What is your favorite summer activity/attraction in Michigan

I thought I would start a thread regarding favorite activities/attractions in Michigan. So often people are visiting Michigan for the first time and ask the general question: What is there to do? Here is my list of favorites:

1. Lake Michigan! Caribbean blue and spectacular. An inland ocean. Activities on the lake: searching for Petoskey shells, fishing for salmon or lake trout, boating, visiting beaches where my family is the only family for miles or where others are close by enjoying the lake with me, sunsets, Northern Lights.

2. Charlevoix: Adorable resort town with concerts in the Park, Kilwin%26#39;s ice cream, a drawbridge with spectacular boats passing by, friendly people.

3. Traverse City: Nice restaurants, great beaches on the beautiful Grand Traverse Bay, lovely downtown area.

4. Mackinac Island: I absolutely love the uniqueness of this place. Victorian yet rustic. Authentic not Disneyesque. Flowers, water, light houses and taxis pulled by horses. Bicycle rides around the island on a too hot day with the cool lake breeze blowing.

5. Lake Charlevoix: I love to watch my kids jump off the boat into the pristine water, yelling that it is ';too cold'; but then watching them refuse to get out! Seeing my father pull the boat away from the dock carrying his most precious cargo-his grandkids- for a couple hours of fishing at ';the fishing hole'; then watching them return with a bucket full of perch and sunfish (perhaps a catfish or two) all smiling, taking pictures of the catch of the day then releasing them to the lake and my dad exhausted from baiting so many hooks. Taking the boat into Charlevoix, Boyne City or East Jordan for dinner and returning at 9:30 p.m. in the daylight in time to watch the sunset and share a bonfire on the beach complete with s%26#39;mores and ghost stories. Watch the shooting stars after dark and the airplanes flying from the West Coast to the East Coast and feeling sorry for the passengers that they can%26#39;t experience what I am experiencing, counting the satelites passing by.

6. Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes: The view from the top of the Public Climb of Glen Lake and Lake Michigan takes my breath away as much, if not more, than the view of the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty or the Grand Canyon. It is amazing that everyone doesn%26#39;t know about the magnificient beauty of this state!

Michigan summer, here we come! Moms

What is your favorite summer activity/attraction in Michigan

MOMS:

This post is way too difficult to answer and I would take up pages doing so............LOL. I will give it a try though and post back a bit later. Tyme

What is your favorite summer activity/attraction in Michigan

Other favorite sites:

Lansing: The State Capitol is lovely. The story of how it was built within budget with only American products is remarkable considering the current ';buy American'; sentiment found in the state. It is truly beautiful. Make sure to take a tour. Great docents. Michigan Historical Musuem: Wonderful museum revealing the history of Michigan. It%26#39;s a varied history that comes to life at this museum. RE Olds Museum: I%26#39;m a sucker for American cars. This museum profiles a proud heritage that is native to Lansing. Potter Park Zoo: A beautiful, managable zoo found in Lansing. The Arboreteum: I spent many a field trip as a child at the Arboretum and still enjoy it.

East Lansing: Is there anything more lovely than feeding the ducks at the Red Cedar River or walking through the many botanical gardens on Michigan State%26#39;s campus? MSU is one of the most beautiful campuses in the country (I should know, I%26#39;ve graduated from so many schools around the country earning far too many degrees than anyone needs-yes, my kids think I%26#39;m crazy but I grew up in East Lansing and learned to just love to go to school!) The paths along the river, the Dairy Store for delicious ice cream, the children%26#39;s gardens, the Planetarium. Its roots as an agricultural college are evident throughout the university. This is a lovely place. Don%26#39;t miss Tasty Twist on Grand River or a margarita at El Azteco on Albert Street.

Ann Arbor: In contrast, the University of Michigan is intermingled throughout Ann Arbor. It doesn%26#39;t have that ';college campus'; feel but Main Street in Ann Arbor is wonderful. Think of it as a small Soho (New York City) in the midwest. The restaurants, cafes and galleries are so lovely. Yes, it is an eclectic crowd (Berkenstocks prevail!) but the atmosphere on Main Street is terrific. Don%26#39;t miss the Ann Arbor Art Fair in mid-July. Fantastic offerings in every price range. Don%26#39;t miss Zingermans. The breads and other baked goods are amazing.

Dearborn: Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum. Icons in Michigan! I could disappear into the buildings at Greenfield Village for days! As a child I learned so much here. So hands on, so entertaining, so Michigan! A great source of pride for those of us from the Great Lakes State.

Grand Rapids: I absolutly love the Meijer Gardens. There are great children%26#39;s interactive areas and wonderful places to view plantings indigenous to Michigan. They remind me of Longwood Gardens outside Philadelphia. Downtown area of Grand Rapids offers great restaurants and night time scene.

Detroit: The Motown Historical Museum is unique to Michigan and a treasure. Excellent docents bring it to life. A positive experience in everyway. Detroit Institute of Art: This museum highlights great works of art combined with great industrial inventions. An interesting combination of art and science. I love it, my kids love it. Who could ask for more? The Detroit Science Museum: My kids love this hands on museum. Greektown: Need I say more... fantastic food and atmosphere. Fox Theatre: You will feel like you are in an old Broadway theatre. It%26#39;s gorgeous with excellent performance.

Hartwick Pines: I love this rustic state park off of I-75. The forest is wonderful. The trails are easy to follow. Those reenacting life in rural Michigan 150 years ago make it so interesting.

