The Ultimate Michigan Travel Guide
Michigan: You may think that I am biased as Michigan in my hometown, but trust me when I say that Michigan is blessed by nature! Michigan is very beautiful, awe-inspiring lakeshores, quaint towns, islands, waterfalls, sand dunes, and breathtaking fall colors. Here is my Michigan travel guide, outlining the major attractions in Michigan!
To make it easy for you to navigate the content, I have organized my Michigan travel guide into two sections. (1) A brief introduction to Michigan, a little history, some geography, commute, and weather. (2) Major Michigan attractions, if you wish, you can skip the introduction and move on to the next section, Michigan Attractions.
History: Michigan was admitted to the union as the 26th state on January 26, 1837. The state’s name originates from the Ojibwe word mishigami, meaning “large water” or “large lake.” Michigan got its nickname, the Wolverine State, from wolverines that once roamed the peninsula. Michigan is divided into two distinct geographic sections, the Upper peninsula, and the Lower Peninsula, with Lake Michigan in between the two peninsulas.
Geography: Michigan consists of two separate peninsulas: The upper peninsula which is bordered on the north by Lake Superior and on the south by Lake Michigan and Lake Huron and on the west by Wisconsin; and The lower peninsula which is bordered on the west by Lake Michigan and the east by Lake Huron and Lake Erie and on the south by Indiana and Ohio. Almost half of Michigan is comprised of water and, after Alaska, Michigan is the only state in the US with so much of shoreline, with four of the Great Lakes: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie
Getting There
Flight: Detroit Metropolitan Intl. Airport (DTW), Flint – Bishop International Airport (FNT), Grand Rapids – Kent County Intl. Airport – Gerald R Ford Int. (GRR), Kalamazoo – Battle Creek Intl. Airport (AZO), Muskegon County Airport (MKG), and Traverse City – Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) are the main airports in Michigan, DTW being the busiest and most economical of all.
Drive: If you live in any of the neighboring states, you could drive to Michigan, you could even take a ferry if you live in Wisconsin.
Train: Amtrak offers a rail service called Michigan Services connecting – Chicago – Grand Rapids/East Lansing – Port Huron/Detroit – Pontiac. There are several Amtrak rail services to and from Chicago, connecting all major states in the US, you could arrive at Chicago and then take the Amtrak Michigan Services to get to Michigan.
Climate: Summers are comfortable in Michigan, with temperatures rarely crossing 90°F. Winters are cold and snowy, with day temperatures below freezing and night temperatures below 0°F. Spring transitions from severe to mild weather and fall are chilly, with mid-October being the time of the peak fall foliage. Check current weather conditions in Michigan.
Time zone: Eastern Daylight Time UTC-4, Central Daylight Time UTC-5
Getting around: I recommend renting a car, but if that’s not an option, you could use Amtrak Michigan Rail Services or Greyhound busses to get around the major cities in Michigan.
Best Places To Visit in Michigan
Is an island resort in Michigan, located in Lake Huron. It’s a popular tourist attraction, offering some breathtaking views, historical buildings and landmarks, downtown and a lot more.
Known for its spectacular multicolored rocks cliffs, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore has a lot to offer: sandstone cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, wild shoreline, and much more.
Ford Museum is a large indoor and outdoor history museum with three main attractions: Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour.
Is a very scenic and vibrant Northern Michigan town, offers some mesmerizing outdoor recreational opportunities: including downtown, beaches, Sutton Bay, Lighthouses, and more.
Kitch-iti-kipi is Michigan’s largest natural freshwater spring, the name means “big cold water” and at times called “The Big Spring.” Named the “Mirror of Heaven” by the early Native Americans.
Is a quaint city on the shore of Lake Macatawa. Holland is known internationally for its Tulip Time Festival. There is a lot to see and do – windmills, colorful downtown, and the famous tulip time festival.
The Tahquamenon Falls State Park is a 50,000-acre state park in Michigan. The centerpiece of the park is the Tahquamenon River and its two waterfalls: Upper and Lower fall.
The Tahquamenon Falls State Park, a 50,000-acre state park in Paradise, Michigan. The centerpiece of the park is the Tahquamenon River and its two waterfalls: Upper and Lower falls.
It is a large botanical garden and outdoor sculpture park located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It’s one of the most-visited art museums in the world, featuring a tropical conservatory, Victorian gardens, and more.
