With completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, water transportation to the Midwest brought an influx of new settlers to the area and Michigan joined the Union as a state a decade later.
Today, with borders on four of the five Great Lakes, Michigan is comprised of Upper and Lower peninsulas, linked by one of the world's largest suspension bridges, Mackinac Bridge.
A landmark in its own right, the Mackinac Bridge also serves as prime entryway to the state's biggest tourist attractions in Mackinaw City with summer fun-in-the-sun at sandy beaches, tours of historic lighthouses, and day trips by ferry to quaint and picturesque Mackinac Island.
An historic center of car manufacturing, Michigan also provides visitors a look at the car making process with regularly scheduled tours of manufacturing plants, as well as a closer look at where it all started at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.
Top summer attractions in Michigan include incredibly scenic Sleeping Bear Dunes on Lake Michigan,
day trips to picturesque Mackinac Island, and tours of the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.
DID YOU KNOW? Michigan Travel Fun Facts
Hands across the water: the
chain ferry in Saugatuck.
• Stand anywhere in Michigan and you are no more than 85 miles from a Great Lake.
More about Michigan tourist attractions around the Web:
Michigan.org - Major attractions throughout the site with focus on recreational
fun - including biking trails, best fishing locations, beaches, campgrounds & water parks, with related photos, maps.
Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council - A complete cybertour of the region including
information on major attractions in St. Joe, Grand Junction, LaGrange and more
with guides to beaches & boating, fairs & festivals, golf courses, wineries,
restaurants, hotels, bed & breakfasts,