You won't believe what is on the Michigan's Best list for 2007

The Detroit News has compiled a list of 'Michigan's Best for 2007' in four categories. The categories are - Sports and Recreation, Entertainment/Media, Stuff to Buy, and Food & Drink.

More than 105,000 people mailed in ballots that appeared in The Detroit News and on detnews.com in categories that ranged from restaurants to recreation. We tallied the votes in each of the categories and this section presents the winners - in short, a users guide to Michigan’s Best bets for fun, bargains, food, and more.

One of the quirky things I found on their Michigan's Best Water Park was that Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio took third place. Why have a Michigan's Best list if you are going to include out-of-state items on your list. You might as well vote the Olive Garden as Michigan's Best Italian Restaurant.

Oh wait, they did. Don't we have at least three (the Michigan's Best list chooses the top 3 for each sub-category) Italian restaurants in Michigan that are not chain restaurants?

This reminds me of when the local paper runs a "Best List" and Taco Bell is voted as the best Mexican Restaurant. I won't even go into who was voted as best place for Burger & Fries, Best Fried Chicken, or Best Ice Cream because the top place finishers in each of those category was a lousy chain restaurant.

If you would like an original "Michigan's Best Burger & Fries" list check out my Squidoo lens about Michigan. I have added a poll where you can vote and/or add your favorite Michigan restaurant for Burgers & Fries.

Check it out.

Wild Weekend TV takes you to the top of the Mackinac Bridge

I found this video on YouTube when I decided to see if there were any cool videos of the Mackinac Bridge. Just yesterday I wrote that the Discovery Channel show, Dirty Jobs, was coming to the Mackinac Bridge this Friday, but it looks like Wild Weekend TV beat them to it.

If the video player does not work for you, you can watch the clip here.

Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs to visit the Mackinac Bridge

Mike Rowe, host of the Discovery Channel's show Dirty Jobs, and his crew will make a visit to the Mackinac Bridge this Friday, May 25. They will focus on the never ending work that maintenance crews face to keep the bridge in tip-top shape. I have always admired those who work on the bridge and especially those who paint the bridge while hanging on scaffolding (the roadway alone at midspan is 199 ft. above the water). Also those that work on the road surface while traffic barrels on by.

I have walked the bridge a few times and a couple of those walks have been on windy days. I can attest to the fact that the "Mighty Mac" gets a lot of sway to it when the winds of the straits pick up. You definitely need nerves of steel to work in those conditions.

Via Michigan.gov

Google shows off its new Ann Arbor office

Web Pro News and the Detroit Free Press are reporting that Google opened its new Ann Arbor office to the public to showcase their cool office environment. The new office space will accommodate an estimated 1,000 employees and is currently home to 100 new employees. The Ann Arbor office will concentrate its work on Google's Adwords division. According to the Free Press, "Google was named the country's No. 1 place to work by Fortune Magazine earlier this year. It has 6,500 employees worldwide and receives 1,300 resumes a day."

Read the full Detroit Free Press article.

Extra Michigan related sites have been updated

I have made some updates and added a lot of new stuff to a couple of my extra Michigan-related websites at Squidoo.com. The poll at my Best of Michigan site that asks the question, "Has Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm done a good job running our state?" is showing a landslide number of NO votes with 80% of the votes being NO. I have also added a "Comment" feature to that site that allows you to share positive ideas and thoughts about Michigan. A "Hot Michigan Travel Deals" section was also added with a list if great places to stay around the state.

The Camping in Michigan site now has a few camping recipes, how to take care of cast iron cookware, and great deals on camping equipment.

Michigan Iron Industry Museum hosting an Open House May 20

On May 20 from noon to 4p.m. the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee (about 8 miles west of Marquette) is hosting an Open House. There will be free admission in addition to some light refreshments (rats, no pasties). The museum has its 2006 expansion to show off their informative iron history exhibits. Also, via the Michigan.gov website -

At 1:30 and 3 p.m., the group White Water offers a concert featuring traditional string music from Michigan's immigrant past. Seating is limited.

Tickets for the White Water concert are $7 per adult and $3 per child (age 5-12); children under 5 are admitted free. Tickets may be purchased at the museum beginning May 1 or at the door.

Did you know that Negaunee is Chippewa for pioneer? Now you do :).