Welcome to Michigan.
Great Lakes
Michigan is known as the Great Lakes States, and the plethora of road map covers featuring them is evidence of the importance to the state.
Maps – 1947 – Lakeshore   1968 – Soo Locks   2000 – Lighthouses   2001 – Great Lakes Great Times   2010 – Fishtown in Leland   2012 – Unidentified Small Harbor
Bordering 4 of the 5 Great Lakes gives Michigan 3,288 miles of shoreline – more than any state other than Alaska. With that much shoreline, they have a large collection of lighthouses.
Below are two from the Lake Michigan area near Ludington.
Below photos are from various internet sources
Transportation in Michigan
Maps – 1951 – Unidentified Country Road   1974 – Modes of Transportation   1975 – Interstate 75   1993 – Boats and Cars   2005 – 100 Years of Michigan Transportation
For more than 100 years Michigan has been the automobile manufacturing capital of the world.
Detroit area map from 1951 – before freeways. Detroit, and other midwest cities, were the first cities in the world built with the car in mind.
Most of the main roads are multi-lane, with very wide median strips to enable ‘Michigan Lefts’.
In virtually the entire world there are left turn lanes, and protected by traffic light left turns. In Michigan where there is a boulevard, there are no left turns – rather you turn right, immediately jump over to the left laen, do a U turn, and go on your way.
This photo from the Woodward Dream Cruise shows the northbound traffic, with a U turn to return to Marshall Street Westbound . Also note the No Left Turn sign at the intersection itself.
Michigan has a long history of railroads throughout the state. While much of the passenger traffic is gone there are still some nicely restored stations throughout the state.
In the small town of Hickory Corners is the Gilmore Car Museum. Built across a campus like a small town, they have a fantastic collection of American cars, plus numerous buildings that have either been moved there or built there to recreate the original.
Below are some examples, a diner moved from Connecticut, and the Cadillac dealership.
The Sinclair station is in a nearby town.
Grosse Pointe is a wealthy suburb of Detroit. Each year they the Great Lakes Boating Festival at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.
Parks
Maps – 1965 – Douglass Houghton Waterfall   1980 – Au Sable River   1989, 2011, 2014 – Sleeping Bear Dunes   2009 – Roadside Parks   2013 – Pictured Rocks National Seashore Cruise   2016 – Isle Royal National Park
There are a number of National Park Service locations in the state.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It spans 35 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, and has dunes over 200′ high.
Tahquamenon Falls State Park is in the Upper Peninsula. There are two waterfalls in the park, with the upper falls dropping 48′, with a width of 200′ making this one of the highest volume waterfalls east of the Mississippi River. It’s nickname is Rootbeer Falls, due to it’s color.
Grand Marais is at the eastern end of Pictured Rocks National Seashore.
Pictured Rocks is one of the most dramatic locales in the east.
Variety Â
1970 – Winter in Michigan   1976 – Bicentennial   2003, 2006, 2018 – Collages of Seasons and Regions
Frankenmuth is a faux German town. It is a huge tourist spot.
Grand Rapids is the second largest city in the state, far behind Detroit.
Meyer May House is a classic Frank Lloyd Wright design located in Grand Rapids.
Also in Grand Rapids is the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
Battle Creek had a forest of trees killed by the emerald ash borer disease. Rather than just clear cut them, they had a number of carvers come turn it into something special.
Marquette is the largest city in the Upper Peninsula. It is also home to Northern Michigan University. With the long, cold, snowy winters they have opted for a domed football stadium. This one is special as it is primarily wood.
The Upper Peninsula people (affectionately known as Yoopies) are a unique bunch, with a creative side.
Bridges
1971 – History of Bridges   1984, 1997, 2007, 2017 – Mackinac Bridge
The Mackinac Bridge is the most famous bridge in the state. It connects the Lower Peninsula to the Upper Peninsula.
Among the others in the state is the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, Canada
In Battle Creek they have a park where they take all the old obsolete county road bridges and used them in the hiking/biking trail.
Detroit – 1973, 1978, 2015
Tiger Stadium – Home of the Detroit Tigers from 1912 until 1999. It sat empty for 10 years before the city tour it down – but not without much fight from the community.
It was replaced by Comerica Park.
The Detroit Institute of Art has an amazing Diego Rivera mural depicting the industrial life of the city in the 1930s.
The Guardian Building in Detroit is one of the best art deco skyscrapers in existence.
The Fisher Building is another great art deco building.
Detroit is Motown.Unfortunately many of the auto factories have long closed like this massive former Packard factory.
The Woodward Dream Cruise is the largest classic car gathering in the world. It occurs each August in the suburbs just north of Detroit.
Detroit is home to one of the most important New Car Shows as well.
Henry Ford spent much of his fortune on building Greenfield Village. He moved actual buildings in (like the Wright Brothers Bicycle Shop) to build the town.
1987 – Mackinac Island
This entire island became Michigan’s first state park in the late 1800s.
Main Street (from Wikipedia)
Hotel
1996 – State Capitol
Lansing is Michigan’s state capital.
State Flag
State Seal
State Wildflower – Dwarf Lake Iris
State Children’s Book – Legend of Sleeping Bear
RDZ Photography 