So you think you know Michigan, do you? Can you name off an entire alphabet of information about the Great Lakes State? We thought for fun we would do just that, giving you everything you need to know from A to Z.
Automotive
Jack Snell/Flickr Michigan is the birthplace of the modern automobile, as pictured here.
Beaches
Jim Sorble/Flickr Our beaches are among the celebrated in the country, and for good reason. The sands are silky and soft; the waves, though still powerful, not as unpredictable as the ocean. And of course, the fresh water makes our beaches preferable to those on the coasts.
Cherries
yooperann/Flickr Some 75 percent of the country’s tart cherries come from right here in Michigan. No wonder the pitted fruit is so celebrated.
Detroit
Mike Boening Photography/Flickr Michigan’s largest city, Detroit was the birthplace of techno, Motown and the automotive industry. None small feats.
Eating
Steven Depolo/Flickr Michigan has its own regional eating traditions that you really can’t find anywhere else, including the Coney, pictured here.
Fishing
Eddie Verhamme/Flickr Michigan is home to countless lakes, thus making for a ripe location for fishing. So much so that it’s one of the top states in the country for licensed fisher men and women.
Great Lakes
tonynetone/Flickr As droughts abound elsewhere in the country, Michigan has the leading source of fresh water, thanks to the presence of the Great Lakes.
Holland
Kymberly Janisch/Flickr Best known for its celebration of its Dutch heritage, this city sings every year in May with the launch of the Tulip Time Festival.
Ice cream
Wendy Berry/Flickr OK, so everywhere you go, you’ll find ice cream. In Michigan, keep an eye for the unique taste and blue color of Blue Moon ice cream.
Jeff Daniels
Insomnia Cured Here/Flickr You may know him from the Newsroom, Escanaba in da Moonlight and Dumb and Dumber. While born in Athens, Georgia, Daniels was raised right here in Chelsea.
Kellogg’s
Roadsidepictures/Flickr You can thank Michigan as being the homeland of the modern day cereal breakfast. Kellogg’s is headquartered in Battle Creek.
Lighthouses
Jeff S. PhotoArt at HDCanvas/Flickr With as many as 247 lighthouses, Michigan is home to the most such structures in the country. Makes sense since Michigan and the Great Lakes has historically been such an important waterway for the country’s economy.
Mackinac Island
PicselPerfect/Flickr You can’t drive a car here. And you’re rewarded with fudge and a nostalgic walk back in time with the island’s small town charm. No wonder it’s such a popular tourist destination for Midwesterners from all over.
Novi
Bob Julius/Flickr Yeah, OK, it’s a suburb of Detroit but it’s also one of the best places to live in the state for several statistical certainties. Great schools, employment opportunities, local amenities and a safe proximity to the big city, Novi has what many are looking for in a hometown.
Orchards
Rachel Kramer/Flickr Michigan is responsible for producing some 900 million pounds of apples every year in its vast apple orchards. You’ll find Fuji, Honeycrisp, Jonagold and plenty other variety of apples, all grown here.
Petoskey stone
irvindr/Flickr This rock and fossil is also the state’s official stone. They’re often found on Michigan beaches and they make for the perfect Michigan scavenger hunt prize.
Quincy
Wystan/Flickr This tiny town of about 1,600 is home of such notable Michiganders as journalist Jill Dobson, MLB umpire Scott Barry and one of Michigan’s first state senators, Samuel Ethridge. See? Big names can come out of small places.
Romney
Kenneth Watson/Flickr Speaking of big names, most of us are familiar with former presidential candidate Mitt Romney. But did you know that in the 1960s, his father George was the Michigan state governor? His office experienced a dramatic period of unrest for Michigan, right in the midst of the struggle for civil equality in America.
Sunrise
Blaine Court/Flickr Just plop yourself on any coast in Michigan during sunrise or sunset and you’re bound for a magical view, as pictured here.
Traverse City
Joey Lax-Salinas/Flickr This northern Michigan city is renowned for its outdoors, its food and wine scene and its perfect proximity to the Great Lakes.
Universities
Alex/Flickr Whether you’re a fan of U of M or Michigan State, you’re bound to be in good company. The academics are top notch as are the athletics.
Views
Renden Pederson/Flickr Just take one glimpse of a view like this one at Porcupine Mountains and you’ll be captivated.
Wolverine
Marie Hale/Flickr Yeah, we’re known as the Wolverine State. Sure there are really no more wolverines in the state, but it makes for quite the interesting mascot, no?
eXperience
Will Marlow/Flickr OK fine, we’re cheating here a little bit. But the point is that there is just so much to EXPERIENCE here in Michigan, particularly in our vast natural resources.
Ypsilanti
Don…The UpNorth Memories Guy… Harrison/Flickr Originally founded as a fur trading post, the city whose name is often mispronounced, and has, because of its proximity to the Huron River, been an important connector for Detroit and Chicago.
