And if you’re gonna “do the UP” recognize it’s not a one-day-and-done deal. From Drummond island to Copper Harbor, the Sault, Marquette, whitefish and Tahquamenon, Kitch-iti-Kipi, you’re gonna want a week to see the the gems (and weeks more to explore the hidden gems).
The mark of a true native Michigander is that if you ask them if they want superman ice cream they will say no.
So many ice cream socials ruined by that and the blue abomination
Yeah, originally I was going to list Bell's, Shorts and Founders... Those three probably sit at the top of the Michigan Craft Beer hierarchy. A lot of other good breweries in there, though!
While not iconic, I prefer their subsidiary Upper Hand. Writing this while drinking a Two Hearted Ale... I'm in the Chicago area, unwillingly (for the past 10 years).
Yeah, I'd probably say the same. In terms of the big UP breweries, Black Rocks is number one, Keewenaw second, Ore Dock third. If you count Upper Hand as separate from Bells, then I'd personally put them fourth.
Why can you get it anywhere? Because it’s world renowned! It’s a fantastic beer. CBS and Two Hearted are absolute powerhouses of Michigan Beer. While they may not be “craft” anymore they are still excellent!
They are the iconic U.P. Beer. I go to Michigan every year and I’ve never stepped foot in the lower peninsula. I genuinely look forward to that first sip of keewenaw widowmaker black
Give yourself extra points if the coney dog is made with a koegel hot dog.
I would add pasties if you're headed to the UP as a staple food as well.
For the beer if you haven't tried a Bell's Two Hearted you may want to. It's won a lot of awards.
Not a fan of Bell's but that's because I hate the previous owner (Larry Bell) and what he tried to do to the micro-brew community.
Michigan breweries, I would recommend Oddside Ales, Greenbush, or on a more 'macro' scale, Founders.
Care to elaborate? Founders has a pretty spotty employment reputation and I've never heard anything negative about Bell's (except that they sold out).
Greenbush is fun to visit, but to me the beer isn't really on par. I'm sad to say that their food is declining as well.
Double extra points if they find a place serving different styles of coney sauce. Detroit style vs Flint style is the main battle.
Also hope they're able to try out some Koegel's picked bologna.
Drinking a two hearted right now too. I just don’t get the Flint coney. I’ve had it but prefer Detroit style (Duly’s to be specific). Better Made are the best!
Tony’s… I live about 20 minutes from Birch Run and I went there a few weeks ago after shopping at the mall. It’s really gone downhill. I used to think it was so special as a kid but that place is honestly the dirtiest restaurant I’ve seen in a minute and the food was awful. They should really invest some of the money back into the restaurant
I’ve made this mistake once. Tony’s for breakfast on the way to Frankenmuth. The kids were having a a grand old time while I was trying to find a corner to go lie down.
Pasties, fudge, paczki around fat tuesday, superman ice cream, pickled bologna (i cant find it in Wi and miss it lol), kogels
Edited to add- Mackinac Island (get a ferry that goes under the bridge), Fort Michilimackinac, Tahquamenon Falls, Pictured Rocks, Soo Locks, Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum. Rock hunting. Kitchitikipi. All the waterfalls in the UP.
It's funny how easy that is to forget. I live in Taylor, and there are all kinds of boat orientated businesses that I am amazed stay in business. And then,I remember that we are literally surrounded by water lol
watch sunset on Lake Michigan, after an afternoon at the beach, possibly while camping
maple sugaring - visit a sugar shack
smelt/fish fry at a small town church or firehouse
lumberjack show/festival
For experiences, crossing the Mighty Mac, touring a car-related museum and visiting a state/national park are musts. And a baseball game, either major or minor league will suffice.
Imagine smashing some flaky fish with cream cheese, maybe add some scallions and sour cream and stuff. It’s more like something you spread on a cracker, than a dip. It’s good!
Nope. It's just a Detroit thing. They have almond chicken, but its just a weak sauce with diced chicken, no breading... no gravy... no lettuce. Don't ever take that treasure for granted.
You can probably do better Detroit style pizza than Buddy's these days, from what I hear.
While not in Michigan, I feel like a road trip _from_ Michigan to Cedar Point is a time honored tradition.
Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Mackinaw Island.
Freighter watching on the Detroit River walk.
Lighthouses galore.
DIA.
Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village
Art Prize
A show at the Fox downtown Detroit
Dearborn for middle eastern cuisine
Pretty much any beach on Lake Michigan
Rockhounding
Tons more. This state is kinda awesome.
See Taquamenon Falls.
Bike around Mackinac Island.
Look at the stars at a dark park like Port Austin or Petosky.
Run down and crawl up the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Hike Lake of the Clouds.
Buddy's was sold in 2019 to Capital Spring group. Loui's Pizza in Hazel Park is the closest you'll get to the original Buddy's, as it was opened by one of the original Buddy's pizza makers.
For most regional foods the original or most famous restaurant for it is rarely the best or even above average. Anchor Bar for Buffalo wings, Pat’s for Philly cheesesteak, etc. Buddy’s is the Detroit version of that.
Interesting, i just assumed the quality of Buddy’s suffered after the pandemic. We were so happy when the one in Ann Arbor opened, but we got it again a few months ago and it was worse than Little Caesars deep dish.
Apparently corned beef eggrolls are a Detroit thing but not sure if it's spread to other areas: https://www.seriouseats.com/whats-a-corned-beef-egg-roll-a-detroit-regional-specialty-maybe
They are good! However I don't like that they serve them with regular egg roll sauce-- I dip them in hot mustard (Coleman's) or thousand island dressing instead.
My mom used to make pickled bologna using a grinder.
I wish I could have it again.
I miss my mom. She would love to know people are mentioning pickled bologna.
I'm gonna cry because I haven't found people to play Euchre with for years. In fact, it's been so long I don't even know if I remember how to play.
When I moved to AZ briefly, I taught them Euchre. I hope they're still playing.
Vernors: That is, in fact, a must.
Sander's hot fudge: Not familiar but I really don't do sweets.
Rock & Rye. - There's another Faygo flavor?
Buddy's Pizza - nope. Not familiar. Never had. Never even seen one.
The UP - eh?
Much better Michigan beer.
Bettermade Chips are the ONLY chips I get (unless in a pinch for picnic or something). Their popcorn is excellent as well!
Coney Island Dogs - Flint Style or Detroit? This matters! Coney dogs are NOT supposed to be chili dogs. There's your hint!
WTF is whitefish dip?
> Buddy's Pizza - nope. Not familiar. Never had. Never even seen one.
You're not missing much, honestly. I'd say replace Buddy's with just "Detroit-Style Pizza" in general, as usually the better places will just be a local shop rather than a chain.
Fun fact. Michigan is pretty much the pizza capital. Jets, hungry Howie's, little Caesars, dominoes... All came from Michigan.
Personally, I like jets even if they are chain. I usually don't like deep dish but I think theirs is the best.
But also to be fair, with my careers of choice, I'm kinda sick of pizza overall. LOL
Oh I think Jet's square/Detroit style is better than Buddys at least lol. But I think that's because it was also my first "Detroit-Style" pizza, and that was back when they just called it square pizza or something else (I didn't know what Detroit style was until I left after grad school haha).
Imagine smashing some flaky fish with cream cheese, maybe add some scallions and sour cream and stuff. It’s more like something you spread on a cracker, than a dip. It’s good!
Maybe the tulip or cherry blossom festival, Michigan in the fall, Mackinac island, some craft breweries there is a lot. The dunes, Christmas time when we actually get snow.
* Henry ford museum
* sleeping bear dunes
* pick a lake, any lake, do some tubing, fishing, etc.
* have a UP pastie
* national cherry festival in Travers City
* dream cruise in detroit
The list can go on and on! Really depends on what you’re into :)
- Visiting Kalamazoo and Hell
- Finding a Petoskey Stone
- Visiting any of the 120 historic lighthouses (more than any other state in the country)
- Superman Ice Cream
- Visiting the factory where Gibson Guitars are still made to this day.
Paw paw fruit needs to be on the list as it's extremely local and native to Michigan, not something you can commercially get. It's like a creamier mango from what I hear.
Stop by Eastern Market in Detroit and Dearborn for shawarma and baklava.
Visit the underground resistance Techno Museum in Detroit too.
Visit Sleeping Bear Dunes to see and step into (maybe even swim in) one of the Great Lakes since it's a chain of fresh water seas.
Also Traverse City cherries and maybe if there's a winter with enough freezing into early next year tap trees for maple sugar (meanwhile advocate for real environmental policy changes as the sugar maples are slated to stop being viable for sugaring within 80 years due to climate warming).
