I have long collected bits and pieces of Michigan memorabilia through numerous travels across the state. One thing that I never fail to grab is the new map issued each year by MDOT. Probably the most popular cover in recent years is the 2007 map featuring the 50th Anniversary of the Mackinac Bridge.
Michigan [...]

Over the weekend we visited the St. Joe Valley Old Engine Association Antique Tractor and Engine Show held on their show grounds at Boot Hill Ranch near Jones, Michigan. I grew up not far from Boot Hill Ranch and have fond memories of attending shows in my younger years.
This year’s show featured Case tractors [...]

Here are just a few ideas for great free things to do in Michigan (besides reading this blog of course ) before summer is over. I picked these from this book, “What’s Cheap & Free in Michigan.”
Deadman’s Hill - a great view of the Jordan Valley from one of the higher spots in [...]

The Sleeping Bear Dunegrass & Blues Festival runs Thursday, July 31st, through Sunday, August 3rd. You can still get tickets online through tomorrow, July 30th, for pickup at the festival. The gates are open every day at 8 a.m. until 12 a.m.
One day passes are $48.50 with full weekend passes starting at $123.50 [...]

Go North!
To Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to be exact. Here’s a quick glance around at some of today’s temps in the U.P. -
Marquette - 76
Escanaba - 75
Sault Ste. Marie - 78
Paradise - 72
Versus a smattering of some Lower Peninsula temps -
Detroit - 90
Grand Rapids - 90
White Pigeon - 88
Traverse City - 86
Not sure [...]

In an effort to shave approximately $13,000 off of its annual operating costs the Mackinac Bridge Authority and MDOT have put in place a plan to shut off the bridge’s decorative lighting beginning at 1 a.m. In the past the decorative lights came on a sunset and shut off at sunrise.
This way, folks can [...]

In yesterday’s Detroit Free Press there is a plethora of things to do and places to visit this summer - and guess what?

They’re all in Michigan!

We stopped and bought a paper today because we wanted to know what time the local Memorial Day parade was going to be. The front page of the Kalamazoo Gazette said in regards to Memorial Day Parades, “A Complete List is on B-2.” Cool, I thought.

When I looked at B-2 only Kalamazoo areas had their parade times listed. What kind of a complete list is that?

So, I turned to the internet and searched - White Pigeon Memorial Day parade. The first result was ironically enough for the Kalamazoo Gazette blog at mlive.com.

The place to be this summer for Michigan residents is . . . Michigan, of course. Gas prices will most likely range from $4 to $4.50 a gallon this summer which means summer trips might be restricted to in-state trips.

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Michigan has plenty to offer and a lot of places are even offering discounts and gas cards to make sure you give them a try. An article in today’s Detroit Free Press has the details on what different towns and businesses are doing to help out with the high price of fuel.

For ideas on what Michigan has to offer check out these Squidoo pages I have created:

Camping in Michigan
Best of Michigan
Mackinac Bridge
Indoor Water Park Hotels in Michigan
Michigan Vacation Getaway
Top 10 Michigan Wonders

MDOT has updated the MI Drive website to help drivers “visually locate lane closures and major construction projects on state highways (M, I, and U.S. routes) in addition to reading about them.” The interactive map can also be customized by saving some of your views. Say you drive in Detroit often - you [...]