I never knew how much I missed Michigan till I lived in Tucson (Phoenix: schools, quality of life)
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I can't agree with that at all. The desert is beautiful, full of trees, cactus, shrubs and life year round. At times there are carpets of flowers, trees by the thousands covered with bright yellow blossoms and fields of green native grasses set against a backdrop of colorful mountains, deep shadows and ever-changing light. There are parts that are not much more than creosote and the high deserts of Arizona and New Mexico don't do much for me, but I find much of the Sonoran desert to be lovely and I am hardly alone in that. There is a national park that showcases the desert and several national monuments that preserve its beauty. There is nothing "wintry" at all about the desert.
Amen!!!! The desert has its own beauty....and I love it....love the Az mountains, river. and valleys too....just really love Arizona.
Why is the biggest argument weather?
If it's too cold - put on a coat, too hot - go inside air conditioning/swim/eat a popsicle...
how about stuff to do?
In Michigan basically all there is to do is eat / shop / sleep / go to a park or beach (for 3 months of the year).
If that's your idea of life- fantastic.... but if not & you live in Michigan tell me what
other great activities there are here I will be sincerely impressed.
If this is the extent of activities you have found in Michigan, I do not see you finding much else to do anywhere. Here is a list off the top of my head of things that I have enjoyed over my 40 years in Michigan.
1-Hunting, Michigan has some of the best hunting in the country.
2-Camping, My family and I have camped all over the state, from the back yard to the U.P
3-Boating, water skiing, sailing, wave runners, tubing or just hanging at the beach.
4-Motocross, My son and I have ridden just about every track here in Michigan along with some of the funnest trails and ORV trails anywhere.
5-Rollerblading at Kennsington metro park. Or walking their nature trail, going to their waterpark are just a few of the things they have there.
6- Mountain Biking, Lot's of trails right by my house
7- Canoeing, there are so many great rivers but we prefer the Au Sable out of Mio. River is nice and wide and deep.
8-How did I leave out fishing, whether your on an inland lake, one of the GREAT LAKES or a river. Michigan has some awesome fishing.
9-Travel, just traveling in general. There are so many amazing places to see. Just look at the Michigan photo thread. Pictured Rocks, Mackinac Island, Sleeping BEar dunes, some of the ghost towns in the U.P.
10- Then you add the norm. Red Wing games, Pistons, Tigers, Lions ( if you like the other team) Wolverines, Spartans, the downtown Casinos.
This is still just the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot more things here I have NOT done. I just wanted to focus on what I HAVE DONE.
If this is the extent of activities you have found in Michigan, I do not see you finding much else to do anywhere. Here is a list off the top of my head of things that I have enjoyed over my 40 years in Michigan.
1-Hunting, Michigan has some of the best hunting in the country.
2-Camping, My family and I have camped all over the state, from the back yard to the U.P
3-Boating, water skiing, sailing, wave runners, tubing or just hanging at the beach.
4-Motocross, My son and I have ridden just about every track here in Michigan along with some of the funnest trails and ORV trails anywhere.
5-Rollerblading at Kennsington metro park. Or walking their nature trail, going to their waterpark are just a few of the things they have there.
6- Mountain Biking, Lot's of trails right by my house
7- Canoeing, there are so many great rivers but we prefer the Au Sable out of Mio. River is nice and wide and deep.
8-How did I leave out fishing, whether your on an inland lake, one of the GREAT LAKES or a river. Michigan has some awesome fishing.
9-Travel, just traveling in general. There are so many amazing places to see. Just look at the Michigan photo thread. Pictured Rocks, Mackinac Island, Sleeping BEar dunes, some of the ghost towns in the U.P.
10- Then you add the norm. Red Wing games, Pistons, Tigers, Lions ( if you like the other team) Wolverines, Spartans, the downtown Casinos.
This is still just the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot more things here I have NOT done. I just wanted to focus on what I HAVE DONE.
All of those are true, but there are SO many more...
Winter sports! Snowmobiling, ice fishing, NATURAL skiing, etc.
Fall color tours. I've seen most of the country, and there are few places in the nation that even compare to the variety of colors that Michigan produces in the fall. It's truly picturesque.
All of those are true, but there are SO many more...
Winter sports! Snowmobiling, ice fishing, NATURAL skiing, etc.
Fall color tours. I've seen most of the country, and there are few places in the nation that even compare to the variety of colors that Michigan produces in the fall. It's truly picturesque.
I was trying to hurry as I was getting my son ready for school. I just signed on because I knew I forgot some obvious ones. I know I left out ALL the winter activities you mentioned. I also left off Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford museum. The FOX, the Purple Rose theater. I also have not been there but plan to visit this summer. The Lake in the Clouds in the U.P Everyone I know that has been there said it was one of the most amazing things they have ever seen. Just pure beauty.
Also left off The Cherry Festival in TC. The yearly air show at Willow Run. There are so many things to do I can't even begin to touch on them all.
Now this is not to say there is nothing to do in Arizona to all you Arizona people who may read this. This is just a response to the person who has hardly stepped off his porch that claims there is nothing to do in Michigan.
Let me throw in a few from a person who *left* AZ for MI a year ago after a number of years in AZ.
Festivals, March through October. Virtually every type available just about every weekend. Heck, they threw a beer festival in late February that drew 4000! At last count over 80 microbreweries and growing.
Golf. Green fees are so cheap here it's hard to believe. No doubt cheap water helps. Tee off around 5 for twilight rates, play 18 well before dark.