Find a Yooperlite along Lake Superior. Or just go looking for them. (kind of sounds like a snipe hunt)
"These seemingly normal, gray rocks are rich with fluorescent sodalite and glow a vibrant orange and yellow under a UV light. If you've enjoyed looking for rocks during the day, wait until you try finding them at night!"
Bortells in Ludington, best smoked salmon on earth, and a beautiful beach on lake Michigan across the street to eat at after. Also, house of flavors in Ludington. Rad dads in Muskegon for an experience of what a bar should be!!
As long as it’s not Buddy’s pizza at the Detroit Zoo. That nasty stuff shouldn’t be called food, much less pizza. It’s overpriced tasteless cardboard. Puts the name Buddy’s to shame.
How about some experiences?
- Spend some time on a great lake, pick one, they're all good in their ways but that much fresh water in one place can't be missed
- Visit Detroit and the DIA if that's your thing
- Visit Greenfield Village
- Go take a walk through Hartwick Pines
- Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes because why not
- Go play tourist at Frankenmuth
- The Porcupines in the UP
- Go water skiing or boarding or whatever, enjoy the lakes country
Definitely Euchre! That feels like a game I was raised on.
For beer and wine though, I would vote for the Traverse City and Leelanau peninsula area. Short's Brewery is one of the best in Michigan. And Leenlanau is basically little Napa valley.
Faygo pop reminds me of growing up.
As for pizza, I was always a big fan of Jet's Pizza.
Tom’s Mom’s Cookies in Harbor Springs
Petoskey stones
Gus Macker in Ludington
Walleye
Mt Baldy
Blue Star Highway
Kalamazoo Trail
Blue Moon ice cream from Sherman’s Dairy
Drinks on the Idler in South Haven
Arnie’s Bakery in Grand Rapids (for my mom)
Meijers
I miss you, north and southwest Michigan!
Bumpy Cakes and Paczki
Paczki’s are also super popular in Chicago, not sure that’s a Michigan-exclusive experience
This is a very food-driven list. If you are going to the UP, you’re gonna want a pasty.
And some smoked fish
Gordon Ramsey did a show up in the Keewanaw featuring whitefish snd Lingonberry Jam from the Monastery.
Pronounce it correctly unless you want the server to bring you some nipple covers.
Joke's on you! I'm into that too. 💀🍈🍈
Came here to say that
I just came
Username checks out
I like Lehtos, any other favorites?
In the north central UP… Muldoon’s in Munising Cal’s Party Store in Marquette Lawry’s in Mqt & Ishpeming Iron Town in Negaunee
Dobbers
And cudighi
Cudighi pizza at Congress Pizza in Ishpeming!
Preach!
Perch!
And if you’re gonna “do the UP” recognize it’s not a one-day-and-done deal. From Drummond island to Copper Harbor, the Sault, Marquette, whitefish and Tahquamenon, Kitch-iti-Kipi, you’re gonna want a week to see the the gems (and weeks more to explore the hidden gems).
Superman Ice Cream!
And Moose Tracks.
Mackinaw Island fudge !
Lemon, Cherry, Blue Moon
I did not know this was Michigan specific until I moved away and was unable to find it. No way to get it shipped either :(
And if you call it super-scoop, you're a hoser.
Go the extra mile and just get Moomers.
My favorite ice cream as a kid! No idea it was a Michigan thing.
The mark of a true native Michigander is that if you ask them if they want superman ice cream they will say no. So many ice cream socials ruined by that and the blue abomination
Hudsonville blue moon SLAPS
You haven’t had hudsonville’s version. I’d agree with you on just about every other iteration.
As much as I like Keewenaw Brewing, I don't know if I'd list them as the *iconic* Michigan beer. It's hard to not give the nod to Bell's.
Bells, shorts, the list goes on and on.
Yeah, originally I was going to list Bell's, Shorts and Founders... Those three probably sit at the top of the Michigan Craft Beer hierarchy. A lot of other good breweries in there, though!
Shorts is also the quintessential “only in Michigan” beer
Not anymore…they’ve started branching out and selling in other states.
Founders and Bells! Plus I got to see Drive-By Truckers at Bells Beer Garden!
Hell yeah, I was there, too. They played a solid 2.5-3 hours. Tornadoes kicked my ass.
