Most of us have a buck list for life: graduate college, get married, start a family, see the Eiffel Tower, see all 50 states. But what about a bucket list for our home state of Michigan? Sure you’ve probably done some of these things without even thinking about it. But there are plenty of others that you still need to try or make sure your children and grandchildren try sometime in their lives. Here are our picks for some of the best must-see places in Michigan!
- Drive up M-22
gabe popa/Flickr This stretch of highway takes you to several of the state’s wonders, including the brilliance of fall colors, Michigan’s wine country, the Platte River and the Leelanau Peninsula.
- Snowmobile Up North
Kate Ter Haar/Flickr It’s not only a fun way to get around, it’s literally a way of life in the UP! Pictured here, a snowmobile rider in beautiful Cedarville Bay.
- Spend the entire day on any of the Great Lakes
Daniel X. O’Neil/Flickr Enough. Said.
- Bike the entirety of Mackinac Island.
Caitriana Nicholson/Flickr A fun and scenic adventure!
- Go to a Detroit Lions game on Thanksgiving
Dave Hogg/Flickr Bucket list worthy!
- Climb to the top of Sleeping Bear Dunes
AllieKF/Flickr The view is other-worldly.
- Go to Grand Rapids for ArtPrize
ellenm1/Flickr It runs from September 16th to October 3rd, 2021. Make sure to check out their website for more details!
- Indulge in Paczki on Fat Tuesday
Jason Tester/Flickr In many a Polish neighborhood, like Hamtramck, for instance, Paczki Day is such a big deal that people often take the day off work to party. Count us in!
- Go to a game at “the Big House” at the University of Michigan.
Ken Lund/Flickr Trust us, you’ve not felt energy like this until you’ve been to a stadium packed with 100,000 fans. It’s amazing!
- Take a Ford Rouge Factory Tour
Scott Monty/Flickr Make sure to check out their website for more details, including operating hours.
Address: 20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn, Michigan, 48124
- Go to Isle Royale
Joe Ross/Flickr Seriously, it’s one of the most remote parts of the state, and it’s literally a secluded island on Lake Superior. Talk about peace and quiet!
- Eat freshly-picked Michigan cherries
Ann Fisher/Flickr They are so, so juicy.
- Hunt for Petoskeys, Michigan’s very-own state stone
Rachel Kramer/Flickr You’ll want to start your own collection!
- See all the tricked-out hot rods at the Woodward Dream Cruise
Kevin Bouman/Flickr The next one is being held on August 21st, 2021.
- Make it a point to cross the Mackinac Bridge, AKA the “Big Mac”
Mr. Nixter/Flickr Such a marvelous structure to see (and cross).
- Gaze at the wonder that is the Aurora Borealis up north
gerrybuckel/Flickr A rare but magnificent sight!
gabe popa/Flickr
This stretch of highway takes you to several of the state’s wonders, including the brilliance of fall colors, Michigan’s wine country, the Platte River and the Leelanau Peninsula.
Kate Ter Haar/Flickr
It’s not only a fun way to get around, it’s literally a way of life in the UP! Pictured here, a snowmobile rider in beautiful Cedarville Bay.
Daniel X. O’Neil/Flickr
Enough. Said.
Caitriana Nicholson/Flickr
A fun and scenic adventure!
Dave Hogg/Flickr
Bucket list worthy!
AllieKF/Flickr
The view is other-worldly.
ellenm1/Flickr
It runs from September 16th to October 3rd, 2021. Make sure to check out their website for more details!
Jason Tester/Flickr
In many a Polish neighborhood, like Hamtramck, for instance, Paczki Day is such a big deal that people often take the day off work to party. Count us in!
Ken Lund/Flickr
Trust us, you’ve not felt energy like this until you’ve been to a stadium packed with 100,000 fans. It’s amazing!
Scott Monty/Flickr
Make sure to check out their website for more details, including operating hours.
Address: 20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn, Michigan, 48124
Joe Ross/Flickr
Seriously, it’s one of the most remote parts of the state, and it’s literally a secluded island on Lake Superior. Talk about peace and quiet!
Ann Fisher/Flickr
They are so, so juicy.
Rachel Kramer/Flickr
You’ll want to start your own collection!
Kevin Bouman/Flickr
The next one is being held on August 21st, 2021.
Mr. Nixter/Flickr
Such a marvelous structure to see (and cross).
gerrybuckel/Flickr
A rare but magnificent sight!
Craving some more must-see places in Michigan? Check this list out for more ideas!
Tell us, how many of these things have you checked off your bucket list?
