Michigan: A Great Place to Live!

Michigan on a Positive Note!
Okay, really, I have absolutely had it with some of the doom and gloom we are all hearing about. Sure industry is going through some dramatic changes right now and in my opinion it’s not all bad. The various things happening in the auto industry in Michigan today are going to shape new more efficient entities that will be better positioned for long term survival, growth and prosperity. Nobody likes change but it comes our way whether we approve of it or not, so embrace it. You know the old saying – “when one door closes, another opens.” These changes that are occurring are staging new opportunities that we, as yet, may not even be aware of!

The real purpose of this writing is to talk about all of the various things that make Michigan one of the most desirable places to live in the nation. When a place has all of the amenities that our state has it’s going to attract new residents. Sure, there are some folks leaving the state to seek out opportunities but there are also people moving in to the area to take jobs here (I have financed or talked to a handful of people relocating here this year) and others coming to Michigan to buy vacation homes here to take advantage of the great affordability of that market right now.

Anyway, consider all of the great things our State has to offer; it’s a water wonderland with tons of golf, beautiful destinations, professional sports and cultural activities!

Water Fun Abounds
Did you know that Michigan has over 3,000 miles of beautiful Great Lakes shoreline? Can you imagine the number of different beaches we have to relax on? Take your family to build sandcastles, play Frisbee, do some wakeboarding, maybe some shoreline fishing, or just lie down and read a book!

We have over 11,000 inland lakes! If you’re into waterskiing, tubing, fishing, sailing or just partying on the water where else will you find the abundance of lakes we have all around us?

Into fishing? There are 36,000 miles of rivers, and 12,000 miles of trout waters here in our state. If you’ve never done it, there is nothing like catching, filleting and pan frying a fish the same day you caught it out of a local freshwater stream.

Winter Wonderland
After shoveling snow for most of my life I mostly think of snow as a pain in the you know what, but it also has its fun side with snowmobiling, skiing, snowboarding, sledding and snowman building. We have over 6,100 snowmobile trails and 40 ski resorts in Michigan. If you’re into winter sports this is a great place to land. You have to admit when the whole State is covered in a fresh coating of white snow it is quite beautiful.

Golfers’ Paradise
Michigan is home of more than 800 golf courses – Country Club’s, Golf Resorts, public and private courses all over the State. We are truly the golf capitol of the Midwest.

Beautiful Destinations
I personally travel within the State once or twice every year. Mackinac Island is one of my personal favorite places to go. No cars – the only modes of transportation are your feet, horseback or carriage and by bicycle. What a quiet and peaceful island paradise nestled between two Great Lakes in the Mackinac Straights. Although there are just too many destinations to list here, some of the other places we frequent include Harbor Springs, Saugatuck, Charlevoix and the Glen Arbor area. Don’t forget about the Upper Peninsula. When it comes to wilderness hiking and unbelievable scenery the UP is the place. Are you a UP’er?

Cultural Activities
Finally, Michigan offers some great cultural activities. The newly renovated Detroit Institute of Arts is always a great way to spend the day. Also downtown we have the Historical Museum, Science Center African American History Museum and the Detroit Zoo. In Dearborn the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village are fun for the whole family. Don’t forget we have an abundance of local professional sports teams here and more winning clubs in various sports than anywhere else in the nation! We have a perpetually strong hockey club in the Red Wings, a consistently great basketball team in the Pistons; the Tigers have shown unbelievable strength in recent years, and, well, the Lions. Of course, we also have thousands of fantastic restaurants, night clubs and several casinos if that’s your bag.

What a Great Place to Live!
So, for all of you people out there who think folks are leaving this State in search of greener pastures I say that over time there will be more people coming to the area to enjoy the amazing amenities that Michigan has to offer than will ever leave. Sure in the short run you may see somewhat of a population shift out of the area but in the long run there is just too much here to draw people in. We have a very high quality of life in this State when it comes to recreational activities and isn’t that what life is all about? We work hard so we can play hard and there isn’t another State in the Union that has more opportunities for leisure time fun than Michigan!