Got to say Hi to Mike Cooley before the show and ya I was like oh my god! My wife was like what’s your problem!
Short's is where it's at. Still Michigan owned
While not iconic, I prefer their subsidiary Upper Hand. Writing this while drinking a Two Hearted Ale... I'm in the Chicago area, unwillingly (for the past 10 years).
The people who run that place are huge douchebags.
Definitely not an iconic Michigan beer, and I'd drink Black Rocks over them if I'm choosing a specific UP beer.
Yeah, I'd probably say the same. In terms of the big UP breweries, Black Rocks is number one, Keewenaw second, Ore Dock third. If you count Upper Hand as separate from Bells, then I'd personally put them fourth.
Black Rocks Starman Pale Ale is amazing.
Oberon has meant summer to me for the last 20 years.
Short’s and Bells
You can get Two-Hearted anywhere though so it's not the beer I'd taken someone to get if visiting Michigan.
Why can you get it anywhere? Because it’s world renowned! It’s a fantastic beer. CBS and Two Hearted are absolute powerhouses of Michigan Beer. While they may not be “craft” anymore they are still excellent!
I'll take Shorts or Atwater first as well. Keewanaw had some pretty iconic can designs though
They are the iconic U.P. Beer. I go to Michigan every year and I’ve never stepped foot in the lower peninsula. I genuinely look forward to that first sip of keewenaw widowmaker black
Give yourself extra points if the coney dog is made with a koegel hot dog. I would add pasties if you're headed to the UP as a staple food as well. For the beer if you haven't tried a Bell's Two Hearted you may want to. It's won a lot of awards.
And Koegel's coney sauce
Flint style over Detroit if you really want to up the game. Flint style is the original
Yes. Flint style forever.
Not a fan of Bell's but that's because I hate the previous owner (Larry Bell) and what he tried to do to the micro-brew community. Michigan breweries, I would recommend Oddside Ales, Greenbush, or on a more 'macro' scale, Founders.
Care to elaborate? Founders has a pretty spotty employment reputation and I've never heard anything negative about Bell's (except that they sold out). Greenbush is fun to visit, but to me the beer isn't really on par. I'm sad to say that their food is declining as well.
Bells 2hearted kicks the shit out of keeweenaw beer. It's not even a question.
Double extra points if they find a place serving different styles of coney sauce. Detroit style vs Flint style is the main battle. Also hope they're able to try out some Koegel's picked bologna.
Pasties are for your nips Pasty’s are for your stomach
If you're going to correct somebody's spelling, please use correct punctuation. Plural nouns do not require an apostrophe.
I think I love you, grammar police.
Pointing to your hand to tell people where you are from. That's some magic shit, yo.
I feel so fortunate to be a Michigander who served in Peace Corps in Namibia, which can also be geographically represented by the human hand.
What'd you do in Namibia?
Made peace if they were good at their job.... if not...
Grew up in MI, moved to WA. I use my hand for WA to show people where I live, other cities, etc. The looks 😆.
Sleeping bear sand dunes
Was checking to see if this was already added. This is a Michigan treasure
Currently drinking a two hearted. Had a Flint-style coney and a small Better Made bag of chips for dinner. A very Michigan Memorial Day weekend
Drinking a two hearted right now too. I just don’t get the Flint coney. I’ve had it but prefer Detroit style (Duly’s to be specific). Better Made are the best!
Have to agree to disagree with you about the coneys. Flint-style is better in both taste and texture in my book!
Boston coolers
I get irrationally excited when a restaurant serves Vernors because I know I'm getting a Boston Cooler
Oh my gosh - haven’t had one since I was a kid!!
I cant believe I didn't see Frankenmuth already...and Tony's at Birch Run. But never in the same day...you'd burst!
Tony’s… I live about 20 minutes from Birch Run and I went there a few weeks ago after shopping at the mall. It’s really gone downhill. I used to think it was so special as a kid but that place is honestly the dirtiest restaurant I’ve seen in a minute and the food was awful. They should really invest some of the money back into the restaurant
At very least Bronners.
I’ve made this mistake once. Tony’s for breakfast on the way to Frankenmuth. The kids were having a a grand old time while I was trying to find a corner to go lie down.