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Address: Michigan, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Must-See Places in Michigan March 14, 2021 Tori Jane What should be on my Michigan bucket list? Michigan is a big state with a lot of things that we’re 100% sure you must see before you die! Some of our favorite to-do items include the annual Maple Syrup Festival, in Vermontville, every year on the last weekend of April, as well as the tunnel of trees from Harbor Springs to Cross Village along the M-119. Another super-important item to add to your Michigan bucket list would be watching a sunrise (or sunset) over Lake Michigan. Sure, we might be landlocked, but it’s not like we don’t have amazing beaches anyway! Other items to consider might be state and national parks (103, to be exact), any number of our amazing hiking trails, and so, so much more. Check this list out for some of our favorite bucket list destinations all over the state! What are some of the best destinations in Michigan? There’s plenty in the lovely mitten state to choose from, for sure. Some of our favorite natural wonder destinations include the gorgeous Kitch-iti-kipi in Manistique, which is a stunningly lovely, crystal-clear pond with gorgeous turquoise waters and an atmosphere of total, refreshing peace, as well as the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, in Munising, where you’ll forget that you’re not somewhere on the east coast of the US! We’re home to hundreds of campgrounds (and glampgrounds!), and each one has its own interesting merit. We strongly suggest exploring everything Michigan has to offer one thing at a time. What are some things to do in Michigan? Lucky for us, the mitten state is filled with awesome things you’ve just got to do at least once. Go camping somewhere on or near Lake Michigan and take a look at the incredible vastness of the starry sky above at night. Visit the Detroit Institute of Arts for a bit of a culture injection, or take your pick from any of the 13,000 miles of trails we’ve got weaving all over the state. The possibilities are endless, so make sure to go outside!
The OIYS Visitor Center
Must-See Places in Michigan
March 14, 2021
Tori Jane
What should be on my Michigan bucket list? Michigan is a big state with a lot of things that we’re 100% sure you must see before you die! Some of our favorite to-do items include the annual Maple Syrup Festival, in Vermontville, every year on the last weekend of April, as well as the tunnel of trees from Harbor Springs to Cross Village along the M-119. Another super-important item to add to your Michigan bucket list would be watching a sunrise (or sunset) over Lake Michigan. Sure, we might be landlocked, but it’s not like we don’t have amazing beaches anyway! Other items to consider might be state and national parks (103, to be exact), any number of our amazing hiking trails, and so, so much more. Check this list out for some of our favorite bucket list destinations all over the state! What are some of the best destinations in Michigan? There’s plenty in the lovely mitten state to choose from, for sure. Some of our favorite natural wonder destinations include the gorgeous Kitch-iti-kipi in Manistique, which is a stunningly lovely, crystal-clear pond with gorgeous turquoise waters and an atmosphere of total, refreshing peace, as well as the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, in Munising, where you’ll forget that you’re not somewhere on the east coast of the US! We’re home to hundreds of campgrounds (and glampgrounds!), and each one has its own interesting merit. We strongly suggest exploring everything Michigan has to offer one thing at a time. What are some things to do in Michigan? Lucky for us, the mitten state is filled with awesome things you’ve just got to do at least once. Go camping somewhere on or near Lake Michigan and take a look at the incredible vastness of the starry sky above at night. Visit the Detroit Institute of Arts for a bit of a culture injection, or take your pick from any of the 13,000 miles of trails we’ve got weaving all over the state. The possibilities are endless, so make sure to go outside!
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Michigan is a big state with a lot of things that we’re 100% sure you must see before you die! Some of our favorite to-do items include the annual Maple Syrup Festival, in Vermontville, every year on the last weekend of April, as well as the tunnel of trees from Harbor Springs to Cross Village along the M-119. Another super-important item to add to your Michigan bucket list would be watching a sunrise (or sunset) over Lake Michigan. Sure, we might be landlocked, but it’s not like we don’t have amazing beaches anyway! Other items to consider might be state and national parks (103, to be exact), any number of our amazing hiking trails, and so, so much more. Check this list out for some of our favorite bucket list destinations all over the state!
What are some of the best destinations in Michigan?
There’s plenty in the lovely mitten state to choose from, for sure. Some of our favorite natural wonder destinations include the gorgeous Kitch-iti-kipi in Manistique, which is a stunningly lovely, crystal-clear pond with gorgeous turquoise waters and an atmosphere of total, refreshing peace, as well as the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, in Munising, where you’ll forget that you’re not somewhere on the east coast of the US! We’re home to hundreds of campgrounds (and glampgrounds!), and each one has its own interesting merit. We strongly suggest exploring everything Michigan has to offer one thing at a time.
What are some things to do in Michigan?
Lucky for us, the mitten state is filled with awesome things you’ve just got to do at least once. Go camping somewhere on or near Lake Michigan and take a look at the incredible vastness of the starry sky above at night. Visit the Detroit Institute of Arts for a bit of a culture injection, or take your pick from any of the 13,000 miles of trails we’ve got weaving all over the state. The possibilities are endless, so make sure to go outside!
