Michigan Lovin'

With my trip Michigan only 10 days away *happy dance* I thought it would be a great time to share some of my favorite things about the Mitten State. I am by no means an expert on state (I mean, I’ve never even been to the UP… and I may have thought that it was a part of Canada until I actually moved to Michigan and was quickly told otherwise…).

But, there are some truly amazing things about the state that I definitely miss now that I don’t get to enjoy them regularly.

Grand Haven, MI

I am an ocean girl through and through. I’ve been at the beach soaking in that salty air for as long as I can remember. Michigan, while located in the middle of the country, has this awesome thing called Lake Michigan. It’s not the ocean – but it hosts some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. And while the water isn’t salty, it is a gorgeous sparkling blue that stretches beyond the horizon. Two of my best friends, Megan and Mary (#mclub ftw!), grew up in Grand Haven, and lucky for me their mom’s have let us take over their houses each summer so we can enjoy long beach weekends.

The town of Grand Haven is also pretty awesome. The lighthouse, boardwalk, the musical fountain, the ice cream stand’s, Butch’s Beach Burrito, and Pronto Pups are all musts whenever I’m in Grand Haven. For a week in August each year the Coast Guard Festival goes on, which equals parades, celebrations, crowd beaches, and tons of day drinking.

Port Austin, MI

I have only been to Port Austin twice. But oh my gosh is it beautiful. My friend, Diane, has a cottage right on Lake Huron. The cottage is fairly isolated, surrounded by woods and beaches. The water is crystal clear and goes on forever. The beach is great for exploring – frog ponds, caves, old docks, etc. The cottage also couldn’t be more perfectly set up for a big group of people to come relax for the weekend.

You can also drive into town and rent canoes. You can then lazily paddle (or float) down a river that lets out into Lake Huron.

Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)

I know I’m biased as a Spartan – but it’s really impossible to deny the fact that MSU’s campus is spectacular. The Beal Botanical Gardens, Beaumont Tower, the Red Cedar, Spartan Stadium, and the statue of Sparty are all beautiful and iconic to anyone who has ever set foot on campus.

But, MSU also has some of my best memories. Tailgating in people’s front yards, early morning practices inside Dem Hall, late night runs to Gumby’s and Conrad’s, Thursday’s with pitchers of beer at Rama, Snowpacolypse adventures around campus, buckets at Crunchy's, entire Sunday’s spent in the caf – these are some of my favorite memories.

North Lake (Chelsea, MI)

I once heard that you can’t drive more than 10 miles in Michigan without encountering a lake. I don’t know if that’s true or not but it definitely feels like it. North Lake is one of these lakes. It’s really no different than all the other lakes but it’s my favorite. My best friend, Todd, lives on North Lake and the past few summers I’ve spent weekends out on his boat with some of my closest friends. That is probably why I like North Lake – I associate it with summer time, great times, and fantastic people.

Detroit, MI

I know Detroit has a bad rep but the city really does offer some awesome things. Last year, I lived only 30 minutes from the heart of Detroit and got to take advantage of some of those things. In addition to few Red Wings and Tigers games, Megan, Marc and I once had a “Detroit Day.” It was a good day, although, a little sad when you see how beautiful things really were 50 years ago.

We visited Belle Isle, an island in the Detroit River with all sorts of hidden treasures – unfortunately many of them are shut down. But it once held a casino, a gorgeous fountain, a conservatory, large open park spaces, and the Detroit Boat Club, the oldest boat club in the United States. I’ve been inside the Detroit Boat Club once and the building is eerily beautiful. It was once a gorgeous building with ballrooms and beautiful sitting areas, but none of it has been kept up and it is quite frankly falling apart.

Detroit also boasts some great food. Greek Town is particularly famous and if you’re going to Greek Town you have to get saganaki a.k.a. flaming cheese. My other favorite is the Detroit Beer Company, a sister restaurant of the Royal Oak Brewery (my favorite restaurant in RO). They’re beer is delicious and the country grilled cheese combines everything good in the world.

Grand Rapids, MI

I couldn’t not include Grand Rapids on this list. It is where my family lives after all! And after my initial period of hating the city, I learned it does have some pretty cool things. Downtown Grand Rapids is actually pretty neat – lots of fun bars and restaurants, a giant tire swing, Rosa Parks Circle, and the good ole Grand River flowing right through town.  

(P.S. I can't take credit for most of these pictures. :))