Travel Oracles 50 States: Michigan
As part of my summer series - Travel Oracles 50 States - I am revisiting each os the fifty American states as an overview on travel culture and history. Today: Michigan
Joined: On January 26th 1837, Michigan was officially admitted as the 26th state in the Union. However, Michigan's path to statehood wasn't without its own share of drama. A skirmish with Ohio known as the Toledo War delayed Michigan's statehood and led to a trade: Toledo remained in Ohio, while the Upper Peninsula became part of Michigan.
Original Indigenous Peoples: Michigan's three largest tribes are the Ojibwe (also called Chippewa), the Odawa (also called Ottowa) and the Potawatomi (also called the Bode'wadmi).
First Settlers: Father Jacques Marquette (French) founded the first permanent settlement in Michigan at Sault Ste. Marie in 1668 and, in 1671, founded St. Ignace.
History moment: Although the Treaty of Paris granted the Northwest Territories to the United States in 1783, most of the settlers and Native American Indians living in Detroit favored the British, who continued to maintain control. It wasn’t until a coalition of Indian tribes, known as the Western Confederacy, lost the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1795 that the British finally evacuated in 1796 and the new United States took control.
Known for: The Wolverine State, beautiful Great Lakes shorelines, Detroit, the state’s largest city, is the home of the American auto industry and is the birthplace of Motown Records
Places: Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor
Movie setting: True Romance, Robocop, Grosse Pointe Blank, 8 Mile, Dreamgirls
Musicians from: Jackie Wilson, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Iggy Pop, Madonna, Jack White, Eminem
Surprising facts: Michigan has more than 11,000 inland lakes, greater than 36,000 miles of streams and 3,126 miles of shoreline along the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes contain more than 80 percent of North America’s—and more than 20 percent of the world’s—surface freshwater supply.
Flanked by four Great Lakes and with 2,000 miles of shoreline (even more than California), Michigan is divided into two peninsulas—the Lower, which resembles a mitten and is the more densely populated, and the Upper, which is more rugged and rural. Ask a Michigander where he or she lives, and directions will likely be given using the palm of their hand, with the south-central part of the state known as "the Thumb." Lakes play a part both in the state's psyche and its recreational possibilities, which are both legendary and numerous. In summer, popular choices include canoeing, fishing, swimming, sailing, scuba diving, water skiing, and camping. In winter, trails welcome snowmobilers, skiers, snowshoers, and dogsledders. Let’s travel to Michigan
My Experience: I enjoyed my last trip to Detroit, which included some nice time on the lake - I would go back to enjoy the great outdoors
Detroit: Founded in 1701 as "la Ville d'Etroit"—the City at the Straits—Detroit is one of the Midwest's oldest cities. Originally a strategic Native American and French trading post, by the mid-19th century the city was compared to Paris because of its scenic parks and beautiful architecture. The 20th century saw Detroit's evolution into the modern Motor City, the city that put the world on wheels. With the growth of the auto industry, Detroit and its suburbs spread out across an ever larger geographical area, eventually making it one of the country's largest metropolitan areas. Though primarily known for Motown and motors, Detroit is also one of the world's busiest inland ports and a major steel producer. Things to do
Nature: The National Park Service operates five national parks in Michigan -- though some are under specific designations, like national lakeshore, national battlefield and national heritage park: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Isle Royale National Park, River Raisin National Battlefield Park, Keweenaw National Historical Park
Ranking in US: Per the annual US News report, Michigan is currently ranked #38 out of 50 in 2021, down from #33 in 2019.