Zingerman’s, Ann Arbor
Frank Roche/Flickr This growing family of companies was founded around the idea that Michigan could produce some of the highest quality meats, cheeses, baked goods and other foods - without having to rely on the outside.
Disclaimer: we know there’s more to Michigan than this alphabet, but we thought this would be a fun lil’ piece of trivia. What do you think?
Jack Snell/Flickr
Michigan is the birthplace of the modern automobile, as pictured here.
Jim Sorble/Flickr
Our beaches are among the celebrated in the country, and for good reason. The sands are silky and soft; the waves, though still powerful, not as unpredictable as the ocean. And of course, the fresh water makes our beaches preferable to those on the coasts.
yooperann/Flickr
Some 75 percent of the country’s tart cherries come from right here in Michigan. No wonder the pitted fruit is so celebrated.
Mike Boening Photography/Flickr
Michigan’s largest city, Detroit was the birthplace of techno, Motown and the automotive industry. None small feats.
Steven Depolo/Flickr
Michigan has its own regional eating traditions that you really can’t find anywhere else, including the Coney, pictured here.
Eddie Verhamme/Flickr
Michigan is home to countless lakes, thus making for a ripe location for fishing. So much so that it’s one of the top states in the country for licensed fisher men and women.
tonynetone/Flickr
As droughts abound elsewhere in the country, Michigan has the leading source of fresh water, thanks to the presence of the Great Lakes.
Kymberly Janisch/Flickr
Best known for its celebration of its Dutch heritage, this city sings every year in May with the launch of the Tulip Time Festival.
Wendy Berry/Flickr
OK, so everywhere you go, you’ll find ice cream. In Michigan, keep an eye for the unique taste and blue color of Blue Moon ice cream.
Insomnia Cured Here/Flickr
You may know him from the Newsroom, Escanaba in da Moonlight and Dumb and Dumber. While born in Athens, Georgia, Daniels was raised right here in Chelsea.
Roadsidepictures/Flickr
You can thank Michigan as being the homeland of the modern day cereal breakfast. Kellogg’s is headquartered in Battle Creek.
Jeff S. PhotoArt at HDCanvas/Flickr
With as many as 247 lighthouses, Michigan is home to the most such structures in the country. Makes sense since Michigan and the Great Lakes has historically been such an important waterway for the country’s economy.
PicselPerfect/Flickr
You can’t drive a car here. And you’re rewarded with fudge and a nostalgic walk back in time with the island’s small town charm. No wonder it’s such a popular tourist destination for Midwesterners from all over.
Bob Julius/Flickr
Yeah, OK, it’s a suburb of Detroit but it’s also one of the best places to live in the state for several statistical certainties. Great schools, employment opportunities, local amenities and a safe proximity to the big city, Novi has what many are looking for in a hometown.
Rachel Kramer/Flickr
Michigan is responsible for producing some 900 million pounds of apples every year in its vast apple orchards. You’ll find Fuji, Honeycrisp, Jonagold and plenty other variety of apples, all grown here.
irvindr/Flickr
This rock and fossil is also the state’s official stone. They’re often found on Michigan beaches and they make for the perfect Michigan scavenger hunt prize.
Wystan/Flickr
This tiny town of about 1,600 is home of such notable Michiganders as journalist Jill Dobson, MLB umpire Scott Barry and one of Michigan’s first state senators, Samuel Ethridge. See? Big names can come out of small places.
Kenneth Watson/Flickr
Speaking of big names, most of us are familiar with former presidential candidate Mitt Romney. But did you know that in the 1960s, his father George was the Michigan state governor? His office experienced a dramatic period of unrest for Michigan, right in the midst of the struggle for civil equality in America.
Blaine Court/Flickr
Just plop yourself on any coast in Michigan during sunrise or sunset and you’re bound for a magical view, as pictured here.
Joey Lax-Salinas/Flickr
This northern Michigan city is renowned for its outdoors, its food and wine scene and its perfect proximity to the Great Lakes.
Alex/Flickr
Whether you’re a fan of U of M or Michigan State, you’re bound to be in good company. The academics are top notch as are the athletics.
Renden Pederson/Flickr
Just take one glimpse of a view like this one at Porcupine Mountains and you’ll be captivated.
Marie Hale/Flickr
Yeah, we’re known as the Wolverine State. Sure there are really no more wolverines in the state, but it makes for quite the interesting mascot, no?
Will Marlow/Flickr
OK fine, we’re cheating here a little bit. But the point is that there is just so much to EXPERIENCE here in Michigan, particularly in our vast natural resources.
Don…The UpNorth Memories Guy… Harrison/Flickr
Originally founded as a fur trading post, the city whose name is often mispronounced, and has, because of its proximity to the Huron River, been an important connector for Detroit and Chicago.
Frank Roche/Flickr
This growing family of companies was founded around the idea that Michigan could produce some of the highest quality meats, cheeses, baked goods and other foods - without having to rely on the outside.
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