiling is a common winter sport. The local delicacy is the pasty, which is a hearty pastry filled with meat and vegetables.