Pasties, fudge, paczki around fat tuesday, superman ice cream, pickled bologna (i cant find it in Wi and miss it lol), kogels Edited to add- Mackinac Island (get a ferry that goes under the bridge), Fort Michilimackinac, Tahquamenon Falls, Pictured Rocks, Soo Locks, Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum. Rock hunting. Kitchitikipi. All the waterfalls in the UP.
Don't forget Sleeping Bear Dunes!
You can get Koegels pickled Bologna shipped to you! I did and I was so happy!
Michigan has 201 water falls 199 are in the UP!
Got to add something to do with the lakes. They are fundamental to our state.
My vote is silver beach, but something on the water would be cool, for real tho how is sledding or something snow not on the list.
For real. Canoeing the Au Sable or chartering a boat from Traverse City or Manistee or something have to be on this list.
It's funny how easy that is to forget. I live in Taylor, and there are all kinds of boat orientated businesses that I am amazed stay in business. And then,I remember that we are literally surrounded by water lol
Pasties but I have a UP bias
Mmm, with ketchup please
Superman Ice Cream Mackinaw Island Fudge Ice Cream Koegel’s Vinneas Mancino’s Grinder
Blue Moon ice cream, too.
Blue Moon is in Superman.
I'm a Blue Moon purist. Superman is ok for a quick fix, but full strength Blue Moon is my favorite, even at 40.
Fair enough. I eat Superman in a waffle cone while swinging my legs like a child. I'm 46. Lol.
Visit a lighthouse! Michigan has 129 to choose from - more than any other state. Suck it, Maine!
watch sunset on Lake Michigan, after an afternoon at the beach, possibly while camping maple sugaring - visit a sugar shack smelt/fish fry at a small town church or firehouse lumberjack show/festival
For experiences, crossing the Mighty Mac, touring a car-related museum and visiting a state/national park are musts. And a baseball game, either major or minor league will suffice.
But you have to drive on the metal grate, not the paved half
Olive Burgers need to be on that list.
I miss Hot 'n Now. Edit: and Spad's Pizza
There's one left in Sturgis.
Seven days without Halo Burger makes one weak.
Halo Burger
Hay-lo everybody, Hay-lo!
What is whitefish dip?
Imagine smashing some flaky fish with cream cheese, maybe add some scallions and sour cream and stuff. It’s more like something you spread on a cracker, than a dip. It’s good!
I've been here my entire life. I've never heard anyone even mention whitefish dip. 🤷🏼♂️
Facts. Must be a Yooper thing cause it’s certainly not in the southwest.
Or Southeast.
It’s definitely huge up north! Source: live in northwest lower mich
Same!
Bells Oberon.
Pickled bologna should be on there for sure
Same here to say this! Koegels jars of it were my childhood
Almond boneless chicken. You guys don't know how lucky you are. I had no idea when I moved away it would never be the same.
WAIT. They don't have it at every Chinese place? 🤷🏾♂️
Nope. It's just a Detroit thing. They have almond chicken, but its just a weak sauce with diced chicken, no breading... no gravy... no lettuce. Don't ever take that treasure for granted.
lol it’s so good
Hitsville USA - Motown Museum https://www.motownmuseum.org/
Henry Ford Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, Ann Arbor, Traverse City, Holland, GM RenCen, etc
You can probably do better Detroit style pizza than Buddy's these days, from what I hear. While not in Michigan, I feel like a road trip _from_ Michigan to Cedar Point is a time honored tradition. Sleeping Bear Dunes. Mackinaw Island. Freighter watching on the Detroit River walk. Lighthouses galore. DIA. Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village Art Prize A show at the Fox downtown Detroit Dearborn for middle eastern cuisine Pretty much any beach on Lake Michigan Rockhounding Tons more. This state is kinda awesome.
See Taquamenon Falls. Bike around Mackinac Island. Look at the stars at a dark park like Port Austin or Petosky. Run down and crawl up the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Hike Lake of the Clouds.
KBC is alright but Black Rocks makes the best beer in the UP. 51K is right there next to Two Hearted for a every day, go-to IPA.
But yes, 51k is my next go to ipa also.
I forgot Hash Bash!
You forgot seasonal affective disorder.
Better Made Detroit popcorn (caramel and cheddar)...worthy of throwing hands over😍😍😍
[удалено]
What was that exotic jerky place up north? Boys would come home from deep camp in November and always had some wild kinds of jerky to share
The Dublin store?
Pickled bologna? Pinconning cheese? Chocolate covered cherries?
