Michigan's hidden gems: 22 summer activities you must try

Brian Manzullo | Detroit Free Press

Michigan summers are the best.

When the weather heats up and school gets out, there is a neverending plethora of things to do and check out around this state. It takes a lifetime — and then some — to take in everything it has to offer.

With that in mind, we decided to put together a list of 22 under-the-radar activities you should try this summer, whether you're a Michigander or just visiting the state.

We call this "hidden gems" because you won't find the obvious candidates in here, such as Mackinac Island, Pictured Rocks or events such as Traverse City Cherry Festival. Everyone knows about those already. Instead, you'll find ideas you may have heard of but never really thought about, or destinations you've never heard of altogether.

Without further ado, and in no particular order, here's our list!

1. Upper Peninsula's hidden waterfalls

You've heard of Tahquamenon Falls; let's look past that beauty for a second. There are many waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula to explore - and there's some nice hiking to go along with it.

Consider, for example, the number of waterfalls near Munising, just west of Pictured Rocks. Or the Hungarian Falls in the Keweenaw Peninsula. And that's just the tip of the iceberg; here's a map of waterfalls for you to visit. You probably won't get to them all.

2. Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

Staying in the Upper Peninsula, you will find a gem of a destination out on the northeast tip at the Whitefish Point Light Station.

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum attracts more than 75,000 visitors a year, according to its website, and is full of artifacts and history regarding Great Lakes shipwrecks, including the bell of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald. You can take a self-guided tour, watch a video presentation, climb the Whitefish Point Light Tower and get guided tours of the different exhibits and houses.

3. Headlands International Dark Sky Park

Northern Michigan is full of places to stargaze and potentially view the northern lights, but only a handful of parks in the state are recognized as "dark sky" parks. Here's one of them.

Headlands is open 24/7/365, offers plenty of viewing area and a variety of programs & events throughout the year, even during the wintertime.

4. Slow Roll in Detroit

This city staple is pretty familiar to most Detroiters but, for those who don't frequently visit the southeastern part of the state, this is a fun way to build community and give back.

Thousands of people take part in this weekly bicycle ride each summer through various parts of Detroit, including Eastern Market, the Detroit Riverfront, Beacon Park and more. Slow Roll also works with non-profit organizations and invites riders "to step into active community service" in Detroit.

5. Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Visiting Grand Rapids sometime soon? There's a lot to experience there, but you don't want to miss this one.

The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is one of the premier displays of arts and gardens in West Michigan. It's kid-friendly for those with families on board. And it includes an amphitheater that hosts a wide array of summer concerts.

6. Visit Fishtown

If you're up in Traverse City or the Leelanau Peninsula for an extended stay, make sure you spend an afternoon in Leland, right along the Lake Michigan coast.

Leland is home to "Fishtown," its scenic historic village right at the mouth of the Carp River, a place where you can explore old fishing shanties and smokehouses while eyeballing all the boats nearby.

7. Take a brewery tour

As you probably know, Michigan's home to more than 300 craft breweries. That makes it fairly easy to dedicate a day to touring breweries (responsibly, of course!).

Grand Rapids on its own is a prime destination for touring breweries (Founders, Brewery Vivant, Perrin, Mitten, etc.). You also could travel up the Lake Michigan coastline (Saugatuck, New Holland, Odd Side Ales, Grand Armory, Stormcloud, etc.), take a Traverse City kayak brewery tour (yes, those really exist) or hit all the different stops in Detroit (Atwater, Batch, Brew Detroit and Founders' Detroit taproom).

8. Coast Guard Festival

Grand Haven is known as Coast Guard City USA. And its signature festival pays tribute to that.

Coast Guard Festival runs for 10 days and features a parade, carnival, ship tours, a cardboard boat race and more. And it certainly helps that Grand Haven, nestled right along the coastline of Lake Michigan, is a prime destination for campers and beachgoers. Check out the website for more details.

9. Kayak to Turnip Rock

Don't forget about Michigan's thumb!

One of the most amazing rock formations you'll find in the state (and the country) is at the tip of Port Austin. You can't get there by land; you have to take a kayak or a boat, and it's a 7-mile round trip. But trust us, it's worth the effort to see Turnip Rock and the sea caves that surround it.

10. Take in Broadway at Croswell Opera House

Yeah, it's an indoor activity, but taking in a play at Michigan's oldest theater is worth spending a few hours out of sunlight.

The Croswell Opera House is in downtown Adrian, has been around since 1866 and the Broadway Season runs all through the summer. This year, you can check out "Mamma Mia!" until July 1, "She Loves Me" from July 13-22 and "Barnum" from Aug. 10-19. Visit the website for more.

11. North Manitou Island

You've heard of Sleeping Bear Dunes. Who hasn't? But have you thought about visiting the big island in the distance?

North Manitou Island spans more than 15,000 acres just off the Lower Peninsula coast line. You can hike the dunes, go camping and/or even explore ghost towns.

