Michigan

Michigan touches four of the five Great Lakes and has more freshwater coastline than any other U.S. state. A vacation in Michigan means sand dunes on Lake Michigan, lighthouses, car-free islands and the wild forests of the Upper Peninsula – plus Detroit, the city that gave the world the automobile age and the Motown sound.

Landscape: Between Four Lakes

The state consists of two parts. The Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten, surrounded by Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Erie. The sparsely populated Upper Peninsula borders Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake on Earth by surface area. Since 1957, the nearly five-mile-long Mackinac Bridge has connected the two parts. Dunes pile up along the west coast, while forests of birch, maple and pine dominate the north, along with thousands of inland lakes. In the far northwest, in Lake Superior, lies the remote island of Isle Royale, a national park that is home to wolves and moose.

Cities: Detroit, Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor

Detroit has experienced a remarkable revival after decades of decline. Downtown with the Renaissance Center, the Riverwalk waterfront promenade, the Detroit Institute of Arts with Diego Rivera's industrial murals, and the Motown Museum in the former "Hitsville U.S.A." studio are must-sees. In neighboring Dearborn, the Henry Ford Museum displays cars, airplanes and the bus where Rosa Parks made her stand; Dearborn is also home to one of the largest Arab American communities in the country. Warren, Sterling Heights and Troy lie in the northern suburbs. Grand Rapids in the west is known for furniture design, craft beer and the Frederik Meijer Gardens, while Ann Arbor is a lively university town with a gigantic football stadium. Lansing is the comparatively quiet state capital.

Sights in Michigan

The Sleeping Bear Dunes on Lake Michigan rise more than 300 feet above the water in places; from the dune crest you look out over turquoise water that could pass for the Caribbean. Mackinac Island has been car-free for over a hundred years – you get around by bicycle and horse-drawn carriage, past the Grand Hotel with its long porch and the fudge shops. On the Upper Peninsula, Pictured Rocks with its colorful sandstone cliffs and Tahquamenon Falls draw nature lovers. Traverse City is the center of cherry growing and the starting point for wineries on the Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas. Holland, with its tulip festival and windmill, and the artists' village of Saugatuck are among Michigan's most charming destinations.

History and Culture

French fur traders and missionaries arrived in the 17th century, and in 1701 Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded Detroit. Later, the vast forests were logged and copper and iron were mined on the Upper Peninsula. With Henry Ford's assembly-line production, Detroit became the "Motor City" in the early 20th century, home to Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. Many African Americans from the South found work here, and in the 1960s the Motown label conquered the world with artists such as the Supremes and Stevie Wonder. The decline of the auto industry hit the city hard; today startups, art and a thriving food scene shape its fresh start.

Food and Drink

Detroit-style pizza is baked in rectangular steel pans, with a crispy, caramelized cheese crust around the edge. A Coney dog with chili, mustard and onions is just as much a part of the city. On the Upper Peninsula, people eat pasties, filled pastry pockets brought over by miners from Cornwall. Michigan is the largest producer of tart cherries in the U.S., and Traverse City celebrates the National Cherry Festival in July. Fish from the lakes, such as whitefish, and a big craft beer scene round out the picture.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) is a hub with connections to Europe, while Grand Rapids is served mainly by domestic flights. A rental car is ideal for road trips, and ferries run to Mackinac Island and across Lake Michigan. The best time to visit is from June to September, when the lakes invite swimming, and in October for the fall foliage. Winters are long and snowy, drawing cross-country skiers and snowmobilers to the Upper Peninsula.