Reasons to Love Michigan
- Outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty of reasons to love Michigan with its wide array of year-round recreation including camping, hiking, hunting and fishing. During winter, snow sports such as cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling and dog sledding are available. Michigan is home to 6,100 interconnected snowmobile trails and over 40 ski areas and resorts such as Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville (Crystalmountain.com), Boyne Mountain Ski Resort in Boyne Falls and Boyne Highlands Ski Resort in Harbor Springs (Boyne.com).
The shores of the Great Lakes of Michigan make up the largest fresh water coastline in the nation and provide areas for swimming, boating and lounging in sandy beaches. For anglers, the state is a haven with its inland lakes teeming with numerous game fish like trout, channel catfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and more. - Lovers of food and wine can explore Michigan's cuisine by participating in food tours or visiting the various bakeries, wineries and eating establishments located throughout the state. Michigan's Official Travel and Tourism Site recommends Pinconning Cheese in Pinconning (pinconningcheese.com), Charity Island Lighthouse and Dining Excursion in East Tawas (charityisland.net), Stoney Acres Winery in Alpena (stoneyacreswinery.net) and Knaebe's Mmmunchy Krunchy Apple Farm and Cider Mill in Rogers City (mmmunchykrunchyapplefarm.com).
Pinconning Cheese is known as the cheese capital of Michigan because of its100 famous styles and flavors of cheeses. Offerings include the signature Pinconning cheese, queso blanco, muenster, cheddar and brie. - Michigan is filled with historic bridges, lighthouses, battlegrounds, museums and natural sanctuaries. Visit historic attractions like Thunder Bay National Underwater Marine Sanctuary in Alpena (thunderbay.noaa.gov), Colonial Michilimackinac on Mackinac Island (mackinacparks.com) and Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad in Flint (geneseecountyparks.org).
Tour the Thunder Bay National Underwater Marine Sanctuary to view historic shipwrecks and learn about the Great Lakes' maritime past or visit Colonial Michilimackinac and walk around a recreated 18th-century outpost. See the steam railroad at the historic Crossroads Village along with other structures such as the Masters Cider Mill. Other sights and attractions in the village include old mills, a vintage amusement park ride and a paddlewheel riverboat. - Michigan has a rich heritage in arts and cultural diversity. Art connoisseurs and fans of performing arts can visit Legacy Art Park (michlegacyartpark.org) and the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum (dia.org).
Experience Legacy Art Park, an outdoor sculpture park in Thompsonville, and view more than 40 artworks that strive to interpret the state's history. Along the park's 1.6 miles of hiking trails and 30 acres of wooded hills, visitors can find artworks in nature like sculptures, poetry stones and other exhibits.
Aside from its wide array of exhibits, the Detroit Institute of Arts also offers workshops, special events, studio art classes and art lectures. Take an art class in pottery, papier-mache and animal sculptures or meet like-minded Michiganders by attending special events like the Annual Bal Africain Gala in July.