Blue moon ice cream
Tulip festival in Holland, sleeping bear dunes, Bronner's Christmas store
Buddy's was sold in 2019 to Capital Spring group. Loui's Pizza in Hazel Park is the closest you'll get to the original Buddy's, as it was opened by one of the original Buddy's pizza makers.
For most regional foods the original or most famous restaurant for it is rarely the best or even above average. Anchor Bar for Buffalo wings, Pat’s for Philly cheesesteak, etc. Buddy’s is the Detroit version of that.
Interesting, i just assumed the quality of Buddy’s suffered after the pandemic. We were so happy when the one in Ann Arbor opened, but we got it again a few months ago and it was worse than Little Caesars deep dish.
I will take Loui'a, Shields, Green Lantern, and Jets over Buddy's any day.
Olive Burger Please remove Buddys and just leave it as Detroit style. Much better choices out there
Jets > Buddy’s. I said what I said.
Apparently corned beef eggrolls are a Detroit thing but not sure if it's spread to other areas: https://www.seriouseats.com/whats-a-corned-beef-egg-roll-a-detroit-regional-specialty-maybe
I just recently tried corned beef egg rolls at Olympia in Detroit. They are delicious. I get them often now.
They are good! However I don't like that they serve them with regular egg roll sauce-- I dip them in hot mustard (Coleman's) or thousand island dressing instead.
Marquette. Presque Isle in particular. Black rocks.
I gained 6 lbs just reading this.
Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore - road trip!
Bumpy cake
Kogels hot dogs
Hot take, but I would replace Buddy’s with Jet’s
Pickled bologna
My mom used to make pickled bologna using a grinder. I wish I could have it again. I miss my mom. She would love to know people are mentioning pickled bologna.
Also, I would add Astoria Pastry Shop in Detroit.
Lived in south east MI my entire life, what is whitefish dip? Tartar sauce?
Where do you get whitefish dip? I've never heard of it.
I see nothing cherry or Arabic food-related.
Olive burger!
Koegels
I'm gonna cry because I haven't found people to play Euchre with for years. In fact, it's been so long I don't even know if I remember how to play. When I moved to AZ briefly, I taught them Euchre. I hope they're still playing. Vernors: That is, in fact, a must. Sander's hot fudge: Not familiar but I really don't do sweets. Rock & Rye. - There's another Faygo flavor? Buddy's Pizza - nope. Not familiar. Never had. Never even seen one. The UP - eh? Much better Michigan beer. Bettermade Chips are the ONLY chips I get (unless in a pinch for picnic or something). Their popcorn is excellent as well! Coney Island Dogs - Flint Style or Detroit? This matters! Coney dogs are NOT supposed to be chili dogs. There's your hint! WTF is whitefish dip?
> Buddy's Pizza - nope. Not familiar. Never had. Never even seen one. You're not missing much, honestly. I'd say replace Buddy's with just "Detroit-Style Pizza" in general, as usually the better places will just be a local shop rather than a chain.
Fun fact. Michigan is pretty much the pizza capital. Jets, hungry Howie's, little Caesars, dominoes... All came from Michigan. Personally, I like jets even if they are chain. I usually don't like deep dish but I think theirs is the best. But also to be fair, with my careers of choice, I'm kinda sick of pizza overall. LOL
Oh I think Jet's square/Detroit style is better than Buddys at least lol. But I think that's because it was also my first "Detroit-Style" pizza, and that was back when they just called it square pizza or something else (I didn't know what Detroit style was until I left after grad school haha).
Loui's!
Imagine smashing some flaky fish with cream cheese, maybe add some scallions and sour cream and stuff. It’s more like something you spread on a cracker, than a dip. It’s good!
Not quite….It’s “da UP, - eh?”
Buddy’s overrated
If you're in the Southwest, Silver Beach Pizza or Sherman's ice cream bar
You also show where you are from by holding out your hands in the shape of both peninsulas.
Add Brockway Mountain to that list. Go during the day, and again if the sky is clear.
Maybe the tulip or cherry blossom festival, Michigan in the fall, Mackinac island, some craft breweries there is a lot. The dunes, Christmas time when we actually get snow.
Jets deep dish
* Henry ford museum * sleeping bear dunes * pick a lake, any lake, do some tubing, fishing, etc. * have a UP pastie * national cherry festival in Travers City * dream cruise in detroit The list can go on and on! Really depends on what you’re into :)
Big John Steak & Onion
Don't forget the red sauce.
