Michigan Travel Guide
The northern state of Michigan consists of two peninsulas that
extend into the Great Lakes, actually touching four out of five of
the magnificent bodies of water that contain 80 percent of the
United States' fresh water. Michigan's Lower and Upper Peninsulas
are divided by Lake Michigan and linked by one of the longest
suspension bridges in the world, stretching across the Straits of
Mackinac. The long freshwater shoreline, extending for 3,000 miles
(4,828km), is also made up of Lake Superior, Lake Huron and Lake
Erie. In Michigan you're never more than six miles (10km) from a
river or stream, and never more than 85 miles (137km) from one of
the Great Lakes. Most of the state is well forested, with the Upper
Peninsula home to a variety of wildlife, and boasting trout fishing
lodges and winter ski resorts. The southern part of the Lower
Peninsula is mainly characterised by rural farmlands and
industrialisation, but the west coast offers several popular beach
resorts.With all this water and forest, hunting and fishing are major
drawcards for sportsmen to Michigan, but the other main attraction
in the state is its large industrial city, Detroit, birthplace of
the motor car: the city that put the world on wheels. The legendary
names of the original automobile manufacturers like Ford and
Chevrolet still resound loudly in Detroit, which offers numerous
institutions and attractions paying homage to the car.Despite being the spot where the development of Michigan began
back in 1701, when it was founded as a trading post, Detroit is not
the capital. The attractive Victorian State Capitol stands in
Lansing, chosen in 1879 for its location in the centre of the Lower
Peninsula, which made it less vulnerable to invasion by British
forces from Canada. Back then Lansing was but a sawmill settlement,
but today it is home to about 128,000 residents and vies with
Detroit as a major motor manufacturing centre.
Michigan Travel Guide
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Michigan Travel Guide
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Description:
Henry Ford, son of a farmer, built his first car in Detroit in
1896. There was nothing too amazing about this feat, because cars
had been around for some time. What was unique to Ford's invention
was the moving assembly line, which enabled him to literally put
the world on wheels. Henry Ford's legacy is found at every turn in
his hometown, Detroit, which is why the city's most popular and
prominent tourist attraction was founded by him in 1929. The Henry
Ford is spread over more than 36 hectares (90 acres) in Dearborn
just outside of metro-Detroit and encompasses five different
venues. Together they bring the whole American experience to life,
using exhibits, demonstrations, programmes and re-enactments to
showcase American life and its people. Ford amassed most of the
exhibit collection, including tens of thousands of ordinary
objects, items associated with illustrious Americans, and numerous
inventions documenting technological advances. Among the exhibits
is the limousine in which John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Edgar
Allan Poe's writing desk, and George Washington's camp bed. It is
located in Dearborn, Michigan just west of the Southfield Freeway
(M-39) and south of Michigan Avenue (US-12).
Address:
20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn
Postcode:
Telephone:
(313) 982 6001
Email:
Website:
www.thehenryford.com
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Description:
Car buffs from the world over are drawn to Detroit's Automotive
Hall of Fame, close to the Henry Ford Museum in Oakwood Boulevard,
Dearborn, which is the public program and exhibition centre for the
worldwide motor vehicle industry. The venue features entertaining
and enlightening exhibits about the people who drive the industry.
Visitors can indulge in interactive events like designing their own
car and taking part in safety demonstrations.
Address:
21400 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn
Postcode:
Telephone:
(313) 240 4000
Email:
Website:
www.automotivehalloffame.org
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Description:
The Detroit Historical Museum in Downtown allows visitors the
chance to tour the scope of the city's history, from Antoine de la
Mothe Cadillac's landing on the banks of the Detroit River through
the city's emergence as an industrial capital. In the museum it is
possible to walk through the streets of Old Detroit and explore
19th-century shops. Visitors can also find out about Detroit's role
in the 'underground railroad' that helped slaves escape from the
South. The interactive Glancy Trains toy train exhibit delights
young and old.
Address:
Detroit's Cultural Center, 5401 Woodward Avenue
Postcode:
Telephone:
(313) 833 1805
Email:
Website:
www.detroithistorical.org
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Description:
America's fifth-largest fine arts museum boasts more than 100
galleries displaying a collection of 65,000 works, ranging from
mummies to Matisse, and Asian antiquities to American
Impressionists. The Museum is situated in downtown Detroit. The
highlights include the masterpieces of Rembrandt, Rubens, Bureghel
the Elder, Botticelli, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Picasso and Caravaggio.
