Ask any Local – Michigan is the Best
Michigander, Michiganian, Yooper. No matter what we call ourselves, we are all very lucky to be living in this beautiful state.
We enjoy thousands of miles of sandy freshwater shoreline. We have the Northern Lights. Photo ops at every turn. Delicious food. And friendly, down-to-earth people.
You can find urban excitement, or laid back rural living.
And if you like water, well, Michigan is your freshwater mecca.
If you’ve never been, you need to get here. We love sharing our beloved, mitten-shaped home with visitors.
Michigan is Even More Than This List
We could have listed 1,000 reasons to love our mitten state, but it was getting late and we really needed to get back to the beach, so we stopped at 110.
Did we get your favorite?
110 Reasons We Love Michigan
1 – We love learning about African American history and culture at the Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.
2 – We love hunting for agates along the Lake Superior coast.
3 – We love flying high at the Air Zoo.
4 – We love the Antique Wooden Boat Show in Hessel.
5 – We love our Art Museums. (DIA, Grand Rapids Art Museum, UofM Museum of Art, Flint Institute of Arts…)
6 – We love ArtPrize and Project 1 in the fall.
7 – We love the Battle Creek Balloon Festival.
8 – We love stepping into an entire town mimicking Bavaria.
9 – We love beaches galore, found along more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline.
10 – We love putting down the smartphone and heading to Beaver Island.
11 – We love our massive island park and the incredible conservatory at Belle Isle.
12 – We love the perfect cup of joe at Michigan’s own Biggby Coffee.
13 – We love being home to TWO Big Ten schools.
14 – We love hundreds of miles of beautiful bike trails.
15 – We love Grand Rapids’ Blue Bridge.
16 – We love the epic holiday selection at Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland.
17 – We love camping at one of our 142 state campground sites.
18 – We love the illuminated waterfall at Cascades Park in Jackson.
19 – We love riding the carousel at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
20 – We love the Castle Museum in Saginaw.
21 – We love the stunning emerald green waters at Kitch-iti-kipi.
22 – We love cheering on our Tigers at Comerica Park.
23 – We love tasting Greek American history and debating who serves the best Coney Dog.
24 – We love the beautiful historic covered bridges that dot our state (Ada, Frankenmuth, Lowell…).
25 – We love enjoying a simpler time in history at Crossroads Village.
26 – We love cruisin’ in muscle cars at the Woodward Dream Cruise and 28th Street Metro Cruise.
27 – We love the DOW Gardens in Midland, including their amazing treetops Whiting Forest.
28 – We love that we are champions of fall foliage.
29 – We love all our farmer’s markets and roadside stands around every corner with delicious, locally grown foods.
30 – We love fishing and ice fishing …just about everywhere!
31 – We love rocking out to concerts at Ford Field (…and watching the Lions play, even if they lose!).
32 – We love the stunning architecture at the Fox Theatre.
33 – We love the amazing children’s play garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens.
34 – We love the sweet taste of Mackinac Island fudge!
35 – We love walking the deserted ghost town of Fayette.
36 – We love the gorgeous classic cars at the Gilmore Car Museum.
37 – We love Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel.
38 – We love stepping back in time at Greenfield Village.
39 – We love stepping next door for automotive history at Henry Ford Museum.
40 – We love Lake Huron.
41 – We love Lake Erie.
42 – We love Lake Superior.
43 – We love Lake Michigan.
(Heck, we even love you, Lake Ontario, even though we don’t share shoreline!)
44 – We love our 124 historic lighthouses.
45 – We love watching artists wield their chainsaws at ice festivals.
46 – We love our favorite remote, tech-free National Park, Isle Royale.
47 – We love cheering on Tom Izzo’s mighty mighty Spartans.
48 – We love watching the Red Wings dominate at Little Caesars Arena.
49 – We love learning about shipwrecks at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena.
50 – We love seeing Lake in the Clouds ablaze in fall splendor.
51 – We love the amazing 360 degree view from Brockway Mountain Drive in Copper Harbor.
52 – We love touring our majestic Capitol Building in Lansing.
53 – We love laughing till our sides hurt at Laughfest.
54 – Hiking or boating along the ledges in…Grand Ledge!
55 – We love exploring Michigan’s own Fishtown – Leland.
56 – We love that we’ve got more lighthouses than any other state.
57 – We love that we can use our hands as a map of our state.
58 – We love the Mighty Mac (aka the Mackinac Bridge for you out-of-staters).
