Staff Picks: Books for Summers in Michigan
by eapearce
It may not feel this way when we’re weathering the fifth month of snow storms, but Michigan is a beautiful state! And there’s no better time to explore near and far than the spring, summer and early fall. With school letting out soon and the weather continuing to get warmer, lots of us are planning summer getaways, whether for a day or a week or longer. While of course it can be exciting to leave our beloved mitten-shaped home and see what’s beyond state lines, there’s so much to do and appreciate within the pleasant peninsulas, too. Need inspiration? Check out some of these cool local travel guides.
Michigan Day Trips by Theme, by Kathryn Houghton | Request Now
This book has been regularly updated since its first publication in 2013, most recently in 2021. Organized super conveniently based on what the reader might be interested in doing, this is great to flip through for ideas for destinations and stops all around the state. You can browse by region or by what you’re seeking out: Lighthouses, Science & Nature, Art, Festivals, Museums, and more. The range of activities in this book is particularly well-done: you won’t just find well-known tourist destinations here. Included are more rural nature centers, small museums and even just interesting historic buildings in lesser known towns that you might want to swing through. This is a book to keep in the car all summer long, to flip through and see what you might be able to add on to your journey!
Backroads & Byways of Michigan: Drives, Day Trips & Weekend Excursions, by Matt Forster | Request Now
The fourth edition of “the best road guide to the Great Lakes State” just came out last year and has lots of great updates. Suggested routes cover the entire state and have various lengths, offering options for drives of a few hours or a weekend or more. Maps and photographs are included, along with information about interesting roadside attractions and stops along the way. Some routes are even organized by theme, like “History Off the Beaten Path,” or “The Grape Coast”--a lovely route on the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas in northwest Michigan. The Upper Peninsula isn’t forgotten either; the “Superior’s Scenic Shoreline” drive includes suggestions of the best places to pull off the road and hit the beach, restaurant ideas in the small towns you’ll pass through, and noteworthy historic markers and stops like waterfalls and lake vistas. If you’re looking to get somewhere in a hurry, this might not be the travel guide for you, but if you have a bit of time and want to see more of our beautiful state, this is definitely worth picking up.
Best Bike Rides Detroit and Ann Arbor, by Rob Pulcipher | Request Now
Five-Star Trails Ann Arbor and Detroit, by Greg Tasker | Request Now
Looking to keep things close to home? These two guides offer excellent routes for staying active locally. Best Bike Rides Detroit and Ann Arbor provides 40 different suggestions for bike route options in southeast Michigan. Most routes are between five and thirty-five miles in length, though there are plenty of ideas for connecting different paths for a longer ride. Bikers of all types will find something here: road routes, bike paths, rural dirt road routes, and single-track mountain bike paths are all included! If you’d rather stay on two feet than two wheels, Five-Star Trails Ann Arbor and Detroit is the place to turn for hiking ideas. I love how this book provides a trail map for each suggested route, along with elevation information and detailed trail descriptions. GPS coordinates and driving directions for finding trailheads are also included and extremely helpful for more rural, less-accessible trails. Like the biking book, a wide range of trails are suggested here, including good family hikes, beginning, intermediate and advanced hikes, and routes for backpackers and overnight campers.
Michigan: Off the Beaten Path: A Guide to Unique Places, by Jackie Sheckler Finch | Request Now
This is a great guidebook to gift to a new Michigan resident or to peruse if you’re newish to the state yourself. While many longtime residents might recognize lots of the places in this book, there are tons of little facts and cultural tidbits that are super fun to read. This is also a great book to grab if you’re visiting a part of the state for the first time. You’ll get suggestions for local dining and cultural attractions that might not have made it into other guidebooks. Like many of the other guides mentioned, this one is regularly updated, but was first published back in 1988! This most recent one is the thirteenth edition.
There are lots more Michigan guidebooks in AADL's collection, too! We're always making sure our travel section is updated with the latest editions. Enjoy your summer vacations!
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