From January till May the Film Theatre screens an impressive
selection of international films and shorts.
Address:
5200 Woodward Avenue
Postcode:
Telephone:
(313) 833 7900
Email:
Website:
www.dia.org
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Description:
Detroit's Motown sound originated in two simple buildings on
West Grand Boulevard, Downtown, at Hitsville U.S.A. Visitors can
see the original control room and recording studio where stars like
the Jackson Five, Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder made hit records
between 1959 and 1972. The Museum also contains some costumes worn
by the stars and Motown founder Berry Gordy's apartment, still as
it was in the 1960s.
Address:
2648 W. Grand Boulevard
Postcode:
Telephone:
(313) 875 2264
Email:
info@motownmuseum.com
Website:
www.motownmuseum.com/mtmpages
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Description:
Michigan boasts some wonderful sandy beaches along its western
coastline along Lake Michigan. Some of the best of these, with
miles of sand and wild dunes, are near the ferry port town of
Ludington. The Ludington State Park offers 14 miles (23km) of
hiking and biking trails in beautiful virgin forests and dunes,
miles of sandy beach and three campgrounds. There are several other
popular beach resort towns along Michigan's west coast, within easy
reach of Detroit, which are known as 'The Riviera of the Midwest'.
Silver Lake resort boasts its world-renowned living sand-dunes and
the world's smallest newspaper; Grand Haven has a magnificent
boardwalk along its spectacular beaches lined with restaurants,
marina facilities and shops; Holland, has a Dutch flavour inherited
from its founder, a Dutch clergyman; St Joseph in the south has a
famous lighthouse and a French fort.
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
(877) 420 6618 (Ludington Area Convention & Visitors
Bureau)
Email:
Website:
www.ludingtoncvb.com
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Description:
The city of Ann Arbor in southeast Michigan, 45 miles (72km)
west of Detroit just north of the Ohio border, is home to the
University of Michigan, one of the country's top universities. The
city and surroundings has a great deal to offer visitors in the
form of historic and cultural attractions. Ann Arbor's downtown
area is extremely vibrant with never a dull moment, from live music
shows to a plethora of libraries, galleries and museums,
restaurants offering everything from romantic dinners to café
society, some of the country's best bookstores and often a street
party. Among the many museums of interest is the Ann Arbor Hands-On
Museum, housed in a 100-year-old firehouse, which features more
than 250 interactive science and technology exhibits. There are
numerous restored 19th-century houses and farms to visit for a
taste of life in days of yore, and even an original old main street
blacksmith shop still operating in the satellite town of
Manchester. Museums in the area cover everything from geology to
classic cars, early American manuscripts, dentistry and old
fire-fighting equipment. On the University campus the Natural
History Museum contains the state's largest collection of dinosaur
fossils and a planetarium features a 360-degree domed screen
offering weekend stargazing shows.
Address:
Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau: 120 West Huron
Street
Postcode:
Telephone:
(734) 995 7281 or (800) 888 9487 toll free
Email:
info@annarbor.org
Website:
www.annarbor.org
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Description:
Michilimackinac, about a mile (2km) from the centre of Mackinaw
City, was the first stop for new arrivals back in the outpost days,
around the 1700s. Today it remains the first destination for
tourists visiting the area, being the site of a reconstructed 1715
French fur-trading village and military outpost that was later
occupied by the British. The working colonial village is a living
history exhibit that fascinates visitors, while within the
stockade, archaeological excavations continue at the site. The
historic park includes a vivid audio-visual recreation of a
soldiers' barracks, a unique permanent underground archaeological
tunnel exhibit displaying hundreds of original artefacts, a
recreated Native American summer encampment illustrating life on
the shores of the Great Lakes in the 18th century, as well as
musket and cannon firing demonstrations and demonstrations of
pioneer skills like blacksmithing and open-hearth cooking.