Roadside scenery. One of the first things that struck me was how little trash I've seen here. Contrast this to I-10 or I-19 where its nonstop.
Yes, as one person said MI isn't for everyone. It's more enjoyed by the active, younger group that tend to not let weather bother them. They're too busy enjoying life and what the state offers.
Let me throw in a few from a person who *left* AZ for MI a year ago after a number of years in AZ.
Festivals, March through October. Virtually every type available just about every weekend. Heck, they threw a beer festival in late February that drew 4000! At last count over 80 microbreweries and growing.
Golf. Green fees are so cheap here it's hard to believe. No doubt cheap water helps. Tee off around 5 for twilight rates, play 18 well before dark.
Roadside scenery. One of the first things that struck me was how little trash I've seen here. Contrast this to I-10 or I-19 where its nonstop.
Yes, as one person said MI isn't for everyone. It's more enjoyed by the active, younger group that tend to not let weather bother them. They're too busy enjoying life and what the state offers.
I have to say I think your the first post I have seen that went from Arizona to Michigan. Your info on golf made me think of what I said to my wife while in Az last year. We went to a place called Cracker Jack and my brothers brought some of their golf clubs for the range. As we parted ways I looked at how they were dressed and turned to my wife and said. " You've know me all these years, can you honestly see me dressing and doing anything like that with them?" Not that they were dressed strange but I'm an ourdoors type and they looked well..... like golfers. LOL
They did a polar bear fund raiser in Gaylord this year on Otsego lake. I think they said over 200 people took the plunge into the icy waters. Michigan people who love Michigan are a different bread. My old boss sent me an e-mail I wish I could post in here. It was a story about one of the worst snow storms to go through the U.P in years. They got about 10' of snow over the course of like 2 or 3 days just non stop. Everything was closed down, and everyone was snowed in. People were without power and some stranded miles from home. The entire community came together to help one another dig out and make it through during and after the storm. People housed stranded strangers from the snow and cold. Took them into their home, fed and gave them a place to stay some up to and over a week. They say it was so bad it could have been declared a natural disaster area. Yet they never asked for any help, it made no news stations and even myself as a Michigan resident never heard anything about it. This storm as I recall was back in 2005 or 2007, I'm not sure.
The point of the story was that even with the economy in the crapper. Michigan having one big black eye after another. People leaving in droves, and other parts of the country asking for money or help for their natural disaster issues at the drop of a hat. This entire community turned to one another and made it through it. No outside help, no boo hoo poor us. Nothing. I thought that story said a lot about the character ad type of people we have living here.
I was trying to hurry as I was getting my son ready for school. I just signed on because I knew I forgot some obvious ones. I know I left out ALL the winter activities you mentioned. I also left off Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford museum. The FOX, the Purple Rose theater. I also have not been there but plan to visit this summer. The Lake in the Clouds in the U.P Everyone I know that has been there said it was one of the most amazing things they have ever seen. Just pure beauty.
Also left off The Cherry Festival in TC. The yearly air show at Willow Run. There are so many things to do I can't even begin to touch on them all.
Now this is not to say there is nothing to do in Arizona to all you Arizona people who may read this. This is just a response to the person who has hardly stepped off his porch that claims there is nothing to do in Michigan.
I must agree with you JGatti - there is a ton to do in Michigan. They even have wine tours in Jackson and throughout Michigan. Jackson throws a Jazz festival once a year and I can't wait to go to that. Jackson also throws a Taste of Jackson where area restaurants gather and you can taste their foods. There are also car shows here in the summer. And there are a ton of lakes to put your boat on. Fishing is good here in Michigan. Then if you travel to the UP there is Mackinaw City, Mackinaw Island, Taconomon Falls (sp?) Those are beautiful. There is a ton to do in Jackson you just have to find it and you may have to drive a bit. Those things I will miss when I move but I am sure I will find great things to do in Arizona as well. I can always come back and visit right?
I must agree with you JGatti - there is a ton to do in Michigan. They even have wine tours in Jackson and throughout Michigan. Jackson throws a Jazz festival once a year and I can't wait to go to that. Jackson also throws a Taste of Jackson where area restaurants gather and you can taste their foods. There are also car shows here in the summer. And there are a ton of lakes to put your boat on. Fishing is good here in Michigan. Then if you travel to the UP there is Mackinaw City, Mackinaw Island, Taconomon Falls (sp?) Those are beautiful. There is a ton to do in Jackson you just have to find it and you may have to drive a bit. Those things I will miss when I move but I am sure I will find great things to do in Arizona as well. I can always come back and visit right?
No. Once you leave there is no coming back. Not to live or to visit.
I don't know how I forgot Tahquaminan falls. We went there one year when we were camping in Newberry. My kids had a ball. We took one of those little boats across to that island and walked the path. My son who was 2 at the time would NOT stay out of the river.
No. Once you leave there is no coming back. Not to live or to visit.
I don't know how I forgot Tahquaminan falls. We went there one year when we were camping in Newberry. My kids had a ball. We took one of those little boats across to that island and walked the path. My son who was 2 at the time would NOT stay out of the river.
What no visiting, well you might want to talk to my mother about that, hahahahahaha. I have only been to the falls once, I should really go back there. I have never taken my kids there I am sure they would love it. Might have to plan that for a trip this summer. Another great place to go is Ludington if not for the site seeing (not much there anymore) to sit on the beach of Lake Michigan and watch the sunset. It is absolutely gorgeous. I have taken many photos of the sunset there. It is so seren and calming. Then there is also South Haven nice little tourist town. As we both know we could go on for days about what there is to do in Michigan.
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