Michigan became the 26th state of the United States of America on January 26, 1837. And since just last week I was wondering aloud why I still live here I think it’s only fair to point out a few cool things about our state on it’s 175th birthday.
I bet some of you knew that Michigan has the longest fresh water shoreline in the world, blessed to be surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes. I think this is my favorite thing about my state. They say we are never more than 85 miles away from a Great Lake no matter where we are in Michigan. And if the Great Lakes aren’t enough, we have over 64,000 inland lakes as well. If you like water, come visit Michigan!
We’re the only state made up of two peninsulas. Some people don’t even realize that we have an Upper Peninsula! But if you read Kathy’s blog you know that the land above the bridge is beautiful and magical.
Speaking of the bridge….it’s a five mile suspension span that connects our lower and upper peninsulas. Construction on the “Big Mac” bridge began in 1954 and it opened to traffic in 1957, spanning the Straights of Mackinac. On Labor Day you can walk over the bridge which is a very fun experience, something everyone should do at least once.
I could write volumes about the water but I’d be remiss not to tell you about Sleeping Bear dunes; giant sand dunes that we used to play on as kids, and which still hold me in awe every time I see them.
And we have lovely little coastal towns all along the shores. Towns like Grand Haven and Frankfort, Traverse City and Northport on the west coast, Tawas City and Alpena on the east coast, Munising or Copper Harbor in the far north on Lake Superior. And so many more. You could spend a lifetime exploring and a lot of us have. (Check out PJ’s blog to read about life in Northport.)
Of course it’s not all about the lakes. We have culture and music in towns and cities. You can listen to the symphony or see a musical in Detroit or Ann Arbor or Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo and a lot of other places. You can wander in art museums, explore the Detroit Science Center or the Museum of African American History. There are talented people everywhere, painting and singing and designing and playing instruments, all sharing their talent with us.
On top of all of that we’re also the auto capital of the world. We have the North American International Auto Show each January where you can see the most beautiful cars from all the automakers, cars from all over the world. I guess I’m biased – I sort of love the cars from the big three. But you can see some really expensive foreign cars too, cars you’d never get to see otherwise.
There’s so much more to tell you about my state. There’s the orchards and farms, the fall colors, the beautiful churches, summer festivals… I could go on and on but you get the idea. If you want culture, come to Michigan. If you want unbelievably stunning scenery, come to Michigan. Of course if you want sunshine and warm temperatures in January, well…I can say that this January it’s been pretty warm and we’ve frequently seen the sun…so you never know…it might be worth a trip up here to see for yourself!
So ….Happy Birthday Michigan! I’m glad I’m here. Most of the time anyway.
