Look, folks, here’s the deal: Lake Michigan doesn’t need your approval. It doesn’t need your accolades, or your superlatives, or your constant-but-warranted praise. It doesn’t need you to remind it that it is the greatest of all the Great Lakes, better than Lake Superior or Huron or Ontario... or that other one that we almost don’t even need to mention (because, come on, that’s just laughable).
Read MoreMichigan is full of majesty, mystery, and might, each of which comes in many forms. This three-part series highlights just some of what the Mitten State has to offer, county by county. Welcome to Part Three, which covers the final 22 counties alphabetically, from Newaygo to Wexford.
Read More2020 has been one weird year. There we were at the start of a brand new decade on January 1st, looking ahead to a year in which practically every major holiday fell on a weekend, the economy was continuing the upward trend that started back at the beginning of Obama’s first term, and the puns concerning 20/20 vision hadn’t even gone stale yet.
Read MoreAt the start of 2020, national travel publication TripSavvy declared Michigan an “underappreciated outdoor playground,” naming it the year’s top travel destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Provided this planet is full of all kinds of natural wonders, anyone unfamiliar with the Great Lakes State might balk slightly at such a designation. But those of us “in the know" aren’t the least bit surprised.
Read MoreFrom the Porcupine Mountains to Pictured Rocks, and a whole heck of a lot in between, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is filled with plenty of treasures for travelers to explore. As anyone who has been up there could tell you, it’s truly a world unto itself. While there is much to see and do beyond the bridge, it all gets started with the first city you run into after crossing the Straits of Mackinac: St. Ignace.
Read MoreIt seems odd for a city to be 150-plus years older than the state within which it’s located, but that’s exactly what you get with Sault Ste. Marie, which was founded — get this — 169 years before Michigan joined the Union in 1837. By virtue of its founding in 1668, the Soo is the oldest city in the Great Lakes State, while fellow Upper Peninsula stalwarts St. Ignace (founded in 1671) and Marquette (1675) aren’t too far behind.
Read MoreThough driving through certain parts of Michigan is not all that exciting (looking at you, I-96), there are numerous stretches of roadway in the state that many would probably consider destinations unto themselves.
Read MoreThough I grew up in Michigan and have lived along Lake Michigan for most of my life, there's just something different about the U.P., something that draws you to it. The landscape, more varied, more green — more ethereal, somehow — makes that connection to nature feel that much stronger.
Read MoreOur second day in the U.P. got off to a less-than-auspicious start. I figured spending the weekend at a frat house might be a little chaotic, but wow, I was not prepared for this kind of crazy — these guys were on another level.
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