Michigan turns 188 on Sunday. Here are reasons to celebrate our 'water winter wonderland'

USA Today

26-01-2025

What do you get a state that has "everything" for its birthday?
Michigan turns 188 on Jan. 26, and it already has matching left and right mittens.
Michigan residents will have to make do with five Great Lakes, the birthplace of the Motown, tart cherries, 400-plus breweries, 103 state parks, 300 waterfalls, and too many other attractions to keep track of.
Native Americans have lived in what is now Michigan for millennia. After Europeans came to North America, the state passed between the French and English before becoming part of the U.S. On Jan., 26, 1837, Michigan officially joined the union, surrendering a bit of Ohio (yay) for the entire Upper Peninsula.
Michigan, known as the Wolverine State, was the 26th state to join the union. The capital is Lansing, since 1847; prior to that, Detroit served as capital. Michigan now is home to about 10 million people.
If you need a reason to celebrate, here are 10, just in case:
Arctic visitors make Michigan home in the winter
In Rudyard Township, in the eastern Upper Peninsula, snowy owls make themselves at home in the winter. The township and the Michigan House passed resolutions calling the township the Snowy Owl Capital of Michigan — they even have a sign, so that makes it pretty official.
Snowy owls spend summers far north of the Arctic Circle hunting lemmings, ptarmigan, and other prey in 24-hour daylight, All About Birds says. Sometimes the largest North American owl flies from the deep north to the Upper Peninsula.
With bright white feathers and striking yellow eyes, they have a reputation for being difficult to spot, but the chances are greater in Rudyard.
Just exactly how long does it take to get from Paradise and Hell?
Paradise, in the Upper Peninsula and Hell, in southeast Michigan, are about 240 miles apart. Google maps suggests it's about a five-hour drive, mostly down Interstate 75 and U.S. 23, but as everyone knows, a lot of things can distract you on your way to Hell and make the trip longer.
Love the lakes, but they can be treacherous when the gales of November come early
The late Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot memorialized the Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald in song after the ship sank in November 1975 in Lake Superior. But the ship certainly isn't the only one to founder in the lakes' late-season storms.
"An estimated 6,000 vessels were lost on the Great Lakes with approximately 1,500 of these ships located in Michigan waters," according to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy website.
At Whitefish Point, at the end of the road north of Paradise, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum offers tours of shipwreck exhibits, including the Edmund Fitzgerald. The site also includes one of the oldest lighthouses on Lake Superior, operating since 1861.
Thumb reminds us Native Americans have long lived in Michigan
In Michigan's thumb, Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park, near Cass City, protects and interprets Michigan's largest known collection petroglyphs created by Indigenous peoples.
The carvings — called ezhibiigaadek asin, "written on stone," in the Anishinabe language — remain culturally significant to many Anishinabek.
"Michigan is one of 10 states with the largest population of Native Americans. The Ottawa, Ojibway, Chippewa, Potawatomi and others have a significant place in Michigan's history, both as groups and individuals," according to the Library of Michigan says.
From the top, to the bottom, there's plenty to see
In Baraga County, northeast of L'Anse, is Michigan's highest point, Mount Arvon. The peak stands 1,979.238 feet above sea level. It's not the easiest place to reach, and four-wheel drive is definitely recommended.
It's not clear how the mountain got its name, but it lies within Arvon Township. The township, according to Wikipedia, is named for an area in Wales.
Not far to the northwest is Houghton-Douglass Falls, which falls 110 feet from top to bottom in Houghton County. The falls are on state land, but not officially within a state park. The area remains mostly undeveloped.
Michiganders are unimpressed by Pennsylvania's groundhog
Woody the Woodchuck is among Michigan's weather prognosticating representatives. Woody lives at the Howell Nature Center's Wild Wonders Wildlife Park in Marion Township and word is he's prepping for his upcoming Feb. 2 decision — a shorter winter or more cold weather. We're all watching closely.
Where else can you find a floating post office?
On the Detroit River near Detroit, the J.W. Westcott acts as a post office on water, delivering mail to large cargo ships passing by since 1847.
Trump releases Kennedy docs. You can see the fateful limousine in Michigan
President Donald Trump this week signed an executive order declassifying a large number of documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Many hope the release will clear up lingering questions about Nov. 22, 1963.
At the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, guests can view cars used to transport previous U.S. presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
The 1961 Lincoln Continental presidential limousine that Kennedy was riding in with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and Texas Gov. John Connolly when he was assassinated Nov. 22, 1963, is a major attraction.
Michigan's impressive shoreline provides a sandy spot for everyone
"Michigan's coast accounts for approximately 62% of the total coastline of the Great Lakes basin," theDepartment of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said
The impressive freshwater shoreline is the longest in the U.S. and is home to more than 300 coastal communities.
With all that shoreline comes the need for lighthouses to keep ships away from danger. Michigan has more than any other state.
Motown made music, but Michigan is home to many other singers and bands
According to singersoom.com and Wikipedia, there are dozens of Michigan natives who have excelled in the music industry, including:
Stevie Wonder, from Saginaw
Aretha Franklin, from Detroit
Eminem, from Detroit
Madonna, from Bay City
Bob Seger, from Detroit
Iggy Pop, from Muskegon
Smokey Robinson, from Detroit
Diana Ross, from Detroit
Big Sean, from Detroit
Grand Funk Railroad, from Flint
Ted Nugent, from Detroit
Alice Cooper, from Detroit