The Mitten State of Mind: One Thing to See or Do in All 83 of Michigan's Counties, Pt. 2

Michigan 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 Two, which covers 32 counties alphabetically, from Hillsdale to Muskegon.

MichiganLogan T. HansenJuly 29, 2022travel, Michigan, travel advice, travel guide, travel guidance, travelspiration, travel inspiration, travel ideas, Great Lakes State, Turnip Rock, Great Lakes, The Mitten State, mitten state, Hillsdale County, Tri-State Marker, Billingstown Ohio, La Tierra Sanctuary, hiking, hiking trails, Houghton, Houghton County, Mont Ripley, Upper Peninsula, Upper Peninsula Tours, Copper Harbor, Copper Country Falls Tour, Michigan Tech, Michigan Technological University, Portage Lake, The Portage, skiing, snowboarding, winter sports, the great outdoors, outdoor adventure, outdoor recreation, winter travel, winter getaway, summer travel, kayaking, canoeing, Mackinac Island, Huron County, Port Austin, Port Austin Kayak, Port Austin Area Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Thumb, Ingham County, Michigan State Capitol, National Historic Landmark, self-guided tour, lighthouse, Ionia County, Saranac, Iosco County, Tawas Point, Tawas Point Lighthouse, Tawas Point State Park, fishing, Midwest Cape Cod, Lower Peninsula, migratory birds, bird watching, swimming, camping, Iron County, Ski Brule, Nordic trails, Wisconsin, sleigh rides, family trip, family-friendly, family vacation, Isabella County, Mount Pleasant, Soaring Eagle Casino, Bucks Run Golf Club, Jerry Matthews, Quarry Grill, Bucks Run Putting Island, Golf Digest, Golf Digest's Places to Play, Jackson County, Falling Waters Trail, Aaron Dimick, People for the Parks & Trails of Jackson Michigan, Cascades Waterfall, Kalamazoo County, Air Zoo, Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum, Portage, Flight Innovation Center, amusement park, Michigan's Adventure, Wildwater Adventure Park, Kalkaska County, Skegemog Lake, Skegemog Lake Wildlife Area, Torch River, biking, mountain biking, Kent County, Grand Rapids, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Frederik Meijer, Japanese rock garden, The New York Times, 52 Places to Go in 2016, 52 Places, 52 Places to Go, Auguste Rodin, Ai Weiwei, West Michigan, Keweenaw Peninsula, Keweenaw County, Isle Royale, Isle Royale National Park, Manistee National Forest, Huron-Manistee National Forest, Lake County, Bear Track, Old Grade, Gleason's Landing, Bowman Bridge, Shrine of the Pines, Pere Marquette River, Lapeer County, Lake Inn, Lake Nepessing, Lapeer Country Club, craft beer, Up North, Northern Michigan, Leelanau County, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Fishtown, Leland, Lenawee County, Michigan International Speedway, Faster Horses, MHSAA, NASCAR, NASCAR Cup Series, Livingston County, Schell Family Farm, Parshallville Cider Mill, Spicer Orchards, cider mill, Ghostly Grove, Lansing, Detroit, Fenton, Pinckney, Tahquamenon River, Tahquamenon Falls, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Oswald's Bear Ranch, Newberry, black bears, Upper Falls, Lower Falls, Grand Hotel, Arch Rock, Macomb County, Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, Ford House, Albert Kahn, Lake St. Clair, Cotswolds, National Register of Historic Places, Grosse Pointe Shores, Manistee County, Sleighbell Weekend, Sleighbell Parade, Ramsdell Theatre, Victorian Sleighbell Parade, beach, beach life, beach day, beach getaway, Secret Garden, Aaron Burden, Marquette, Marquette County, Sugarloaf Mountain, michigan.org, Pure Michigan, Yooper, Mason County, Ludington, Ludington State Park, Saturday Night Live, SNL, Stefon, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Big Sable Point, Big Sable Point Lighthouse, Nordhouse Dunes, Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area, MTV, Dan Cortese, Mecosta County, Ferris State University, 13th, Ava DuVernary, Jim Crow Museum, Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, Menominee County, J Wells State Park, Green Bay, Menominee, Cedar River, Midland County, Herbert Dow, Dow Gardens, canopy walk, forest canopy walk, Pines Home, Missaukee County, Lake City, Airbnb, Lake City Family Diner, The Patio on Main, Rustic Hog Barbecue, Rustic Hog BBQ, Monroe County, Sterling State Park, Toledo Ohio, University of Michigan, walleye fishing, James Monroe, Montcalm County, Frugthaven Farm, Klackle Orchards, Klackle doughnuts, Thunder Bay Resort, Montmorency County, Hillman, elk preserve, murder mystery weekends, golf, golf course, Muskegon County, USS Silversides Submarine Museum, Hackley and Hume, Hackley and Hume Historic Site, Shivering Timbers, rollercoaster, theme park, waterpark, two parks for the price of one, White Lake, Whitehall, Muskegon, day trip, daytripping, day tripping, day tripsComment

