Facts About Michigan That Blow Its Stereotype

I’ve had the pleasure of traveling the country, to slide into regions for a day or two–just enough time to meet the locals…many of whom (in the well-tanned regions of the country) cannot fathom why a person would ever want to live in Michigan.

When I insist I like living in Michigan (minus those few ungodly chilly days), they look at me as though I’ve claimed I like sleeping on cement…or I like having fiery tacks inserted under my fingernails.

Finally, today, I’d like to take the time to explain why one might indulge the Mitten.

Facts About Michigan That Blow Its Stereotype

I know. You’ve heard it’s cold.

That Michigan, in the winter, is synonymous with Alaska, Siberia, even Iceland.

So you might expect the state to be a series of ghost-towns, abandoned by her residents for a sunnier climate. But actually, statistics suggest the opposite. People tend to grab their coats and hang around. That’s why it’s the 8th most populated state in the country.

It is true the temperatures do cool off for the winter. But every three months or so, the whole state sheds its skin to welcome the next-in-line of four full-blown seasons. And the constantly evolving beauty is so striking that some say the mitten is the heartland’s biggest secret. (Read the description from my book here.)

When you think Michigan water land, your mind probably goes straight to the 5th grade anagram (HOMES=Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior). No matter where you are in Michigan, after all, you’re never more than 85 miles from the nearest Great Lake.

But there’s far more water where that came from.

The state also has 64,980 lesser-known inland lakes and ponds.

64,000 sounds like a lot of course. But it can be hard to visualize exactly what that means.

To help put the lay of the land in perspective, visualize that a Michigan resident can never live more than 6 miles from a natural water source.

Or that between the Great Lakes and their inland counterparts, Michigan has more fresh-water coastline than any other state in the U.S….AND more than any other political subdivision in. the. world.

The state also has bays (Grand, Little Traverse, Thunder and Saginaw) and multiple large islands, including North and South Manitou, Beaver, Fox, Isle Royale, Grand Isle, Marquette, Bois Blanc, Mackinac, Neebish, Sugar and Drummond.

Along the state’s water ways you can find 150 lighthouses, which is more than you can find in any other U.S. state—even in New England.

But are you more of a hiker than a water skier? The great outdoors is alive and well here too.

You’ll also find 78 state parts, 19 recreation areas and 6 state forests, making up the largest state forest system of any state…much of which butts up to the water in places like Pictured Rocks or Sleeping Bear.

And if that doesn’t help improve the mitten’s standing in your mind, try giving some of the Pure Michigan videos a whirl. Go ahead. And after you’ve seen them, I dare you to not vacation here during an upcoming summer.

Looking out at all of this everyday makes it hard to leave.