Michigan Is The Very Best State And Here's Why

NASA satellite image

By Emily Bingham | [email protected]

Recently, U.S. News claimed Michigan is ranked number 33 among the 50 states. Really? They clearly made a huge mistake.

As we know (and Thrillist knew), Michigan is the best state. We easily top the list. It's not even a contest.

Why is Michigan so great? If you are a Michigander, I can't imagine you even need to ask yourself that question. Nonetheless, here are some of the endless reasons Michigan isn't just our favorite state but the VERY BEST STATE!We're number 1! Take that, U.S. News!

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Photo by Cory Morse | MLive.com

The Great Lakes

Michigan is the only state that touches four of the five Great Lakes. As such, it's home to the longest freshwater coastline of any U.S. state, *and* the second-longest coastline, period (coming in behind Alaska). Anywhere you stand in the state, you're no more than 85 miles from a Great Lake.

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The U.P.

Michigan is the only state in the U.S. comprised of two peninsulas, but we're giving a special shout out to the U.P. for its remote beauty and distinct culture. When the Michigan Territory "lost" Toledo and gained the Upper Peninsula as a consolation prize in 1836, we'd argue that we're the ones who really came out on top.

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The food

You know you're from Michigan when: You move out of state and find yourself wistfully thinking about coney dogs or Vernors or Better Made chips or Superman ice cream. From Mackinac Island fudge to Faygo Rock 'n' Rye, Michigan has its own unique flavors and foods — so much so that last year we held a reader poll to determine what the state's "official" state food should be, if we had one.

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The beer

Michigan's definitely earned its nickname as "The Great Beer State" — we're fifth in the country when it comes to the number of breweries, microbreweries and brew pubs, and we're home to "Beer City, U.S.A." (Grand Rapids). Michigan brewers are constantly pushing the bar to come up with innovative flavors and better beers — and we'll drink to that.

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The Mackinac Bridge

On Nov. 1, 1957 — after three years of construction at the Straits — a Chevy station wagon became the first car to drive across the water from the Lower Peninsula to the Upper Peninsula. At the time of its construction, the Mighty Mac was declared the world's longest suspension bridge between two anchorages (a title it maintains today in the western hemisphere). At nearly 60 years old, the Bridge continues to stand as a symbol of Michigan, literally linking its two peninsulas.

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The night sky

Thanks to its rural spaces and many miles of shoreline (ie, no trees blocking the view), Michigan offers some great spots for viewing the night sky. When it opened in 2011, the Headlands International Dark Sky Park in Emmet County was one of the first 10 international dark sky parks in the world. It's open all day, every day, for free.

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The architecture

Michigan's history has lent itself to a wealth of incredible and significant architecture around the state: from historic forts at the Straits to jaw-dropping churches in Grand Rapids to gingerbread Victorian enclaves in resort towns to one of the nation's best collections of Art Deco-era architecture, found in Detroit.

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The history

Human history in Michigan dates back thousands of years, to the first Native Americans who settled the Great Lakes region. Along the way we've had French explorers and British troops; miners and missionaries and loggers and car makers; farmers and sailors and rum runners and record setters. Michigan's history is as rich and diverse as the people who live here, and it seems like there are endless quirky, fascinating history stories to discover.

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The music

Motown? Check. Electronica? Check. From the Upper Peninsula's concentrated, culturally rich regional music documented by famed ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax in the early 20th century to the rise of the Detroit hip-hop scene, Michigan continues to have a say in shaping the music scene, locally and beyond.

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Detroit

Listen — no American city has ever attempted to do what Detroit is doing and has done. If you haven't been there in a while, it's time to see it for yourself: A palpable new energy and a 300-year history set the backdrop for stalwart cultural institutions, historic architecture, a sizzling new restaurant scene, and seemingly endless cool places to explore.

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We have the best nature

Sleeping Bear Dunes. Pictured Rocks. Waterfalls galore. From the littlest inland lakes to the majesty of Isle Royale, Michigan's wild, scenic spaces are a gift to us all.

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Summertime

Few things are sweeter than Michigan in the summertime: Late sunsets, beaches, bonfires, boating, barbecues — basically, the good life. In honor of Michigan's 180th year, make a resolution to explore a new part of the state in summer 2017.

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Winter

As much as Michiganders love to gripe about winter, we have to admit, it's part of what makes Michigan so "Michigan." Whether you're into cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, or your favorite winter pastime is complaining about the cold or snow, making it through Michigan winters is a badge of honor.

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Are we going to list all four seasons here? Yes! Because having all four seasons is one of the great things about living in Michigan. And for many folks, fall is undeniably the best of them all. The weather is mild, the colors are outstanding, there's apples and cider, and the summer crowds at many popular tourist destinations are long gone. What's not to love? Literally nothing (unless your MLive's Michigan Curmudgeon).

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Spring

In his poem "A Primer," poet Bob Hicok wrote that in Michigan, "the state joy is spring." After a seemingly endless winter, spring arrives like welcome news. There's wildflowers and morels to hunt and Opening Day for the Tigers. It's pretty much a collective sigh of relief that the cold is finally behind us.

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We have our own language

If you've ever found yourself explaining a "Michigan left" or describing "bumpy cake" to someone from out of state, then you know that Michigan has a pretty great regional language all its own.

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Some cool people were born here

Stevie Wonder, Kid Rock, Madonna, OK sure — you probably know the big names. But our great state has been home to all manner of superlative citizens, from actors with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to political glass-ceiling breakers and so many more. Check out the lists below; how many did you know?

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Our sports teams (and fans)

If you bleed maize and blue or green and white; if you've been a fan of the Red Wings since they were known as the "Dead Wings;" if you still have a commemorative T-shirt from the Pistons' "Bad Boys" years; if a mention of "The Corner" brings a tear to your eye; if you don silver and Honolulu blue on football Sundays with zero shame ... then you know that sports culture is Michigan culture, and we have the best fans anywhere.

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More Michigan fun:

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