What’s to Love about Michigan? Apr 3 09

General Motors faces bankruptcy. The other Detroit auto giants may be next in line, bringing down with them a host of ancillary industries. Jobs in our state continue to evaporate by the thousands, and with them a massive pool of talent as our displaced workforce seeks out greener—or at least, relatively greener—economic pastures in other parts of the country.

Poor old Michigan! With the news daily going from bad to worse, why on earth would anyone want to live here? What’s to love about Michigan?

If at least half a dozen responses don’t instantly snap into your mind, let me help—because the answer is, plenty.

What not to love this incredible state of ours? In every direction—from the Upper Peninsula’s rugged Lake Superior shoreline to the lush vineyards of the lower southwest; from our west coast’s dramatic dunescapes past hundreds of inland lakes and streams to the fertile farmland of the Saginaw Valley—Michigan is an amazing state. We are blessed, wonderfully blessed, with an abundance of natural resources, diversity, interest, and beauty that rival any other state in this great country.

In the face of today’s economic woes, perhaps it’s time to stand back and refocus on all that Michigan has to offer. I love this state. It’s a wonderful place to live, and there are a wealth of factors that make it so. Big city culture and small town charm. Art fairs and Renaissance festivals. Lakes full of fish and forests filled with game. Fine dining and campfire cookouts. Swimming in the summer and skiing in the winter. Nature preserves and hiking trails. The color, richness, and drama of all four seasons…and so very, very much more.

With all this in mind, allow me to introduce What’s to Love about Michigan?—an exclusive WaterlandLiving series dedicated to exploring all the value that this magnificent state of ours affords. One a month, we’ll focus on a particular aspect of Michigan living that will remind you why the Mitten and the Land North of the Bridge are so special, and why no other folks are quite like the Trolls and da Yoopers.

What’s to Love about Michigan? won’t be so much a departure from the regular posts in this blog as an extension of them. Hopefully, your visits to this site have already enriched your appreciation for just how much there is to love about this state! But by taking a somewhat different angle, we hope to deepen your awareness of what makes life in Michigan so worthwhile.

This article is the launch. Next month we’ll focus on an actual aspect of Michigan living. By then, the spring will be well underway. With wildflowers carpeting the woodlands and trout fishermen patrolling the streams, it’s a wonderful season here in the northwoods—and one of the great many things to love about Michigan.