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𝒎𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒏'𝒔 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚! 185 𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔.


On January 26, 1837, our beautiful mitten was granted statehood, which means the Great Lakes State is turning 185 years old!

  1. We have the coolest shaped state

  2. And the nicest people

  3. Two peninsulas. One state.

  4. 11,000 inland lakes larger than 5 acres

  5. The greatest number of different foods grown of any state except California

  6. Longest freshwater shoreline in the US & more shoreline than any other state in the lower 48 (yes, more than California)!

  7. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

  8. You don’t have to pay money to go to the beach

  9. Yoopers and Trolls

  10. The handy map, of course

  11. Michigan rock hunting is the best on Earth

  12. Sea Shells City’s Giant Clam

  13. Cherry pie from Grand Traverse Pie Company and The Cherry Hut

  14. Christmas time in Frankenmuth

  15. Riding bikes around Mackinac Island

  16. Surfing the Great Lakes

  17. 3,177 miles of Great Lakes shoreline (and no sharks or stinging eyes!)

  18. Rollerblading the TART Trail

  19. Freshwater fishing. There is no bad fishing season.

  20. Four seasons, each with its own allure

  21. Cherry blossoms

  22. Trilliums

  23. Michigan barns have their own styles

  24. Bonfires on the beach

  25. Ernest Hemingway

  26. Empire Asparagus Festival

  27. Beaches and skiing both in the same state

  28. Sunsets in Pentwater, Ludington, Manistee, Onekama, Frankfort, Empire, Glen Arbor, Leland, Elk Rapids, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Harbor Springs … pretty much everywhere

  29. Sunrises on Lake Huron

  30. Ancient copper mines

  31. Elmore Leonard

  32. Village Cheese Shanty

  33. Walking over the Mackinac Bridge

  34. 20,000 miles of quality trout streams

  35. The Accidentals

  36. Vasa Trail

  37. Our sweet, small towns

  38. Pyramid Point

  39. Award-winning wine

  40. Trout Unlimited founded on Au Sable River

  41. Rick and Marty Lagina

  42. Jim Harrison

  43. The 45th Parallel

  44. Uncle John’s Cider Mill

  45. 40 of the state’s 83 counties adjoin at least one of the Great Lakes

  46. Morel mushrooms

  47. Empire Beach

  48. The Northern Lights

  49. Vernors (which we also use to cure all colds)

  50. Petoskey Stones

  51. White Pine Village

  52. Madonna (Born in Bay City)

  53. Adams Fly invented on Boardman River

  54. Stormy Kromer

  55. Blueberries

  56. Cheeseburger Festival in Caseville

  57. ‘Up North’ is anywhere north of Bay City

  58. Faygo

  59. “All Summer Long” by Kid Rock (you’ve gotta admit it’s catchy)

  60. Turquoise waters of Glen Lake

  61. North Country Trail

  62. Detroit-style pizza

  63. Craft beer great’s like Hop Lot, Stormcloud, Short’s and so many more

  64. Cruising state highways (especially M-22, M-119, M-185)

  65. S.S. Badger

  66. Moose in the Upper Peninsula

  67. Wilderness State Park

  68. Longest-running wolf study in the world: wolves on Isle Royale

  69. Horses on Mackinac Island

  70. Christopher Paul Curtis, author of Bud, Not Buddy (born in Flint)

  71. Leelanau Conservancy

  72. Better Made and Great Lakes Potato Chips

  73. Motown (Aretha, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations)

  74. Watching boats going through the Soo Locks

  75. Farmers Markets

  76. Pasties

  77. Lighthouses. And lots of them. (116 to be more precise)

  78. Beach volleyball after work

  79. Fayette Historic State Park

  80. Ice Cream (Moomers, Hudsonville, Michigan State University Dairy Store, Jones Homemade Ice Cream, House of Flavors)

  81. Black squirrels (and red and gray!)

  82. Author Jerry Dennis

  83. Tom Brady (played at University of Michigan)

  84. Straits of Mackinac

  85. Winter sports: tubing, snowboarding, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, fat tire biking

  86. Sandy beaches

  87. Water skiing

  88. Cheesy potatoes. We could eat them every single day.

  89. Apple orchards

  90. Arch Rock

  91. Summer picnics

  92. Ironton Ferry

  93. Loons

  94. Michigan round white potatoes—they make the best mashed taters!

  95. Joshua Davis

  96. North and South Manitou Islands (and Mackinac, Beaver, Hog, Garden, Bois Blanc)

  97. Fort Mackinac, Fort Holmes, Colonial Michilimackinac

  98. Holland Tulip Festival

  99. National Ski Hall of Fame in Ishpeming

  100. Tahquamenon Falls State Park

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