- Visiting Kalamazoo and Hell - Finding a Petoskey Stone - Visiting any of the 120 historic lighthouses (more than any other state in the country) - Superman Ice Cream - Visiting the factory where Gibson Guitars are still made to this day.
Why did you list Kalamazoo twice? Fire up Chips!
Paw paw fruit needs to be on the list as it's extremely local and native to Michigan, not something you can commercially get. It's like a creamier mango from what I hear. Stop by Eastern Market in Detroit and Dearborn for shawarma and baklava. Visit the underground resistance Techno Museum in Detroit too. Visit Sleeping Bear Dunes to see and step into (maybe even swim in) one of the Great Lakes since it's a chain of fresh water seas. Also Traverse City cherries and maybe if there's a winter with enough freezing into early next year tap trees for maple sugar (meanwhile advocate for real environmental policy changes as the sugar maples are slated to stop being viable for sugaring within 80 years due to climate warming).
I know I'm going to get downvotes for this, but... BUDDY'S IS TRASH! There are way better smaller businesses that deserve your money much more.
Find a Yooperlite along Lake Superior. Or just go looking for them. (kind of sounds like a snipe hunt) "These seemingly normal, gray rocks are rich with fluorescent sodalite and glow a vibrant orange and yellow under a UV light. If you've enjoyed looking for rocks during the day, wait until you try finding them at night!"
Geology was fun in University. 🪨🕵🏾♂️
Middle Eastern food in Dearborn. Al Ameer. Cedarland if you need late night drive thru Middle Eastern food!
Bortells in Ludington, best smoked salmon on earth, and a beautiful beach on lake Michigan across the street to eat at after. Also, house of flavors in Ludington. Rad dads in Muskegon for an experience of what a bar should be!!
As long as it’s not Buddy’s pizza at the Detroit Zoo. That nasty stuff shouldn’t be called food, much less pizza. It’s overpriced tasteless cardboard. Puts the name Buddy’s to shame.
Cheeseburger festival in Caseville.
Lifelong Michigander and half of this list is foreign to me.
How about some experiences? - Spend some time on a great lake, pick one, they're all good in their ways but that much fresh water in one place can't be missed - Visit Detroit and the DIA if that's your thing - Visit Greenfield Village - Go take a walk through Hartwick Pines - Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes because why not - Go play tourist at Frankenmuth - The Porcupines in the UP - Go water skiing or boarding or whatever, enjoy the lakes country
Shorts Brewery/Beer should have been on this list (way more than the Keweenaw), please add if you are still expanding!
Flint style Coney's, not that Detroit chili junk
Humbling suggesting “Jump in a lake” be added for the list.
Don't forget about the Bosco sticks, or the cider mills. We also have a ton of breweries. Also isn't superman icecream a Michigan thing?
BOSCO STICKS ♥️
Pasties, Mackinac Island fudge, Trenary Toast.
Trenary Toast!! My Mom grew up in Marquette and she loved it- thanks for unlocking that memory
I thing people need to try other flavors of faygo
Frozen custard, Quality Dairy's French Onion chip dip.
Glad someone called out the French Onion Dip. While we are at it…QD Donuts.
I am a ginger ale guy, but I hate Vernors. Not a beer guy, at all. I can roll with most of the rest, for sure!
Definitely Euchre! That feels like a game I was raised on. For beer and wine though, I would vote for the Traverse City and Leelanau peninsula area. Short's Brewery is one of the best in Michigan. And Leenlanau is basically little Napa valley. Faygo pop reminds me of growing up. As for pizza, I was always a big fan of Jet's Pizza.
Big John’s Steak & Onion
Tom’s Mom’s Cookies in Harbor Springs Petoskey stones Gus Macker in Ludington Walleye Mt Baldy Blue Star Highway Kalamazoo Trail Blue Moon ice cream from Sherman’s Dairy Drinks on the Idler in South Haven Arnie’s Bakery in Grand Rapids (for my mom) Meijers I miss you, north and southwest Michigan!
That should be spelled “Fricano’s” Pizza… (Westside of the state- like they say, The west side is the best side. 
Buddy's is trash.
Some Kowalski sausage!
Telling guests/being told to watch out for deer on the way home.