[skylinedrive]

I thought amid all the negativity we are facing right now, maybe we could all try to focus on something positive about our state.

What are the top 5 things you love (or like) about Michigan? If you can think of 5 that is (oh crap, there is that negativity again ).

I'll start...

1. Lakes and rivers everywhere you go
2. How colorful it is in the fall
3. Mackinac Bridge/Mackinac Island
4. Just the variation in scenery (forests, lakes, sand dunes, etc.)
5. Our state is shaped like a mitten (and you can tell people where you live by holding up your hand)

Your turn!

[whatnow]

1) The fact that Michigan borders 4 of the 5 Great Lakes! I mean, WOW!
2) Lake Superior shoreline & Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
3) The U.P. - in general
4) Warren Dunes SP on Lake Michigan (from IL we used to go there when we cut school back in the 70's - I hope it's still nice)
5) Isle Royale National Park - which I find a bit fasinating that it is Michigan, considering it is closer to MN and Ontario and also pretty close to Wisconsin. I think the early Michigan folks said, "hey, let's grab as much land as we can", so they got Isle Royale and the U.P. COOL! Do the current Michigan folks mind?

[Coldjensens]

Rivers with water in them
Air that is not brown or yellow
Clean water with little or no sewage
Driving over 45 MPH on the freeways.
Friendly people who are willing to take the time to help you or get to know you.
Trees that do not look like telephone poles.
Wildlife that is not human or plastic.
4 seasons.
Public Schools that teach fundamentals and not social principals.
Even the rich kids wear blue jeans.
Some of the most beautiful beaches that I have ever seen.
Sunsets.
Fall Colors.
Canoeing
Cider Mills.
Driving past farms with roadside vegetable stands all the way to the international airport.
Greenfield villiage and Henry Ford Museum.
Thousands of HIstoric buildings that have not been torn down and replaced.
Grass that stays green without paint.
No rolling blackouts in the summer.
Ground stays put.
Fishing in my front yard.
Sledding.
White Castle.
10 cent deposits (see clean waterways mentioned above)
Affordable real estate.
Gardens that grow without investing five times what is costs to buy the vegetable or flowers.
All businesses answer the telephone in English.
Churches and Christiantiy are good things rather than the epitomy of all that is wrong with the world.
Thunderstorms.
Neighbors who you cannot see or hear, but who will gladly provide a cup of sugar or share a bottle of wine.


This is getting a bit long. I could go on for another hundred items. We lived in California (Orange COunty) for 18 years. It is not all better here, but the things listed above are things that we found that we loved, particularly in comparison.

[JGatti]

What more can really be added to these lists? Parks? I've been spending a lot of time at Kensington Metro Park. What a nice park. There are so many places to see and so much to do everywhere in this state. How about Tahquanemon falls? Canoeing out of Mio on the Au sable. Michigan Adventures? We had a blast there with the kids at the water park. How about the wild life in general? Black Bears, Porcupines, river otters, Deer, fox, moose, coyotes, hundreds upon hundreds of birds and reptiles.
Another thing is I like the fact very few insects are poisonous. They say we have black widows, never seen one. Brown recluse? Never seen one. I like that you can go to the river or lake and swim with no worries about anything eating you. LOL You can hike all over with very very little chance of coming across anything that can hurt you. Rattlesnakes etc.
Snowmobiling, Boating, off road motorcycle riding. Biking, mountain biking, there are so many trails and places to do it. Big Zoo, small Zoo's. The deer park over the bridge, and on and on. Traverse City. Cherry Festival. Torch Lake. Lake Cadillac. Tip up town. I'll leave some for other's now.

[malamute]

I no longer live there but I vacation there. It's very different from where I live, so I really like the lakes, the rivers, the birch trees, the trees. And the hills, the small towns.

I like how in the summer it's light out before 5 am and birds are chirping but it isn't dark until 10 pm. I like tubing down a river, the big lakes, the ice cream stands.

I like how in so many places people don't bother locking up cars, they park and leave the windows down. There is something very laid-back about Michigan summer, the balmy nights. I even like how it can still be cold up there -- a cold drizzling rain and highs of 45 degrees in July in northern Michigan but then the next day the sun is out and it's 80 degrees.

[northstar22]

1. Lakes and rivers everywhere you go - never far from a beach
2. Our beautiful snowy winters
3. All four seasons - spring, summer, winter, and fall
4. That it's an outdoor paradise - fishing, hunting, swimming; it's all here
5. Friendly, down to earth people.

[ladolcevitabella]

1. Change! With each season I feel renewed
2. Northern Michigan! You can't beat it in the summer.. it's also a nice escape from the superficial
3. Tradition. As much as I'd like to consider myself a flaming liberal, I do appreciate the conservative nature of many michiganders. It feels.. secure.
4. It's not over priced! I lived in California for a while and it was unreal! I loved it but it was insanely expensive
5. My family =) They're all here

[Tyryztoll]

I love it all......even the winters, because, well..... Michigan just wouldn't be Michigan without them, would it? It's such a great place to live.

[momof11]

as a newbie to Michigan (moved here in August from southern California) I love:

The roads I travel to my house are always changing because of the seasons, and always beautiful. I love the 4 seasons!

The lack of bumper to bumper traffic, even in downtown Grand Rapids.

Our church- after leaving a church we loved in California we have been blessed over and over again by a new church here in Michigan. The kids love it and have made a lot of friends here.

A homeschool band program also a God-send for my 9 instrument playing kiddos. Michigan has a lot of homeschool activities and programs. It is a great place to homeschool.

There are a lot of large families here, we fit in a lot better than we did in California.

Water water everywhere, there are lakes and ponds and streams- some close enough to my house to bike to.

seeing deer and turkey and .... we didn't even have squirrells in our neighborhood in California!

having land to run and play on. The kids love running through our woods and climbing our trees. They have their own park right outside in their backyard!

[JGatti]

I thought of a couple of more close to home things.
I have a pond across the street from my house, and every night I go to sleep with the sound of the frogs music. Some people might find this annoying but I love it. They are so loud I don't even have to open the window.

Also taking my son to school today I remembered how much I enjoy sucking in the views. I pass 2 small lakes and a good amount of woods. I see turkeys some mornings, deer, swans, ducks, and it's a very enjoyable ride.