Top 10 Places in Michigan That You Can Visit This Summer! You Shouldn’t Miss #7.

Here at apartments-for-rent-in-michigan.com, we don’t only post apartment tips, hacks and tricks. We also post articles that promote and highlight the beauty of our beloved state – Michigan.

Since summer in Michigan is almost here, it’s time for us to showcase the places that you can visit. Nicole, a proud Michigander and the blogger behind LittleBlogontheHomestead.Com, was kind enough to allow us to share her own list of places you need to visit in Michigan this summer!

Without further ado, here’s Nicole’s list!

FORT MICHILIMACKINAC

This is probably one of my favorite places in Michigan! Any time I go to the UP I always make a stop in Mackinaw City and enjoy some of the touristy stuff. There is great fudge, good shopping, natural beauty to behold and Fort Michilimackinac! This year is the 300th anniversary so you can find all kinds of fun special events going on at their website.

MACKINAC ISLAND

Mackinac Island, one site that is always on must see Michigan lists. And that’s for good reason! You’ll get a chance to step back in time to this Victorian throwback. The island is still car free so you’ll be getting around via bikes and horses, the beautiful old shops and inn’s are so fun to explore and it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve been.

I love to bike the whole island (there are over 70 miles of bike trails and roadways) and watch the big boats going through the straits. You’ll find lots of cool historical spots and beautiful inns perfect for a romantic getaway. There is also lots for the kids to do, including another fort that will, just like Fort Michilimackinac, will entertain the whole family.

ENGINEERS DAY AT THE SOO LOCKS

The Soo Locks are an engineering marvel, they allow commerce to flow easily from Lake Superior, down the St Mary’s River and into the rest of the Great Lakes! This one is really special to me. I grew up in the UP and my dad’s family lives in Sault Ste Marie (the Soo to the locals) and I would spend a couple weeks each summer staying there with my grandparents.

My grandparents house was right across the street from the Coast Guard station so I was literally blocks from the locks and would wander down there every summer. I figured out that the fudge shops gave samples so I would walk down Fudgie Street, what the locals call W. Portage Avenue, and people watch while enjoying my samples.

CHERRY FESTIVAL

I’m a sucker for a good festival. Seriously, there are few things I enjoy more than taking in the local festival. NO matter how big or small I always get a kick out of it. Traverse City also happens to be one of my favorite places to visit, which is why I’m so excited to be getting married there in September!

So the Cherry Festival is a perfect mix of my favorite things. This is a world class festival though, you’ll find amazing food, great performers, TONS of people, and lots of opportunities to check out the best of Traverse City.

MICHIGAN RENAISSANCE FEST

As I’ve said, I am a HUGE history nerd, I love it all. But I am especially fond of renaissance history. My slight obsession with Elizabeth I is why I got a history degree in the first place. Which is why The Michigan Renaissance Festival is one of my favorite things to do in Michigan (or really anywhere). It’s one of the best festivals in the country, they have really awesome themed weekends.

If you want to turn your trip into a whole weekend experience there are a lot of cool places to stay. We love the Holly State Park, which is awesome for camping. There are also lots of hotels for those not interested in ‘roughing it’.

TULIP TIME

Ok, so as a Holland resident I’m one of the few people here who don’t abandon town during Tulip Time. I get the complaints, we get a LOT of out of towners clogging up traffic, going the wrong way on one-way streets and basically renting out every room in town. But I love it!

TAHQUAMENON FALLS

Michigan has so many places of natural beauty, especially in the Upper Peninsula which has been largely untouched by urban sprawl. It’s an amazing place to visit, especially if you’re a photographer or just a fan of nature. One of my favorite spots though would have to be the Tahquamenon Falls! Made up of two different sets of waterfalls (the upper and lower falls) the Tahquamenon Falls are absolutely beautiful any time of year.

The lower and upper falls are within hiking distance of each other and it’s a beautiful trail. You’ll notice that the water has a very unique color; it comes from all the cedar swamps/trees along the river. The upper falls are also the 3rd largest falls east of the Mississippi river so you’ll definitely be awed!

TAKE IN A BASEBALL GAME

Michiganders are nuts about baseball! Warm summer nights spent watching a game is pretty much a must-do in Michigan. Whether you’re watching little league or the Tigers it’s a great way to spend a fun night! If you put baseball on the TV it’s going to turn into a nap for me, but going to a live game is such an awesome experience!

In West Michigan we root for the home team the West Michigan Whitecaps! They play at Fifth Third Ballpark in Grand Rapids and it’s a blast (and super affordable) way to get a game in at a big park. They’re a Class A affiliate team for the Detroit Tigers, so we’ve had the chance to see some pretty big names while they’re on the rehab list or before they become big stars.

ART PRIZE

ArtPrize 2014 from ArtPrize

Honestly, no list of things to do/see in Michigan would be complete without ArtPrize! Started in 2009 ArtPrize is the brain child of Rick DeVos and is an amazing project that gives art to the people. You get to wander all around town and find different installations of art throughout the city. Some absolutely amazing pieces of art have been featured in town.

COPPER COUNTRY

As with Tahquamenon Falls, there are SO many beautiful places that you need to check out in the Upper Peninsula and I felt like the Copper Country was a great option to round out this list. Also known as the Keweenaw Peninsula, the Copper Country is so named for the copper mines that once dominated the area.

There is some awesome sites, very cool historical spots, and a lot of hiking in the Porcupine Mountains and exploring along the shores of Lake Superior. You can even go down into one of the old copper mines. This is an area of historical significance as well, and you can explore some really cool ghost towns, and a pre-1800’s military fort!

According to Nicole, it took her a hard time to pick just 10 places in Michigan to visit this summer. Why? it’s because there are literally hundreds of awesome places you can visit in the state!

This list of 10 places to visit in Michigan this summer is a good starter especially if it’s your first time to visit the state.