Michigan medley: from Detroit to the northwoods, visitors find a variety of natural and manmade attractions, many of them on a shoreline

Travel America, Sept-Oct, 2005 by Susan Bayer Ward

MICHIGAN IS DOMINATED BY water. Encircled by four of the five Great Lakes--Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior--its 3,200 miles of shoreline is longer than that of the entire Atlantic seaboard. In addition, 11,000 inland lakes rumple up the state's stunning landscapes, a prime reason Michigan is one of the top vacation spots in the country.

Unlike other states. Michigan boasts two distinct parts. These divided land masses are known as the Upper and Lower Peninsulas--the latter shaped like a left-handed mitten, palm facing outwards.

In the state's southeast corner, big, bold Detroit sports two telling monikers--the "Motor City" and "Motown"--for it was here Henry Ford birthed the automobile industry (his first car, the Model A, appeared in 1903) and Berry Gordy fostered the famed Motown sound in the 1960s. The Motown Museum shows where the likes of Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, and Smokey Robinson got their starts.

Just southwest of town, in Dearborn, sprawls the world-acclaimed Henry Ford complex, where school children and their elders have flocked for generations. Here the huge Henry Ford Museum dedicates itself to American life with 12 exhibit areas such as the popular "Automobile in American Life" section, where kids can gape at that goofy hot-dog-shaped wonder--an Oscar Mayer Weinermobile. Adjacent to the museum lies the 93-acre Greenfield Village, the result of Henry Ford's desire to collect the actual homes and workplaces of famed Americans such as Thomas Edison (New Jersey lab) and the Wright Brothers (Ohio bicycle shop).

West of metro Detroit, you come upon the lively college town of Ann Arbor with the University of Michigan's cozy shaded quads, a raft of bookstores (Borders got its start here), good shops and galleries, the widely attended Ann Arbor Art Fair (mid-July), and a broad array of fine restaurants. You'll probably be dragged to Zingerman's Deli and don't fight it. Some of the best stacked sandwiches in the Midwest are dispensed here.

Meandering further, you come to Lansing, the state capital and home to rival Big Ten school, Michigan State University. Again, it's a great town for close-to-university funky shops and eateries but don't miss the Capitol building with its handsome dome-and-wing style reflecting our nation's Capitol.

Now head into the northeastern part of the state where Lake Huron laps at the shore. Here Frankenmuth, located below "The Thumb" of the mitten, has indeed earned its title of Little Bavaria. Settled by German immigrants in 1845, the town reflects its ethnic heritage. Alpine chalet-style buildings crowd the sidewalks and Zehnder's and the Bavarian Inn restaurants (famous for all-you-can-eat chicken dinners) are filled to capacity on a daily basis. Don't miss Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, billed as the world's largest Christmas store.

Wend your way due north to Swiss-influenced Gaylord with masses of flower boxes, tidy streets, and nice shops and restaurants. Gaylord is also a golfer's mecca with 22 major courses in the area--many designed by the top golf architects in the country.

Lake Michigan ribbons up the side of the state's southwest corner and its prevailing winds create climatic conditions favorable to the growth of fruit trees. The neighboring lakeshore cities of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor celebrate this lucky circumstance with Michigan's oldest and largest event, the Blossomtime Festival, held for 10 days in early May. Over two dozen surrounding communities take part as apple and cherry trees burst into bloom. A dozen or so wineries flourish in this part of the state, all sporting tasting rooms and some with charming eateries like the glass-walled restaurant at Tabor Hill in Buchanan.

Battle Creek bears the proud title of "Cereal Capital of the World" because Kellogg is based here. You can tour Cereal City USA and even meet Kellogg's favorite pitchman--Tony the Tiger. They take cereal so seriously in Battle Creek, the "World's Longest Breakfast Table" sprawls across downtown each June and some 60,000 folks indulge in cereal mania.

Back on the lakeshore, the aptly named city of Holland celebrates the area's Dutch heritage. The town's 10-day Tulip Time Festival, held in May, is awash in old customs, parades, themed foods, and, of course, tulips.

Inland, Grand Rapids--the state's second largest city--has a vibrant downtown full of good eateries and fine hotels like the riverside Amway Grand Plaza with its stylish and pricey 1913 Room restaurant. The Gerald R. Ford Museum salutes the city's favorite son and our 38th president.

No Grand Rapids visit is complete without a tour of the splendid Frederik Meijer Gardens. The five-story, plant-filled glass conservatory and beautifully landscaped grounds offer a haven as well as being a showcase for wonderful statuary including the spectacular 24-foot-high Leonardo da Vinci bronze horse.

In the state's northwest corner, on or near the Lake Michigan shore, you'll find charming old-guard resort communities that take you back to a slower more gracious past. The linchpin of the area is its largest town, Traverse City. Sited on Grand Traverse Bay, it has a lot to offer such as Sixth Street's Victorian homes built by early lumber tycoons, a handsomely renovated City Opera House, suns-plashed waterside parks, boat-filled marinas, a plethora of top-notch golf courses, and many good eateries and shops sporting an "Up North" nautical theme.