2021 Wasn't Exactly Wonderful, But At Least Some of the Wander Returned

Starting is always the hardest part, isn’t it? Taking that leap, acting on that big idea, staring at the blank page. But after you finally get the ball rolling, a new challenge materializes: keeping it rolling. It’s not enough to simply plant the seed; you’ve got to water it, make sure it has fertile soil to work with, give it a proper amount of sunlight. It can be a lot of work, but then again, nothing worth having comes easy, does it?

General TravelLogan T. HansenJanuary 6, 2022travel, travel inspiration, travelspiration, year in review, happy new year, All Things Wanderful, travel guide, travel advice, travel ideas, travel planning, travel writing, travel recommendations, travel appreciation, travel junkie, travel blog, travel blogging, Denver, Colorado, year-in-review, Cheesman Park, Logan's Run, 2020, 2021, Las Vegas, Detroit, Detroit Tigers, Six Flags, Six Flags Great America, Gurney, Illinois, Michigan, football, football season, College Park, Maryland, Ann Arbor, St. Louis, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Maryland Terrapins, University of Michigan, Michigan Wolverines, Sooner State, Cessna, Cessna 402C, Chicago, Manistee, Windy City, Cape Air, Manistee County Blacker Airport, Airbnb, vacation rentals, Sin City, New Mexico, Old West, Old American West, Keystone, Keystone Resort, skiing, snowboarding, Centennial State, travel injuriesComment

Vegas Vibin’: Three Days of Downright Debauchery in Sin City

It was a joke. Kind of. But as my brother’s 21st got closer and closer, my resolve grew: we were going to do it. Well, we were going to do something, anyway. I told him we didn’t necessarily need to go to San Diego; we could take a trip wherever his little heart desired. Somehow, some way, we landed on Vegas. Yes, Sin City was going to be the one.

North AmericaLogan T. HansenJune 29, 2021travel, travel guide, travel advice, travel inspiration, travelspiration, Las Vegas, Nevada, gambling, casino, Las Vegas Strip, The D Las Vegas, The LINQ, The LINQ Hotel, The LINQ Hotel + Experience, The Golden Nugget, The Mirage, Caesar's Palace, sports betting, sportsbook, sports book, blackjack, travel itinerary, travel recommendations, travel tips, travel ideas, travel planning, travel guidance, travel hacks, travel hack, travel logistics, travel bucket list, bucket list, Los Angeles, Inglewood, Roscoe's House of Chicken & Waffles, Sin City, Fabulous Las Vegas, The D Casino & Hotel, McCarran International Airport, Uber, San Diego, California, Anchorman, SoCal, Jagerbombs, Dean Martin, Money Burns a Hole in My Pocket, The Strip, Caesars Palace, Clark Griswold, National Lampoon, National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation, Vegas Vacation, Chevy Chase, Ellen Griswold, LINQ Promenade, Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips, Off the Strip, Virgil's Real BBQ, Pier 30, I Love Sugar, Fly LINQ zipline, zipline, ziplining, High Roller, ferris wheel, Flamingo Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Harrah's Las Vegas, Bellagio Hotel & Casino, Bellagio, Harrah's, Flamingo, Forum Shops, Forum Shops at Caesars, Grand Canal Shoppes, The Venetian Resort, The Venetian, Smokin' Hot Stuff, slot machine, slot machines, slots, Madame Tussauds, Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, Zak Bagans, Zak Bagans' The Haunted Museum, Wengert Mansion, Dr. Kevorkian, Dr. Kevorkian's van, Snoop Dogg, Beyonce, Robert De Niro, downtown Las Vegas, Chayo Mexican Kitchen + Tequila, Neon Museum, Neon Boneyard, Skypod, Skypod and Observation Deck, The Strat, gondola, gondola rides, Big Apple Coaster, New York New York Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Fremont Street, Fremont Street Experience, Hoover Dam, damn dam tour, The Little Shop of Horrors, 97.1 The Ticket, Detroit, Detroit sports, Four Queens, Golden Nugget, The Fremont Casino, Circa Resort & Casino, Banger Brewing, shark tank, Miley Cyrus, Chicago, wax museum, Nike, Volkswagen, Volkswagen van, In-N-Out, In-N-Out BurgerComment

