"FRESH WATER AND BEAUTIFUL VISTAS" Michigan by dtownkitty

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I like the idea of a European conspiracy to make Michigan a nature preserve for their holidays. We can sell our great water and camp sites. PLEASE, come enjoy our nature!!!! Maybe we can adopt German as a second language!!!! It makes more sense economically than anything else we have going on!!!!!!!!!!

MICHIGAN is a beautiful state, with vast state and national forests, parks, wetlands and waterways. The fact that heading "Up-North" in Michigan does not lead to any pulsating metropolis, that it is incovenient to travel through to get to any other destination except nature, makes it largely unspoiled. A draw for outdoors enthusiasts, hunters, fishermen, and those that just like to listen to the quiet and visit small towns.

I guess when you've grown up and live in the same place, more "Exotic" destinations call. But this summer I made a point to rediscover Michigan, and visit places here that I haven't been to as well.

Camping and enjoying nature here was one of my most rewarding trips! I found views that contend with some of the best anywhere, and adventures that I thought didn't exist here.

Now instead of just driving through to visit family, I will be taking a little more time to enjoy the scenery, especially when the fall colors arrive!

SUNSET IN LELAND, MI

THE GLOVE
If you aren't familiar with Michigan, someone may show you on their hand where they live. Northerner's refer to people that live in lower Michigan as "downstaters". If you are from southeastern Michigan you are a Detroiter - Like it or not! If you live in the Upper Penninsula, then you are a Yooper (UP-er). Again, like it or not! The area that looks like a thumb we call.....THE THUMB!

THE SEASONS
The summers can get really hot and humid. Sometimes the temperatures here even get hotter than those in some of the southern states, like Florida and Georgia. Everyone heads to one of the countless inland lakes, beaches or of the the Great Lakes for swimming, boating, etc.
GOLFING is big here, too, with more public golf courses than any other state!!!!! Northern Michigan has the most beautiful courses, although Oakland County probably has the most public, as well as private courses. $$$

http://www.gam.org/gam.asp

It can get very cold in the winter. The west side of the state and the northern parts, especially the Upper Penninsula, get a lot more snow than the southeastern part. One reason for this is what the weathermen call "lake-effect" snow. SNOW-MOBILING is a popular past-time for many Michiganders. There are quite a few ski resorts up north, where it is more hilly, but no world class skiing.

Autumn is beautiful here as trees in jewel tones from bright red to gold transform the lush landscape.

Spring is ALWAYS welcomed with great relief, But it starts out cold and slushy! It seems half of the population spends at least a week someplace tropical at this time!

LIGHTHOUSE PARK, Old Mission Penninsula

All that blue stuff around us on the map is 1/5th of the worlds fresh water, one of our biggest tourist attractions. There is a lot to see beyond that. Cute fishing towns, Historic Mackinac Island (pronounced MACK-IN-AW), sand dunes, shipwrecks, lighthouses, inland lakes, unspoiled islands, forests, picturesque shorelines, and even Michigan vinyards.

At moments you could be in, Maine, the shoreline of either coast, some tropical destination with a sugar sand beach, the foothills of the Smokies, or, yes, Iowa....

• Pros:Changes of Seasons
• Cons:Messy spring
• In a nutshell:If you seek a beautiful penninsula, look about you.