Firstly, I would like to say that yes, I’m biased. I did grow up in Michigan and have a serious emotional attachment to this state. However, I can still say with total objectivity (really!) that Michigan is the most underrated state in all of the USA.
I’ve been blessed with lots of travel opportunities and I’ve discovered that people have many misconceptions about my home state. Here are three of the biggest assumptions people make – and why you should make Michigan top of your must-visit list…
Detroit is a terrible place where everyone is always dodging bullets
People have this idea about Detroit stuck in their heads. But this just isn’t accurate. Detroit is a city. Yes, there’s crime, but hello – all cities have crime.
What all cities don’t have, is four major sports teams that all play downtown (yes, I’m counting the Lions). Not all cities have world-class art museums – Detroit Institute of the Arts, we’re looking at you. Multiple theaters, music venues and a beautiful opera house? Detroit has it all. There’s even a lovely river walk with statues and memorials to explore.
Image source:Justin McAfee / Unsplash
Michigan is really cold all the time
When I decided to move home from California, the one question I kept getting asked was: “Isn’t Michigan really cold?” And the answer is no, Michigan is not a frozen tundra.
Granted, from December through February the temperature does tend to hover somewhere between really cold and FREEZING. But the rest of the time, the weather is much warmer. It’s over 90 today as I write this (that’s over 32 degrees celsius for everyone outside of the USA).
We also have have forests, fields, wetlands, flowers, and a fair amount of accompanying wildlife. We take full advantage of our beautiful weather to enjoy these places every chance we get.
Image source:Kristen Nelson
There aren’t any beaches
Not many people know that Michigan has more coastline than both California and Florida (over 3,000 miles of it!). Alaska is the only state with more coastline than the Great Lake State. Not only do we have the most coastline in the lower 48 states, but we don’t have to worry about sharks. Or alligators. Or angry sea lions.
Also, your skin won’t get dried out from the water, since our lakes are salt-free. And for all of you still thinking, “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you have beaches.” We do. Beautiful, pristine, quiet beaches that stretch as far as you can see.
Want to swim? There are beaches for that. Like to kayak? You can go out on either the lakes or the rivers, just be respectful of the anglers, please. And the sunsets over Lake Michigan and Superior just can’t be beat.
Image source:Kristen Nelson
So, I’m not saying this state is perfect. It’s not! But there’s much more to Michigan than people realize. Even though I plan to travel all over the world, I will always come home to Michigan.