12. Woodward Dream Cruise

Love to gaze at cool, vintage cars? Detroit offers an event you can't miss (though, if you ask locals, it might be better known as the annual August traffic nightmare along Woodward).

Priding itself as "The World's Biggest Cruise," the Woodward Dream Cruise features a bunch of weekend events, but your plan is simple: Grab some lawn chairs, park them along Woodward Ave. somewhere between Pontiac and Ferndale, and enjoy the view.

13. Ann Arbor Art Fair

If you're into art, this is a no-brainer; the Ann Arbor Art Fair is one of the largest outdoor art fairs in the United States. This year, it runs from July 19-22 and is actually four events in one: The Street Art Fair, the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, the State Street Art Fair and the South University Art Fair (phew).

Visit the website for more (and a map).

14. Ride the S.S. Badger

Almost everyone's taken the ferry to Mackinac Island. Here's an idea for your next ferry ride — a much longer one, to boot.

The S.S. Badger is the largest cross-lake passenger service in the Great Lakes. It offers rides between Ludington, Mich. and Manitowoc, Wisc., a span of 60 miles across Lake Michigan. While it has no problem transporting people, it'll also transport vehicles, RVs, motorcycles, you name it.

Visit the website for more.

15. Take in some minor league baseball

Millions of people make the trek to Comerica Park every year to catch a Detroit Tigers game, but fewer make it a point to see the smaller ballclubs around the state. We're here to change your mind.

First of all, look at those team names. The Traverse City Beach Bums? The Lansing Lugnuts? Those alone make the baseball enticing. Combine that with the fun, cheap promotions some of these teams do — from the traditional take-your-dog-to-the-ballpark to the quirky themes like "Social Media Night" — and you've got yourself an underrated Friday night for the family.

16. Old Mission winery tour

We've already covered beer. Now let's get to the wine. Michigan offers a heck of a wine selection, but there's no better destination for wine lovers than Old Mission peninsula just north of Traverse City.

There, along M-37, you'll find winery after winery, from Black Star Farms Old Mission to 2 Lads Winery, from Chardonnay to Pinot Noir. And there's a convenient website you can check out that offers a trail map, schedule of events and resources to plan your getaway trip. What the heck are you waiting for?

17. Oswald's Bear Ranch

Those of you traveling through the Upper Peninsula, especially near Tahquamenon Falls, shouldn't overlook this cool habitat nestled near Newberry.

Once the subject of a fine John Carlisle piece in 2014, Oswald's Bear Ranch is home to more than three dozen rescued and orphaned bears, all of which can be viewed in safe, natural habitats on 240 acres of woodlands. And it's cheap, to boot; only $20 per car or $10 per lone visitor.

Visit the website for more.

18. Grand Hotel's Front Porch

Next time you visit Mackinac Island, make sure you do this. From the Free Press' Cindy Burton, who wrote briefly about this in 2015:

"Best $10 you ever will spend in Michigan: The entry fee to the Grand Hotel’s Front Porch on Mackinac Island. You can rest your feet on a hot summer day (remember, no automobiles are allowed on the island), order a drink or 2 or a bite to eat and enjoy breathtaking views of the hotel’s signature geraniums, Lake Huron, the Mackinac Bridge and ferries carrying visitors to and from the island, all from a white rocking chair that’s as comfortable as it is big. The $10 fee also buys you access to shops and other public places of the hotel. The best part is there is no hurry. Stay as long as you like during business hours."

19. Ford Rouge Factory Tour

Want to hear the story behind the Ford F-150 - and see how it's made?

The Ford Rouge Factory Tour, part of the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, offers a glimpse into the past, present and future of America's automotive industry, and it doesn't get much more Michigan than that. From the website: "Pop open the hood on game-changing technology, sustainable design and sheer American grit at America’s greatest manufacturing experience."

20. Stay the night on a marina boat

Yes, you can do this in Michigan. And you should at least once.

A number of marinas throughout the state offer "hotel stays" on marina boats. For example, on Airbnb, there are several rentals available near Saugatuck/Douglas, Frankfort and other small cities along Lake Michigan.

These marina stays are uniquely Michigan — and relatively cost-effective, too!

21. Copper Harbor Trails

The northernmost point of mainland Michigan is a prime destination for outdoor and sports enthusiasts.

We're talking more than 35 miles of forest and mountain trails that overlook Lake Superior, good for hiking and biking during the summer (and skiing and snowshoeing in the winter). You can bring a dog. And it's free.

Check out the website for more.

22. 40 Mile Point Lighthouse

Michigan is home to dozens of lighthouses, but here's one you may not have visited yet.

40 Mile Point Lighthouse, about 7 miles north of Rogers City, is more than a century old and offers a beautiful view of Lake Huron. And, as John Carlisle pointed out in our original Michigan bucket list in 2015, "there’s also a real shipwreck poking out of the sands on a beach that’s just a short trail’s walk from the lighthouse."

Visit the website for more.

• From 2015: The Ultimate Michigan Bucket List

Have a suggestion for our list of Michigan's hidden gems for summer? Let Brian Manzullo know at bmanzullo@freepress.com.

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