Ten Cool Places in Michigan

Ten Cool Places in Michigan that I have visited....

Yes, I have been a Michigander all my life. There are some cool things to see here! Come and visit!


1 - Sanilac Petroglyphs
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=490
http://www.rae.org/sanilac.html


These petroglyphs are within an hour drive of my home. I have been there twice. It is quite a walk from the parking lot to the location of the best petroglyphs. LOTS OF BUGS! LOL The more accessible petroglyphs have fallen victim to vandals, so they aren't as impressive. Also they are more weathered. These petroglyphs lay covered with dense brush until the great forest fires of the Thumb in the late 1800's. At that time, they were discovered.

2 - Sleeping Bear Dunes
http://www.nps.gov/slbe/
http://www.leelanau.com/dunes/


The Sleeping Bear Dunes are on the West Michigan coastline, along Lake Michigan. It has been years since I was there. Dunes are a lot of fun. If you have never been to sand dunes, they are great for rolling down, but not so great for climbing up. LOL Some dunes have dune buggy rental services. I remember being in a dune buggy when I was a kid. Wheeee!

3 - Big Spring (Kitch-iti-kipi) at Palms Book State Park
http://www.visitmanistique.com/bigsprings/park.html



This is another destination I remember from my childhood. The deep deep spring is so clear that you can see all the way to the bottom, as if it were mere inches. There are large slowmoving fish you can see. A raft is available for you to pull yourself out into the middle of the "lake" and experience this fully. My parents have a photo of my sister and me in front of a display board at this state park and when Bob and I went to the park in the early 90's, that same board was still there!

4 - The "Soo" Locks in Sault Ste. Marie
http://www.saultstemarie.com/
https://webcam.crrel.usace.army.mil/soo/ <---Live WebCam of the Soo Locks

The Soo Locks are pretty cool. Lake Superior and Lake Huron are at different heights above sea level. So the locks were built so huge freighters can go from one lake to the other. There is a lot to do at the "Soo" besides see the locks.

5 - Fort Michilimackinac
http://www.mackinacparks.com/parks/colonial-michilimackinac_7/
http://www.southalabama.edu/archaeology/fc-fort_michilimackinac.htm



This is one of my favorite destinations. My friend Sarah works here during the summers as a re-enactor. Very cool! Fort Michilimackinac is another place I remember my parents taking us. Bob and I took the kids here in 2003. There are lots of soldiers and Native Americans to re-enact the types of activities that took place in the Fort when it was in service, back in the 1700's.

6 - Mackinac Island
http://www.mackinacisland.org/
http://www.theislandhouse.com/cam.htm <---Live Cam of Mackinac Harbor


Another very fun place to visit. And it's more than just fudge and the Grand Hotel! (Btw, the Grand Hotel is where Somewhere in Time was filmed, but it is a very very expensive place to stay.) On our 2003 trip, we took a ferry to the island, pretty much the only way to get there. We had a horse-drawn tour of the island; no cars are allowed there! We visited Fort Mackinac and lots of historic buildings. I'd love to live here. In summer, anyway.

7 - Calder Sculpture, Grand Rapids
http://travel.michigan.org/detail.asp?p=B5915&m=3;1
http://www.grpl.org/collections/grhsty_spcoll/exhibits/Calder/calder2.html



The Calder is ingrained into my memory. When one thinks of Grand Rapids, the Calder comes to mind. It is part of the city's symbol - that bright orange, oddly shaped metal sculpture located in downtown Grand Rapids. We used to beg to go downtown and see the Calder!

8 - Tunnel Park, Holland MI
http://www.holland.org/index.pl?paID=235
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=Holland%2C%20Michigan


A fond childhood memory is church trips to Tunnel Park in Holland, MI. What I DIDN'T know is that Tunnel Park used to be a zoo and the tunnel was used to allow the large animals access to the water! Remarkable! Now, it's just a lovely beach on Lake Michigan and a fun way to get to the water.

9 - South Haven Lighthouse
http://travel.michigan.org/detail.asp?m=2;7&p=B6624


I was born in South Haven and my grandparents lived there, so we visited that town often. Other than the fire hydrants that used to be painted like animals and people, the lighthouse is one of the things that stands out about South Haven in my mind. It was great fun to go down and walk the pier.

10 - Shrine of the Pines
http://travel.michigan.org/detail.asp?m=2;7&p=G4855
http://www.shrineofthepines.com/



One more place that I went as a child was Shrine of the Pines. The beautiful pine furniture has remained in my memory for years and years, especially the table with the little drawers for hiding your broccoli! LOL

I hope you've enjoyed this tour of Michigan as much as I have. Come on up and we'll visit some of these places in person!