I%26#39;m sure I%26#39;ll add others. I%26#39;m hoping other frequent posters will contribute their thoughts! Moms

Moms are you OK? I enjoy a couple glasses of wine on the front deck watching the sun go down. Wanna join me?

Rono,

She might be there already.

Ha ha just kidding

I like moms posts.

I grew up in West Michigan, so for me Gun Lake and the Yankee Springs area was always the place to go in the summer if we wanted something close. Hiking the Devil%26#39;s Soup Bowl and just running around in the woods in general.

If we were up for a little longer of a drive, then we%26#39;d head to Lake Michigan. Either Holland or Ludington for a longer trip. As an adult, I grew to prefer Ludington because of the campground, my husband and I loved camping at the state park with friends, renting canoes at Hamlin (?) Lake and of course, Lake Michigan at the end of August can%26#39;t be beat, it%26#39;s warm enough to enjoy and you can walk out forever and still be only 3 feet deep. Perfect for playing football on the beach.

When I was very young, my grandfather worked at Kellogg%26#39;s, so we%26#39;d go down to Battle Creek on the tours in the summer and we%26#39;d see him working in the plant, baking the cornflakes! Although he always told me he was the one that put the two scoops of raisins in their Raisin Bran! :) I wish Kellogg%26#39;s still had tours, it was so exciting at the end of the tour when they gave us a free box of cereal!

It was always exciting to go to a Tigers game (back in the REAL Tigers Stadium!). I can%26#39;t bring myself to go to the new ballpark. I%26#39;m insanely nostalgic about the old one. The soft pretzels and malt cups were the best.

And of course, Mackinac Island...love it...don%26#39;t even get me started!

Moms took all my ideas...................LOL

Frankenmuth: A great little town to just walk around in. The flowers and landscaping are perfect. There are several lovely parks to picnic in, a beautiful rose garden to visit and an authentic paddlewheeler to ride down the river on. The shops are varied and the architecture (German) lovely, also. The famous chicken dinners served in both Zehnder%26#39;s and Bavarian Inn restaurants are a must. There is a covered bridge you can drive/walk across, ducks to feed at the huge hotel along the river, a petting farm, golf courses, several ice cream/fudge/candy shops to please the kids (eh-the adults too!), and best of all the world%26#39;s largest Christmas store. My grown kids always loved this place, even if you go and don%26#39;t buy a thing, which is very hard to do...overall, a very pleasant little town to spend a day or two in.

Holland/Grand Haven: Both nice beach towns. GH has the Coast Guard Festival, a great boardwalk, the famous lighthouse you can walk out to, a fantastic beach, and some good shopping. Holland has both Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa, a great state park with a fantastic beach, a lighthouse, a fun sand dune to climb (behind the state park), lots of great shops downtown, beautiful gardens to wander, parks to picnic in (Tunnel Park), scenic drives, bike trails, (one to GH), Dutch attractions to explore (Windmill Island, Dutch Village, Wooden Shoe Factory), putt-putts, and much more to see and do.

Rogers City: We like to camp in the state park here. Hoeft State Park. Quiet, usually. Not much to do really, but sometimes that is the point. A day trip to Mackinac Island possibly. We enjoy hiking along the Ocqueoc River and waterfalls (the only true waterfall in lower MI-I think). A good place to get away from it all and do nothing, or little.

Middle of the UP: Another favorite camping destination. Tahquamenon Falls, Whitefish Point (lighthouse), scenic drives, fishing, Lake Superior, Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (a wonderful museum), Munising boat rides to Pictured Rocks (wonderful), good beaches (cold water!!).

Western UP: Copper Harbor, Fort Wilkins, Eagle River, Brockway Mountain Drive (beautiful), Lake of the Clouds (awesome views), Lake Gogebic, Porcupine Mountains (esp. for hiking), Presque Isle boardwalk (great rushing river for MI..) with a swinging bridge ending at Lake Superior, Black River, skipping stones, Lake Superior at its finest, and more!

Kjjones and Tyme: Thank you for contributing. It seems that this year especially many midwesterners are staying closer to home for their travels. That is evident by the number of recent posts asking ';What is there to do in Michigan (or Traverse City, or Southwest Michigan or....)?'; I post on several other forums that have started similar threads because so many newbies seem to be visiting. I thought this thread would be helpful to those who are considering Michigan as a vacation destination. After they review the list of favorites from those of us who visit or live in the State, they may be better able to refine their travel questions.

I posted so much info to try to get some of you local experts to help out. Come on guys! Help me out here! Or rather help out the would-be travelers to Michigan!

BTW Rono, I did have a lovely bottle of French Chablis with my DH yesterday on my back patio! (not a deck I realize but lovely nonetheless!) Moms

Ludington State Park – hiking the Ridge trial – canoeing on Lost Lake – the sunsets on the huge beach – the sand dunes – climbing to the top of Big Sable Lighthouse for the spectacular views – boating on Hamlin Lake.

Grand Rapids – Fredrick Meijer Gardens and the John Ball zoo

Detroit – Hart Plaza Festivals – Tiger Games – too many places to eat to mention – Fox Theatre - Greektown

Dearborn – Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford

Museum or “The Henry Ford” as the whole complex is now called. Does that bug anyone else? LOL

Concerts at Pine Knob – I refuse to call it DTE.

Girlfriend trips to Mackinac Island and Traverse City – All the wineries on Old Mission Peninsula.

The Jordan River Pathway.