The nation’s longest freshwater coastline is calling, bursting with outdoor activities great for cooling off in the warm summer sunshine. The shore is dotted with cute and unique beach towns, each with its own shopping and dining experiences against the backdrops of the stunning Great Lakes. Away from the coast, the state’s inland cities and towns provide exceptional entertainment and cultural experiences. Separated into two peninsulas in the nation’s Midwest region, Michigan offers memories in metropolises surrounded by wilderness and islands with perfect sunsets and sunrises with citizens proud of their heritage, food and drink. Fly into the international hub, or, if you’re visiting from Canada, drive over the border bridge, and rent a car in Detroit to start this spectacular road trip.
Detroit: Motor City Dazzles in the Urban Outdoors
Revitalization over the years has brought Detroit back as an entertainment hub full of award-winning restaurants, unbeatable music venues, top sporting teams and endless attractions. Utilizing over 402 kilometres of biking lanes gets you manoeuvring around the Motor City with ease. Almost five kilometres of biking lanes can be found on the Detroit International River walk, a promenade full of cafés, gardens, plazas and the Aretha Franklin Amphitheater. Days can be spent on the trail that directly connects to Belle Isle, Detroit’s Island getaway with an aquarium, golf course, boat launches and green spaces offering panoramic skyline views of Detroit and Canada. A quick ride away from the riverfront gets you to Eastern Market, a nationally registered historic commercial district home to more than 150 specialty businesses. Savory the soul food at Bert’s Market Place, an Eastern Market staple cooking up tasty dishes with live jazz, blues and MO town shows throughout the week. Fall-off-the-bone ribs are a specialty among other comfort food favourites. On your way back downtown, stop off for a craft cocktail at the legendary Café d’Mongo’s Speakeasy. Jazz and soul music are enjoyed nightly in the comfortable ambiance.
Kalamazoo: Award-wining Nature Center, Car Museum and Craft Beer
Jump onto Interstate 94 and drive two hours to Kalamazoo. Located in the western half of the state’s lower peninsula, the area is known for its breath-taking nature, captivating museums and flavourful craft beer. Spend your day in the great outdoors enjoying over 20 kilometres of trails through woods, wetlands and prairies at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Be your own docent with self-guided tours through its enormous arboretum, barnyard, seasonal hummingbird-butterfly garden and interactive exhibit spaces. The road trip spirit is alive at the nearby Gilmore Car Museum with its collection of over 500 vintage and collector cars and motorcycles, on-site 1940s-inspired diner and year-round car shows. Head to downtown Kalamazoo for your first pint of award-winning beer on this adventure. Tour Bell’s Brewery and stay for a beverage and grub in their spacious beer garden. Live music takes over multiple times a week inside in the café or the outdoor music spot.
Grand Rapids: Artistic Haven With an Affinity for Ales
A quick drive north gets you to the state’s second-largest city and cultural hub, Grand Rapids. Raise a glass to another beer destination on the trip; over 40 breweries in the area helped Grand Rapids win several different “best beer city” accolades over the years. Its walkable downtown transforms into an open air art gallery every year for ArtPrize, a contemporary art event that sees thousands of pieces take over nearly 200 venues from hotels and museums to bars, laundromats, public parks and even the Grand River – it’s impossible to escape from the artistic talent. For an outstanding art experience available all seasons, head over to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Days can be spent exploring the comprehensive outdoor sculpture collection, indoor and outdoor manicured gardens, tropical conservatory, nature trails, children’s area, Japanese garden and outdoor amphitheater. Just six kilometres up the road gets you to a classic Michigan experience, time enjoyed at an apple orchard.
Traverse City: Lake Michigan Views in the State’s Wine Country
The drive to our final destination of this trip is on Highway 22 (known as M-22), often publicly voted as one the best scenic lakeshore drives, especially when the leaves brighten to hues of reds, oranges and yellows in the fall. Before arriving in the final stop of Traverse City, stick along the lake for time at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This outdoorsy paradise has 56 kilometres of sandy beaches and dunes, multiple uninhabited islands, campgrounds and forested preserves all with blue water views of Lake Michigan. Drive 30 minutes through the state’s wine country to the cherry capital of the world, Traverse City. Multiple beaches, public parks and marinas can be found around Grand Traverse Bay, but make sure to spend time exploring its elevated food scene. Restaurants like The Delmar Traverse City’s Artisan give hungry patrons a farm-fresh fine dining experience on their spacious waterfront decks and patios. Tour over 40 different wineries in the area, like Mari Vineyards, for behind-the-scenes tours and tastings with views of Lake Michigan. When it is time for your trip around the Great Lakes State to come to an end, get a connecting flight out of Traverse City’s Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) or drive four hours southeast back to Detroit to catch an international flight home.
CONCLUSION
In the end I would like to conclude this article by saying that Grand Rapids, in Michigan, is not just a beautiful place, it is also an amazing and charming town. My trip to this town left only positive impressions.
Successful management of Michigan’s 4.6 million acres of public lands, along with 6.4 million acres of mineral rights, requires careful, intentional planning. The information shared in this strategy is essential in guiding how the DNR cares for the natural and cultural resources that belong to the people of Michigan and the DNR-managed public lands provide the foundation for this work.
Throughout this document, the DNR has talked at length about the power of public lands. It’s a simple phrase, but one that hints at a treasure trove of opportunities – some of which already are being realized. DNR-managed public lands provide green spaces and wild places where residents and visitors can hunt, camp, fish, hike, ride, relax, recharge and reconnect with nature and history in ways that are uniquely Michigan. Increasingly adaptive facilities and resources mean more people each year get to discover and enjoy the outdoor world. Sustainably managed state forests yield soul-restoring solitude, market-driving raw materials and healthy habitat critical to the well-being and survival of plant and animal populations.
All these things depend on a public land strategy that is comprehensive, inclusive and dynamic – one that is built to respond and adapt to a variety of change and influences while keeping a laser focus on its original intent. The measurable goals, strategies and objectives in the updated public land strategy will guide the DNR’s work and progress in 2021 and beyond.