59 – We love riding bikes around Mackinac Island.
60 – We love homemade maple syrup.
61 – We love tours of genuine maritime vessels: USS Edson in Bay City and USS Silversides in Muskegon.
62 – We love taking the ferry to our beloved Mackinac Island.
63 – We love being amazed at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Meyer May House.
64 – We love screaming on rollercoasters at Michigan’s Adventure.
65 – We love walking the beautifully manicured grounds on Michigan State University’s campus.
66 – We love our Monument to Joe Louis.
67 – We love sampling tasty treats at MOO-ville Creamery.
68 – We love learning about music history at Motown Museum.
69 – We love the sweet fruits at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City.
70 – We love seeing cars of the future at the North American International Auto Show.
71 – We love watching the Northern Lights from the Upper Peninsula.
72 – We love the incredible hiking paths along the North Country Trail.
73 – We love picking the perfect crisp apples from nearly 1,000 amazing orchards.
74 – We love Paul Bunyan and Babe the Big Blue Ox looking out over Castle Rock.
75 – We love Michigan’s only known petroglyphs, in Cass City.
76 – We love the breathtaking Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
77 – We love finding Petoskey stones along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
78 – We love taking a ride on the “Polar Express” train.
79 – We love the Detroit views from the GMRENCEN.
80 – We love to Say Ya to da U.P., eh?
81 – We love playing on the sand dunes at Silver Lake and Sleeping Bear and the stunning views.
82 – We love that we experience all four seasons, in full force!
83 – We love Tom Selleck. (And all our other Michigan celebrities!)
84 – We love hitting the slopes at over a dozen ski resorts.
85 – We love watching the freighters come in at the Soo Locks.
86 – We love our Spirit of Detroit. (especially after a Red Wings championship)!
87 – We love sunrises over Lake Huron.
88 – We love sunsets over Lake Michigan.
89 – We love being roused by one of our 13 symphony orchestras.
90 – We love listening to thousands of gallons of water pound at Tahquamenon Falls.
91 – We love marveling at the sails at the Bay City Tall Ship Celebration.
92 – We love listening to 100,000 fans roar for the Wolverines at The Big House.
93 – We love the themed train rides of the Coopersville-Marne Railway.
94 – We love iconic summertime at Torch Lake.
95 – We love the constellations on the ceilings of Traverse City State Theatre.
96 – We love celebrating our Dutch heritage at Holland’s Tulip Time Festival.
97 – We love riding through the Tunnel of Trees along M-119.
98 – We love kayaking to Port Austin’s Turnip Rock.
99 – We love U-Pick till our baskets are full at farms covering the state.
100 – We love Vernors, the oldest (and tastiest!) ginger ale brand in America.
101 – We love water sports (and being no more than six miles from a body of water, no matter where in Michigan we are).
102 – We love waterfall hunting across the Upper Peninsula.
103 – We love learning about shipwrecks and searching for agates at Whitefish Point.
104 – We love checking out the only authentic, working Dutch windmill in the United States.
105 – We love wine tasting in the Leelanau Peninsula.
106 – We love the sights and sounds at the World’s Largest Musical Fountain in Grand Haven.
107 – We shopping historic Eastern Market in Detroit.
108 – We love watching the water battle in the Port Huron to Mackinac Yacht Race.
109 – We love getting soaked at the biggest splash pad in Michigan – Whirlpool Compass Fountain in St. Joseph.
110 – We love our 100+ state parks that cover over 300,000 acres.
Michigan – the best place on earth. If you don’t believe us, then must not have visited!
Tell us, what do you love about Michigan?
I enjoy all 4 seasons we have in Michigan, so much to do that I haven’t done yet, like going to Ironwood, MI and seeing their amazing waterfall to seeing the Porcupine Falls! I love the Birds that show up in my yard and neighborhood!
What about the swinging bridge in Croswell? Powers hamburgers in Port Huron! I went back two years ago and got one of the little burgers and they were as good as I remembered! Oh, let’s not forget all the vineyards in Western Michigan!!! I do love Michigan!
I’m originally from Michigan, it is indeed a beautiful state. However the extreme winters turned out to be more than my body could take (I live with fibromyalgia) although winter in Michigan is beautiful too. I love Michigan and it is the place I’ll always consider “home”.
How about the all the lovely waterfalls in the U.P.
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary – you can scuba dive, snorkel, or take the Lady Michigan Shipwreck Boat Tour – all in Alpena!
