Under the Radar Michigan: The First 50, great for tourists & locals

Most summers we vacation in Michigan. Specifically we go to the Traverse City and the Charlevoix region.  In the northern Michigan area the temperatures, even in the middle of July rarely get uncomfortable.  Under The Radar Michigan is a popular show that’s on PBS stations in Michigan. Their new book Under The Radar Michigan: The First 50 takes a look at some of the best gems from their first 50 episodes and puts them in a book.

When my wife first suggested that we visit northern Michigan my reaction was mixed. While I love to travel I love to see things, relax, do something adventurous, go to the beach, mountains or any one of those activities. My mental image of Michigan was that of one big auto plant that may, or may not be producing cars, mixed in with some crime and a bunch of lakes.

That’s neither fair nor accurate. It would be the same as someone planning a visit to Georgia and expecting nothing but pick-up trucks, peaches, The Walking Dead being filmed and plantation mansions on every corner. Both visions are the worst and most common stereotype in a mind’s eye of a destination that I’ve since grown to love.

Under the Radar Michigan: The First 50 is jammed with off the track locations and things to do in a state that offers an incredibly diverse number of things to do. The Michigan Everglades really exist and offer exotic bird watching and flat boats zipping over the grass.  Massive sand dunes near the lake? Yes-and one thing we learned during our drives around Michigan is do not listen passively as someone says “turn at the lake”.  There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of lakes and using them as a landmark is a sure way to get lost.

We discovered Dinosaur Gardens in the book.  It’s a park with big, almost life size dinosaurs spread out in a park.  Like most of the outside exhibits in Michigan it’s closed during the winter months.

Another thing that the book showed me was how much fun Michigan looks in the winter. It does look cold, we often check the Charlevoix weather in winter and can virtually attest to that. However, they’ve got skiing, snow mobile riding and all manner of cold based outdoor play all over the state. The book is packed with photos from every corner of the state, giving the arm chair traveler a glimpse into what you can do there.

Under The Radar Michigan is a travel book. All of the businesses and areas that they highlight have their address, phone number and website so you can plan your visit. We’ll certain incorporate aspects of the book into our next trip up there.  If you haven’t been to Michigan it’s worth a visit.  One bonus, if you’re a fan of beef jerky is the sheer variety of jerky for sale outside of the cities.  That alone is worth a visit for jerky lovers.