Michigan's Tahquamenon River, in the Upper Peninsula. Photo by Ryan Ziolko

By Emily Bingham | ebingham@mlive.com

Sorry to break it to you, Everywhere Else, but fall in Michigan is simply the best. This time of year our great state is bursting with color across two peninsulas, and it's never not stunning -- whether it's juxtaposed with the dramatic beauty of our Great Lakes, the soulful beauty of our farmlands, or the textured beauty of our cities. Scroll through the slideshow for images from around our state to stoke the fall love, then let us know in the comments where your favorite spots for autumn are.

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Tahquamenon Falls

It's fitting that the wildly beautiful, nearly 50,000-acre Tahquamenon Falls State Park is anchored by a town named Paradise.

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Elberta

This bite-sized village (population: less than 400) is a lovely spot on the shores of Lake Michigan and Betsie Bay, a stone's throw from Frankfort. The surrounding hills, rivers, lakes and forests of Benzie County come alive with color this time of year.

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Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

There's more to Sleeping Bear than just the dunes, of course; this photo from the Glen Lake Overlook along the park's Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive (a gorgeous place for a fall color tour) proves it.

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What is it about covered bridges in autumn? This National Park Service one, also located along Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, is extra lovely when surrounded by the changing colors of the forest.

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Buckley

This stunning overlook (known interchangeably as the High Rollaways, Inspiration Point, and also Horseshoe Bend Overlook) is in Buckley, about 20 miles south of Traverse City. (It's also on our list of Michigan's most spectacular autumn overlooks.)

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M-22

The part of M-22 that skirts the Lake Michigan shoreline is especially dramatic this time of year, when the blues of the water are juxtaposed with the rich tones of autumn.

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Iron Mountain

About as far west as you can get in Michigan (so far west, in fact, that the town is on Central Time).

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Ontonagon

Home to the U.P.'s Porcupine Mountains, and the epic views of Lake of the Clouds.

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Glen Arbor

Most folks who travel to Sleeping Bear Dunes know Glen Arbor as a small but bustling summer destination. It'd definitely worth seeing in the fall, though, when most of the tourists have left for the year, and the woods embody autumn magic.

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Porcupine Mountains

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park encompasses nearly 60,000 acres of richly forested land, much of which contains old-growth stands of virgin trees. These hardwood forests come ablaze this time of year.

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Detroit

Familiar landmarks in Detroit take on a different kind of beauty when autumn rolls around.

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Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

The many moods of Lake Superior make for some compelling scenery along the dramatic Pictured Rocks shoreline.

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Hanover

Drone photography has radically changed the ways we can admire and appreciate our great state's scenery, as seen here in this image from Jackson County.

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Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor has been nicknamed "Tree Town" for its many forested areas, making it a great spot for a fall stroll. Check out the trails along the Huron River, or take a trip to Nichols Arboretum -- the city's unofficial Central Park.

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East Lansing

On the banks of the Red Cedar ... are trees that become breathtaking this time of year.

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Marquette

The biggest city in the U.P. is an excellent home base for a weekend (or more) of autumn adventures.

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Drummund Island

This island in Lake Huron boasts one of the world's largest closed-loop ORV trail systems -- a unique way of taking in fall in Michigan.

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Mackinac Island

Michigan's quintessential summer tourist destination is redefined by fall: you'll find fewer visitors, quieter days, and sometimes even some shoulder-season deals.

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Traverse City

The Traverse City region pretty much has endless places to explore this time of year: Try a late-season wine tour along Old Mission Peninsula, hike the old state hospital trails at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, or canoe the Boardman River to soak up the scenery.

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Keweenaw Peninsula

The northernmost points in Michigan are here in the Keweenaw, where you'll find unspoiled woods, waterfalls, shoreline and even one of the state's prettiest drives.

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Northport

Located at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, Northport sits along West Grand Traverse Bay and is home to orchards like Kilcherman's Christmas Cove Farm, which specializes in rare antique apples.

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Houghton

Once named one of the 100 best small towns in America, this Keweenaw Peninsula town is a picturesque fall destination.

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Oscoda

River Road National Scenic Byway runs west from Oscoda, following the path of the Au Sable River, with stops along the way for scenery such as this.

Related: The best fall drives in every part of Michigan

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Harbor Springs

Harbor Springs is the launching point for the scenic portion of M-119 known as the Tunnel of Trees: a very narrow two-lane roadway that hugs a Lake Michigan bluff while dipping underneath archways of interlacing branches. It's easily one of the state's best destinations for a fall drive.

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Alba

Deadman's Hill Overlook in Warner Township, near Alba, is little known to most people who live outside the region, yet it's easily one of the Lower Peninsula's prettiest views.

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This little-known Michigan overlook is drop-dead gorgeous in the fall

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