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To give you an idea, this state is home to more than 100 public beaches, some of the highest freshwater sand dunes in the world, stunning multi-colored sandstone cliffs, two National Lakeshores and the only national marine sanctuary in the Great Lakes--the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron. More than 100 lighthouses, numerous maritime museums, ten shipwreck-diving preserves and historic military fortifications rim Michigan's Great Lakes shoreline. Lakes, campgrounds, wildlife refuges and 99 Michigan state parks and recreation areas create a wide variety of recreational pursuits. Rivers for water sports, and thousands of miles of hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling trails thread their way among some 100 species of trees.
Hundreds of islands dot Michigan waters. Isle Royale National Park is a remote wilderness retreat in Lake Superior where wolves and moose roam free. Mackinac Island, located in the Straits of Mackinac, is a lush 19th-century resort community fixed firmly in the Victorian era, a car-free island dominated by an 18th-century fort and the more than a century-old Grand Hotel, America's largest summer resort hotel. The Upper Peninsula, which is 90 percent forested, retains its aura of accessible wilderness. Vast wildlife and waterfowl refuges, 150 waterfalls, iron and copper mines, the Soo Locks (where ocean-going freighters make the 21-foot leap from Lake Superior to Lake Huron) are within an easy drive of one another.
Located in southeastern Michigan, Detroit is the largest city in the state, the 10th largest city in the United States and the eighth largest metropolitan area. Detroit has had a profound impact on the world - from being the automobile capital of the world to inventing the Motown sound - Detroit has crafted American culture. The dynamic of the city is luring many younger residents to the downtown area. Luxury high rises such as the three Riverfront Towers have views of Hart Plaza and Canada. The New Center area contains examples of historic housing redevelopment. The newly re-opened Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel includes a number of luxury condos. The east river development plans include more luxury condominium developments. A desire to be closer to the urban scene has attracted young professionals to take up residence among the mansions of Grosse Pointe just outside the city. Detroit's proximity to Windsor, Ontario, provides for views and nightlife, along with Ontario's minimum drinking age of 19.
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A picturesque, midsize city, with a vibrant pedestrian-friendly downtown, Ann Harbor is a bastion of laid-back liberalism and environmental activism on the western fringe of conservative Detroit. The city's independent streak springs from the professors and students affiliated with the University of Michigan, the city's largest employer.
A major tourist destination since wealthy Chicagoans first came here in the late 1800s, Lake Michigan Shore is lined with sandy beaches, 19th century resorts, working ports and more than 25 scenic lighthouses. The resort town of Saugatuck makes an ideal base to explore the shore. A noteworthy attraction 20 miles south is the excellent Michigan Maritime Museum which narrates the history of fishing, shipping, and shipbuilding on the Great Lakes.
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