Michigan is two peninsulas surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes, and that water defines everything about the place. The Lower Peninsula is where most people live, anchored by Detroit in the southeast and ringed with beach towns along the Lake Michigan coast. The Upper Peninsula is wilder, emptier, and dramatically beautiful, with rocky shorelines, dense forests, and some of the best outdoor recreation in the Midwest.
Detroit gets the headlines, both for its troubles and its remarkable comeback. The city that put the world on wheels still has the Henry Ford Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and a food and music scene that draws people from across the country. But Michigan's real appeal is its variety. Ann Arbor is a lively college town with great restaurants. Traverse City is the cherry capital and a gateway to wine country on the Old Mission Peninsula. Mackinac Island bans cars entirely, and visiting feels like stepping back a century.
The state's natural landmarks are outstanding. Sleeping Bear Dunes on the northwest coast was voted the most beautiful place in America by viewers of Good Morning America. Pictured Rocks in the Upper Peninsula has multicolored sandstone cliffs that drop into Lake Superior. Isle Royale, accessible only by boat or seaplane, is one of the least-visited national parks in the country and all the better for it.
Summers in Michigan are warm and glorious, the kind that make you forget the long winters. Fall color is spectacular, especially along the lakeshore. Winter brings serious snow, particularly in the Upper Peninsula, and world-class skiing and snowmobiling. Spring is brief but marked by cherry blossoms in Traverse City and wildflowers across the state.
