Ottakee Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/10/travel/lonely-plane-top-united-states-destinations-2014/ Those of us that live in West Michigan are quite surprised. We dont' quite see our area as a top 10 (and #1 in that list even) vacation spot. We are blessed though to have super nice clean beaches, boardwalks and lighthouses (we go to the one on that main picture almost weekly or more in good weather), top medical care, great festivals, museums, Art Prize, etc. It just still seems weird. If anyone decides to come visit this area, just let me or the others in the area know and we can steer you to the best of the best that the local visit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Oh no. This means that some of my favorite "out of the way" places will become tourist meccas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Wow! I wouldn't have thought that. That is a cool list btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Remember - Lonely Planet purposely looks for hidden gems, not usually current tourist meccas. I was surprised to see Las Vegas, Yosemite, and Boston on their list for that reason alone. FWIW, we've been to 5 of the 10 - and pretty darn close to the other 5 (We've been to Eastern MI and the UP, but missed Western). I'm not a Vegas person, so would pull it, but I can understand the attraction of the others from their Lonely Planet perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinchick Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 West Michigan looks amazing. Just mapped the drive and it's 14 hours from Boston (boo), but looks like Niagara Falls is just about at the halfway point. Maybe a great stopping point for a nice driving vacation. Leave on Thurs, spend Fri at the falls, drive to MI on Sat and spend the week at a cottage on the lake. Complete in reverse for the ride back home. DH is talking Disney this summer, but I like the sounds of this other plan better. Hmmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdrinca Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 So funny! We recently weighed job options that would take us to #1 or #4....we chose #4. I knew we were lucky in our choices :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 It's weird to think of the NJ shore as #5. In my mind, that's prom territory and vacation-lite for New Jerseans who take "real" vacations and then do their shore stay, or New Jerseans who just can't afford "real" vacations. Like, the equivilant of camping in your back yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I adore Michigan. It's might just be my favorite place on the whole earth. We have enjoyed many beautiful days at the dunes near Chicago or up at Sleeping Bear, and we love hiking and camping in the upper peninsula. Truly a beautiful state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssexton Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Those of us that live in West Michigan are quite surprised. I grew up outside of Grand Rapids, and that does surprise me a bit. I haven't been back in years, and I would love to bring my children up for a visit. Thanks for sharing this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 At least Gettysburg is off the "must see THIS year" lists. 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg is over. The nice thing about being heavily pregnant last summer is that I didn't feel like I needed to venture out and deal with heavy traffic around the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 It's weird to think of the NJ shore as #5. In my mind, that's prom territory and vacation-lite for New Jerseans who take "real" vacations and then do their shore stay, or New Jerseans who just can't afford "real" vacations. Like, the equivilant of camping in your back yard. Having lived in or near a few vacation destinations, this is pretty much true no matter where you're from. A "real" vacation pretty much means "travel." Sometimes when I hear vacationers talking about "how lucky we are to live in this area," (any of the areas) I do actually stop to appreciate the beauty and such things a bit more. When one lives there, it's easy to get desensitized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 We have some family in Indiana who love western MI but are getting too elderly to go on their own. We were actually formulating an idea to take them there and the UP next year. I've never been but they love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diann Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 West Michigan is beautiful. My dh's grandfather built a summer cottage along the shore of Lake Michigan in 1948. Three generations later, we are all still enjoying the place. When I started going up there in 1980, it was still pretty remote. Now days, not so much. It is still a beautiful place to vacation every year, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 DH is talking Disney this summer, but I like the sounds of this other plan better. Hmmmm. If you want tons of not stop fun and activity, then Disney would be your best bet. If though you want relaxing walks along the beach, dinner at the boardwalk, watching the musical fountain, meandering through botanical gardens or urban art area, hiking the sand dunes, etc. then West Michigan is more your speed----and Muskegon does have Michigan's Adventure which is an amusement park and water park in one for a day of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kentuckymom Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I grew up outside of Grand Rapids, and I agree that west Michigan is beautiful, though I didn't appreciate it that much when I was growing up. My parents still live there and we enjoy our visits. My brother and his fiancee live in the Leelanau Peninsula near Traverse City and that's absolutely beautiful. We really enjoy our visits there, and our kids especially enjoy Sleeping Bear Dunes. I highly recommend vacationing on the west coast of Michigan. I'd actually really love to live there again, but, aside from the distance from grandparents (DH's parents live in Wisconsin), we love it here, and DH loves his job, so it may never happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Fun list! I live near one of them and do a lot of hiking in the area. I have relatives that live near #1. Maybe I should go visit them. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender's green Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Wish I had appreciated West Michigan more while growing up! I suppose it's technically our #1 vacation spot, since we got back to visit with relatives! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.