The Snow is FINALLY Gone! 20 Family Friendly Places to Visit in Michigan This Summer!

After the extreme winter we just had in Michigan, I am certain that most Michiganders have been day dreaming of lazy, hazy Michigan summer days.  Michigan boasts four beautiful seasons, but nothing can compare to summer days in Michigan.  There is so much to do, why not take a “stay-cation” this summer and visit some of Michigan’s hot spots?  Below is a list of 20 fun things to do this summer in spectacular Michigan!

These locations are not in any certain order.

1)      Go camping at any of Michigan’s campgrounds.

2)      Take a hike around Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

3)      Spend a day with the family at Michigan Adventure.  Fun for all ages!

4)      Climb Castle Rock in St. Ignace.

5)      Take a cooper mine tour in the U.P.

6)      Climb a dune at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park!

7)      Michigan has 197 waterfalls in Michigan’s U.P., soak them all in!

8)      Get friendly with some Michigan Black Bears, up close and personal, without being in danger at Oswald’s Bear Ranch near Newberry, Michigan.

9)      The Fayette Historic State Park is a great chance to stroll through a preserved “ghost town”, abandoned from the early days of iron mining in Upper Michigan.

10)   Visiting ONE of Michigan’s most beautiful beach towns, Traverse City, is a must!

11)   Spend the day at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, near Kalamazoo.  With over 200 cars to drool over, from all different eras, it will be a hit for any car enthusiast!  They also have a 1940’s style diner and a 1930’s gas station replica.

12)   Coldwater is home to one of the top 10 Drive-In movie theaters in the country, the Capri Drive-In.

13)   Visit one of Michigan’s 115 Lighthouses.

14)   Take a trip to any one of Michigan’s Zoos!  Potter Park in Lansing, John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek or the well-known Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak.

15)   Take a canoe ride on the Platte River near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  Gorgeous ride and much wild life to spot.

16)   Ride the Little River Railroad in Coldwater.  A ride on a steam powered train that the entire family will love!

17)   Beachcomb along Michigan’s 2,147 miles of Great Lakes shoreline.  Who knows what you may find!

18)   Hike in the Porcupine Mountains.

19)   Stay the night at a working lighthouse on Lake Superior, Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast.

20)   Bring the family to watch the musical synchronized fountains of The Cascades in Jackson

These suggestion are just 20 of a long list of the family friendly activities that Michigan has to offer!  Get out and explore our beautiful state this summer, enjoy all the Great Lakes has to offer!