Don’t forget our international dark sky park –
http://www.emmetcounty.org/darkskypark/
The 40th Annual St. Ignace Car Show coming in June with the Down Memory Lane Parade.
I love being a born Michigander raised in Southeast Suburbs, spent summers growing up camping with family and friends all over in upper and lower Michigan in the 60’s and 70’s. The 80’s and 90’s was my own family traveling to places I have been and more to teach and show my kids the great state of Michigan. Now my husband and I retired in Northeast MI and we show visiting grandchildren, family and friend this corner of our awesome state from the only lower Michigan falls, to nature hikes, endless lakes, river and wet land, wildlife, NOAA, lighthouses, Cross in the Woods, Iron Works, and so much more. My Heart is Pure Michigan!
I just hope Uncle Tom doesn’t see this. He already misses Michigan enough. You have just written an article highlighting many of his arguments. 🙂 Great job pointing out its assets…though no Michigander every wants TOO many people to show up and mess up the peace and tranquility.
We love Muninsing, Baraga and all the beautiful views of our beautiful, superior Lake Superior. We also love the Northern Lights over Mullett Lake.
Curwood Castle in Owosso.
Oh man, we have to wait til summer 2016 to see the tall ships again Uncle Christopher Cousineau.
Best time ever in 2013.
I will return!
I grew up in Michigan, and lived there for 22 years. Last fall, my husband got a job in Minnesota and I’ve been homesick ever since. I never thought I could miss a place (or a state) so much, but just reading this list literally made me cry. Since I’m not in Michigan, it seriously doesn’t feel like summer…I will definitely miss not being able to go to the Sleeping Bear Dunes, Lake Michigan, the Cherry Festival & Moomer’s Ice Cream, going to the U.P. (especially Mackinac Island), and driving to Grand Rapids or Grand Haven to hang out with friends this summer…and I definitely miss Vernors, Red Pop, and Biggby. Minnesota just isn’t the same, it does not compare with Michigan at all. Once a Michigander, always a Michigander. #Michiganderforlife
I too missed our state when I transferred to the Chicago area for 10 years back in 1991. Could not find a decent deli like the Bread Basket in Oak Park or a coney dog. They never even heard of chili fries at most restaurants back then. I would have to explain to them how we do it back in the “D”. Moved back here in 2001. Love my Mitten State. Funny, when I moved there everyone said I had a east “accent” in my voice. Also missed Big Boy burgers and Farmer’s Omelet. Stopped in Paw Paw Big Boy’s coming and going from Chicago as it was the first one on route off I94.
Love watching the canoes come across the finish line at Finish Line Park in AuSable after being “up all night” racing on the Mighty AuSable River from the start in Grayling!
7.We love stepping into a entire town mimicking Bavaria.
Former Michigander (Michiganian – depending on political correctness – LOL), shouldn’t this read “an entire town”? 🙂 Sorry to be so nit-picky.
#’s 17, 34, 94 and 95. And Koegel’s. And the inland waterway. And many, many more. Great list. 🙂
Onaway…Moran Iron works puts on a Christmas show every year, From Santa Claus, fireworks, bonfire, coffee and hot cocoa, cookies and free gifts to the children that come!
It’s extraordinary! 🙂
I haven’t been to alot of those places or even heard of them. Good to know!!
I love canoeing on the Platt and the Manistee rivers, among others.
We are a State of a huge variety of PHOTO OPS! Yea!
Couple extra – #91 – it isn’t just Harleys that ride through the Tunnel of Trees : ) and I love just about all of Ann Arbor! No mention of anything from there but, there’s lots to love, there! Other than that, great list.
I agree!!
That’s why we are moving back in a month
I love the view from Brockway Mountain.
This site does mention some cool places I haven’t heard of and now interested in seeing
Amazing!!
Andrea DiTommaso Hyland!
Sorry, America, but us Michiganders think Michigan is the best in the nation.
Should read “…we Michiganders think…”
Guilty! Since I’ve admitted my mistake and corrected it, am I eligible for parole? Or does this crime require me to serve hard time?
That photo IS from here. 🙂 I know because I took it–I love Les Cheneaux!!
#3 is awesome!!!!
Air Zoo, Hessel, Michigan, Biggby of West MI, Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad, Dow Gardens, Gilmore Car Museum, Henryford Museum, North Country Trail Association,
Looks like Search Bay
Candice, if you’re referring to the banner image, that was taken outside of Cedarville. 🙂
My favorite Haven