Satisfy Your Wanderlust by Streaming One of These Excellent Travel Shows

Regardless of what you had planned at the beginning of 2020, it’s pretty likely you’ve traveled far less this year than you originally thought you would. Maybe you got a quick trip in way back in January or February, but now it’s been months since you’ve gone anywhere, and you’re about to go completely bonkers if that isn’t soon rectified.

General TravelLogan T. HansenOctober 30, 2020travel, travel guide, travel advice, travelspiration, travel inspiration, wanderlust, travel show, travel shows, streaming, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, Ushuaia, Argentina, Dennis Fidalgo, U.S. Virgin Islands, Fiji, Long Way Up, Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman, Apple TV Plus, Apple TV+, Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Central America, Africa, Long Way Round, Long Way Down, The Motorcycle Diaries, end of the world, Travel Man, Hulu, Richard Ayoade, Istanbul, Marrakesh, Budapest, Bridesmaids, Chris O'Dowd, Vienna, Austria, Paul Rudd, Helsinki, Rebel Wilson, Jon Hamm, Anthony Bourdain, Parts Unknown, Detroit, New York, New York City, Tehran, Tbilisi, Antananarivo, Madagascar, Iran, Georgia, Barack Obama, Hanoi, Vietnam, Gaycation, Vice TV, Vice Media, Vice, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+, queer, gay, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Kingston, Kiev, Ukraine, Jamaica, Japan, Brazil, Ellen Page, Ian Daniel, Jack Whitehall, Michael Whitehall, Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father, Travels With My Father, Netflix, Southeast Asia, gap year, Thailand, Cambodia, Buddhism, elephant polo, Australia, Jeff Goldblum, The World According to Jeff Goldblum, Disney+, Disney Plus, Hawaii, Las vegas, Las Vegas, HoustonComment

TripSavvy Says Michigan is Great for Outdoor Enthusiasts — They're Not Wrong

At 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.

MichiganLogan T. HansenJanuary 24, 2020travel, travelspiration, travel inspiration, travel advice, travel guide, Michigan, Pictured Rocks, Great Lakes State, Aaron Burden, TripSavvy, Great Lakes, Upper Peninsula, U.P., M-2, Isle Royale, Belle Isle, Detroit, Kitch-iti-kipi, Turnip Rock, Port Austin, Motor City, Motown, cider, cider mill, Northern Michigan, Southeast Michigan, West Michigan, Charlevoix County, Beaver Island, Beaver Island Music Festival, Lake Michigan, Grand Traverse County, Grand Traverse Bay, Traverse City, Old Mission Peninsula, daytripping, day trip, day trips, wine, winery, Leelanau County, Leelanau Peninsula, Manistee County, Little Manistee River, Little Manistee, kayaking, canoeing, outdoors, the great outdoors, Mother Nature, Oceana County, Pentwater, Wexford County, skiing, Caberfae Peaks, Saginaw County, Frankenmuth, Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor, Wayne County, Greenfield Village, Holiday Nights, summertime, Alger County, Pictured Rocks Cruises, Pictured Rocks Kayaking, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Chippewa County, Sault Ste. Marie, Soo Locks, Soo Locks Boat Tours, Paradise, Tahquamenon River, Tahquamenon Falls, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Lake Superior, Houghton County, Keweenaw County, Keweenaw Peninsula, Mackinac Bridge, Mackinac Island, Fort Mackinac, Rocket League, The Gay Bar, Gay Michigan, US-2, St. Ignace, Muskegon County, White Lake, Whitehall, Ottawa County, Kirk Park, Grand Haven, Grand Haven State ParkComment

From Logan's Run to All Things Wanderful: Recapping 2019 & Ushering in 2020

There are a couple reasons it was time to move on from Logan’s Run — the primary one being so that I would no longer be competing with the 1976 film of the same name when it comes to the Google machine. Beyond that, though, I feel the new name does a much better job of capturing what this site is all about: the wonder, and the wander, of travel.

