Michigan has a long, proud history as the centre of American automotive production - millions of Cadillacs, Chevrolets, Buicks and Fords have all come off the production line in Michigan factories. The state that gave birth to the iconic Motown Sound is also ideal for exploring the nearby Great Lakes region. Michigan is big with outdoor sport enthusiasts, particularly hunters and scuba divers. It’s also a fantastic place to book a relaxing hotel, with over a hundred vineyards open for wine tasting tours, and plenty of chilled beach towns to explore, many of them found on the banks of the huge Lake Michigan.
Where to Stay in Michigan
Detroit - Motor City, where the great American industrialist Henry Ford opened his first factory in 1899 holds a lot of appeal for visitors looking to book a hotel. Visit the immense Ford Museum in nearby Dearborn, spend your evenings in the Metropolitan area where the Motown Sound developed, and take a tour of Corktown to enjoy the lively regeneration of the city.
Port Huron - On the shores of Lake Huron, a hotel in this small maritime city is ideal for lazy beach days, watersports, boutique shopping and fine dining. A notable point of interest is the Huron Lightship, a kind of floating lighthouse, that is the last of its kind in the Great Lakes.
Lake Michigan - Muskegon’s Pere Marquette beach is considered one of the most attractive in Michigan, with white sand beaches and no end of recreational watersports. Lakeshore life is relaxed and convivial offering lighthouse tours, museum visits and a number of exciting winter sports alongside the city’s charms and beach hotels.
Traverse City - July sees half a million people arrive in Traverse City for the annual cherry festival: join in the pie-eating and cherry pip-spitting contests that are part of the celebrations. There are also several well-regarded vineyards in the area.
Grand Haven - Take a promenade along the boardwalk from Grand Haven down to the banks of Lake Michigan. A picturesque locale at any time of year, Grand Haven truly comes alive in the summer months when the beaches, restaurants, boutiques and hotels are thronged with sun-splashed visitors.
How to Make the Most of Your Hotel in Michigan
How’s your appetite? Sign up for the pie-eating contest at the cherry festival in Traverse City and see how you fare against some of Michigan’s biggest eaters. Discover the stories behind Detroit’s historic landmarks and abandoned spaces with a guided small group tour through a city that played a vital role in the American economic miracle and music scene.
Over the centuries, countless ships have sunk in the Great Lakes, making this one of the best scuba diving locations in the USA. If you fancy yourself as a wreck explorer, dive in with a lesson. You can join an organised wine tasting tour to sample the region’s latest vintages, get some culture in Detroit’s many art galleries and museums or just kick back on a lakeside beach.
