Michigan General Information Nickname: Great Lakes State State bird: Michigan Robin State flower: Apple Blossom Capital: Lansing Date of admission to the Union: 26th Jan 1837 Population: 9,938,444 (2000) Population density: 39.7/sq km 2000 total overseas arrivals/US ranking: 494,000/14 Time: Eastern (GMT - 5). Daylight Saving Time is observed. The State: Michigan comprises two peninsulas. These are divided by Lake Michigan, and linked by one of the world’s longest suspension bridges across the Straits of Mackinac. Lakes Superior, Huron and Erie also form the State’s shorelines. The Lower Peninsula, mainly agricultural and industrial, contains inland lakes, meadows and sandy beaches as well as the ‘Motor City’ of Detroit. The Upper Peninsula is more rugged, and boasts forests, white beaches, trout streams and winter ski resorts. Travel - International AIR: International airports: Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) (website: www.metroairport.com) is 32km (20 miles) west of the city centre. Buses and taxis are available to downtown areas; car hire is also available. Approximate flight times: From Detroit to London is 7 hours 10 minutes, and to New York is 1 hour 40 minutes. RAIL: Detroit is on the Amtrak (tel: (800) 872 7245; website: www.amtrak.com) Chicago–Toronto line; see the Illinois section for approximate travel times. ROAD: Approximate driving times: From Detroit to Cleveland is 3 hours, to Indianapolis is 5 hours, to Cincinnati is 5 hours, to Toronto is 5 hours, to Chicago is 5 hours, to Buffalo is 6 hours, to New York is 13 hours, to Dallas is 24 hours, to Miami is 27 hours, to Los Angeles is 49 hours, and to Seattle is 49 hours. All times are based on non-stop driving at or below the applicable speed limits. Approximate bus travel times: From Detroit to Cleveland is 4 hours, to Cincinnati is 6 hours, to Chicago is 6 hours, to Toronto is 6 hours, to Indianapolis is 7 hours, and to Duluth is 19 hours. URBAN: Most larger communities have bus and taxi services. Detroit also has a city-centre rapid rail system, the People Mover. Introduction DETROIT: Industrial Detroit is the nation’s car manufacturing centre. The oldest city in the Midwest, founded in 1701, it is now the tenth-largest city in the USA, with a population of just under one million (the metro area, with 5.5 million inhabitants, ranks eighth). Detroit is also a major port, linked to the Atlantic Ocean via Lake Erie and the St Lawrence Seaway. There are many museums, art galleries, zoos and attractions in the city, and cultural events and major league sports are frequent crowd-pullers. Hitsville USA is a mecca for Motown fans, where the sounds of Diana Ross, The Temptations, and The Four Tops are immortalised. The Renaissance Center houses dozens of restaurants, a 1400-room hotel and a variety of shops, as well as being General Motors’ world headquarters. Belle Isle, the nation’s largest urban island park, offers biking, canoeing, an aquarium and a Great Lakes museum. The Cultural Center features the Detroit Historical Museum, the Detroit Science Center, the Detroit Institute of Arts (one of the largest art museums in the USA) and the Charles H Wright Museum of African-American History (the largest museum of its kind). The Detroit Zoological Park, containing more than 5000 animals in natural settings, can be toured by tractor-train. Greektown, along Monroe Avenue, offers Greek food, entertainment and speciality shops. Excursions: The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village can be found at Dearborn, a Detroit suburb; the 12-acre indoor museum focuses on America’s industrial development and the 81-acre village comprises more than 80 buildings, a train and a riverboat. Also in Dearborn are the Automotive Hall of Fame, Spirit of Ford and Henry Ford’s Fair Lane Estate. ELSEWHERE: Michigan’s Great Lakes coastline – along with 60,000km (36,000 miles) of rivers and 11,000 inland lakes – offers great boating, canoeing, fishing and watersports opportunities. Cranbrook Educational Community and Cranbrook House and Gardens are located in Bloomfield Hills, 40km (25 miles) north of central Detroit. The grounds contain a beautiful country estate and landscaped gardens with an art museum, science museum, nature centre, planetarium, observatory and various educational institutions. Ann Arbor, to the west of Detroit, is the home of the University of Michigan. Traverse City, on the west side of the State, is the heart of a recreational haven featuring sand dunes, resorts, golf and skiing. Located where the Upper and Lower Peninsulas meet, Mackinac Island is a well-known summer resort; cars are not allowed and visitors must walk, cycle or use horse-drawn carriages. Attractions include the impressive Grand Hotel and Fort Mackinac, a restored 18th-century military outpost. Isle Royale National Park is a beautiful wilderness island in Lake Superior. Social Profile Food & Drink: The State has a wide variety of American and ethnic restaurants. Steak and seafood are especially popular. Theatres & Concerts: In Detroit, the Fisher Theater and the Fox Theatre present Broadway shows. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra performs in Orchestra Hall (September to April) and at the Meadow Brook Music Festival, Oakland University (June to mid-August). The Michigan Opera Theater presents its shows at the restored Detroit Opera House. Opera, ballet and drama are also performed at the Music Hall Center (October to December). Cobo Arena stages rock and soul concerts. Summer theatre is found throughout the State. Nightlife: There is a variety of nightlife including supper clubs with star entertainment. Clubs offer a variety of music, ranging from ‘Motown’ soul music, which originated in Detroit, blues (this is the hometown of John Lee Hooker) to classical music. Shopping: Detroit’s main shopping areas include the Renaissance Center, Greektown and suburban malls. Resorts have speciality shops and gallery districts. The nation’s first shopping mall, Northland, opened in Southfield in 1954. Sport: Detroit offers professional basketball, baseball, hockey, football and horse-racing. Michigan has over 800 public-access golf courses – more than any other State in the USA. Special Events: The following is a selection of special events occuring in 2003: Jan 29-Feb 3 Zehnder’s Snowfest, Frankenmuth. Feb 1-2 USASA Snowboard Competition, Marquette. Feb 16-Jun 1 Dead Sea Scrolls (exhibition), Public Museum of Grand Rapids. Jul 1-27 20th Anniversary Muskegon Air Fair, Battle Creek. Jul 5-12 National Cherry Festival, Traverse City. Jul 17-19 Port Huron to Mackinac Yacht Race, Port Huron. Aug 8-10 Tall Ships Challenge Race, Muskegon. Climate Summers are warm with cool nights. Winters are cold, especially around the Great Lakes where conditions can be severe (however, there are good conditions for wintersports). Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.