General TravelLogan T. HansenJanuary 10, 2020travel, travel advice, travel guide, travelspiration, travel inspiration, All Things Wanderful, Logan's Run, travel blog, travel blogging, travel writing, year in review, happy new year, 2020, 2019, travel insurance, Middle East, Blake Lively, Tom DeLonge, Blink-182, Harry Potter, Detroit, Batman: The Movie, Pacific Ocean, CBS, Star Wars, Thailand, Ireland, A New Hope, The Last Jedi, a galaxy far far away, Phang Nga Bay, Chewbacca, Kashyyyk, droids, the droids you are looking for, Tunisia, Naftah, Chott el Djerid, Luke Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker, Mos Espa, salt lake, Pentwater, Michigan, Northern Michigan, West Michigan, The Michigan Day Trip Tour, Little Manistee River, Soo Locks, Lake Michigan, Great Lakes, Great Lakes State, up north, Pentwater Yacht Club, Seville, Spain, Europe, tapas, Montreal Falls, Lake Superior, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Beaver Island, Beaver Island Music Festival, music festival, Falling Through April Comment

How to Spend Your 3-Day Winter Weekend in (& Around) the Mile High City

It’s probably safe to assume that most travelers fall into one of two categories — they either like to plan every little detail of their trip or they prefer throwing caution to the wind and surprising themselves along the way. You may fall into one camp or the other, but here’s a little secret: both are good options. And that’s why it’s perfectly okay to do a little of each, to approach your trip with plans of the half-baked variety.

North AmericaLogan T. HansenDecember 20, 2018travel, travel guide, travel advice, travel inspiration, travelspiration, Colorado, Denver, Bailey, USA, Colorado skiing, Echo Mountain, The New York Times, Carey Jones, RiNO, RiNo, River North Art District, GQ, 52 Places to Go, Mile High City, travel planning, travel itinerary, Denver International Airport, Kia Optima, The Monkey Bar, Stoney's Bar & Grill, Charlie Brown's, nightlife, bar scene, The Ramble Hotel, Super Mega Bien, Work & Class, Cart Driver, food, The Ellie Caulkins Opera House, The Wizard of Oz, Nutcracker, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Pepsi Center, Coors Field, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Sam's No. 3, Denver Diner, Airbnb, ballet, Colorado Ballet, skiing, snowboarding, outdoors, nature, mountains, Rocky Mountains, Idaho Springs, Loveland Ski Area, Arapahoe Basin Resort, Eldora Mountain Resort, Avanti Food & Beverage, American Grind, BorraCho Tacos, QuickFish, QuickFish Poke Bar, Avanti, marketplace, Kirkland Museum, Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Vance Kirkland, art, museum, Ratio Beerworks, El Five, Great Divide Barrel Bar, Our Mutual Friend, brewery, breweries, Detroit, Tony Maciag, Dana Rodriguez, Mexico, Chihuahua, Avery Ellie's Brown Ale Smoked Brisket, Cajun lamb sausage, chickpea croquettes, Meadowlark Bar, dancing, club, Nocturne, jazz music, live music, Voicebox Karaoke Lounge, karaoke, Beta NightClub, North America, United StatesComment

Summertime in the City: Ideas & Inspiration for Your Day Trip to Detroit

One thing that is true of all big cities? You'll almost always discover something new each and every time you go back. Michigan's largest city, Detroit, is no exception. I've been to the Motor City numerous times — I even lived there for the final three months of 2016 — and still there are countless things I have yet to experience.

One of Detroit's Classiest Gastropubs is Hidden in Plain Sight

In a lot of cities and towns across America, some of the best places to grab a bite to eat or throw back a well-made cocktail are those that rely more on word-of-mouth than extremely overt advertising. Looking for grub and a drink to wash it down with while in Detroit recently, a friend and I stumbled upon just such an establishment.

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