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
(231) 436 4100 (Mackinac Parks office)
Email:
Website:
www.mackinacparks.com
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Description:
Mill Creek, located on US-23 a few miles south-east of Mackinaw
City, was constructed by Scotsman Robert Campbell in 1780, making
it one of the first industrial sites in the Great Lakes area. The
mill, now reconstructed, provided sawn lumber for the Mackinac
Island settlers. Today the water-powered sawmill sits in a
delightful wooded setting among nature trails and forest management
displays, providing an interesting attraction for numerous
visitors. Demonstrations are given of logs being sawn, craftsmen in
period dress show how houses were built and a nature programme to
encourage visitors to discover the area's flora and fauna is
offered. The site includes a picnic area, or there is a cookhouse
serving lunches and snacks. The surrounding area includes four
miles (6km) of nature trails that bypass an active beaver
colony.
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
(231) 436 4100 (Mackinac Parks office)
Email:
mackinacparks@michigan.gov
Website:
www.mackinacparks.com
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Description:
Visitors who step ashore on Mackinac Island from one of the
three ferry services from Mackinaw City can be forgiven for
believing they have stepped back in time into a Victorian village.
The small population of 500 permanent residents have preserved the
island settlement and the surrounding natural beauty to the point
that no motor vehicles are allowed on the island; the only way to
get around is on foot, bicycle or horse and buggy. The island, 80
percent of which is a state park, boasts 140 miles (225km) of roads
and trails, ideal for hiking. The longest route is right around the
island, following the scenic eight-mile (13km) Lake Shore road.
Other popular walks include the Turtle's Back, Tranquil Bluff Trail
and British Landing nature trail. Every year in early June the
island comes alive with a Lilac Festival, featuring the world's
longest horse-hitch parade, fireworks, hayrides, country line
dancing, free outdoor concerts, boat cruises and garden tours.
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
(877) 847 0086 (Mackinac Island Tourism
Bureau)
Email:
info@mackinacisland.org
Website:
www.mackinacisland.org
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Description:
From its position on Mackinac Island, Fort Mackinac has stood
sentinel over the Straits of Mackinac for 115 years, having been
built by British soldiers during the American Revolution. The
original fort has been restored as a National Historic Landmark and
is one of Michigan's favourite attractions. Visitors can stroll
through the 1780 officer's stone quarters, play dress-up in the
discovery room, enjoy an audio-visual presentation in the Post
Commissary, view the exhibits and watch lively demonstrations.
Address:
Huron Road, Mackinac Island
Postcode:
Telephone:
(906) 436 4100 (Mackinac Parks office)
Email:
Website:
www.mackinacparks.com
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Description:
About an hour's drive north of the Mackinaw Bridge, situated in
one of the most scenic spots on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, lies
the intriguing Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum alongside the historic
Whitefish Point Light Station on the shore of Lake Superior. The
museum is the only one of its kind, dedicated to highlighting the
perils of maritime transport on the Great Lakes. The museum brings
to life the dramatic shipwreck legends of the area with artefacts
and exhibits telling stories of the ships and sailors who came to
grief in the treacherous lake. The lighthouse on the site is the
oldest active lighthouse on Lake Superior. Visitors can also take a
guided tour of the restored 1861 Lightkeepers Quarters, a duplex
building with period furnishings, descriptive panels and artefacts
from the days when keepers and their families lived here.
Address:
Whitefish Point Road, Paradise
Postcode:
Telephone:
(888) 492 3747
Email:
Website:
www.shipwreckmuseum.com
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Description:
Midwestern Michigan seems an unlikely place to put a popular
beach resort, but Traverse City is just that. The town is located
25 miles (40km) from a sandy beach along Lake Michigan in the
northwest of the state, and offers hiking, kiteboarding, fishing,
sailing, and camping as fun outdoor activities. Traverse City is
also the home of the National Cherry Festival, held each summer.
The town is also conveniently located near Michigan's wine country,
with more than 50 wineries in the area offering tastings.
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
Email:
Website:
www.traversecity.com
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Description:
The small resort towns of Saugatuck and Douglas are close enough
together to be considered one holiday destination. Popular for
weekend getaways from Detroit and Chicago, the towns are located
along the shore of Lake Michigan, in the southwest of the state.
The area is known for its eclectic and artistic feel, with dozens
of art galleries, and plenty of good restaurants and bars.
Saugatuck-Douglas offers a number of activities for visitors,
including fishing, hiking, sailing, golf, bowling, horseback
riding, kayaking, dune buggies and lake cruises. There are also
some small sandy beaches that offer a place for swimming and
sunbathing.
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
Email:
Website:
www.saugatuck.com
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