Michigan is a US state situated in the north-west, at the border with Canada and famous for the namesake Great Lake. Actually, Michigan is embraced on its left and right by both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, like the claws of a giant lobster. Many people enjoy the beauty of Great Lakes art found in many of the galleries that can be found across this beautiful state.
Its first claim to fame is the capital city Detroit – formerly known as the automobile capital of the US, before the economic crisis hit the global car manufacturing industry. However, if you find yourself in Michigan, you have lots of interesting and fun things to do.
In the following, we will try to point out just a few of them:
- Be Mayor for a Day in Hell
This is not an attempt at dark humor. There really is a town in Michigan called Hell where any person has the opportunity to be mayor for one day. It costs only $100 to receive the key of the city, act as mayor and then unceremoniously get sacked by the council at the end of the day.
Apart for this entertainment, there is not very much to see in Hell, Michigan. But there are a lot of entertaining and cheeky town signs everywhere, so you can get definite proof that you’ve been to hell and back – and made it unscathed!
- Visit the Largest American Museum of Magic
If you go to the city of Marshall, you cannot miss the American Museum of Magic – the largest one in all US. It is home to over half a million memorabilia items, some of them very famous. The most valuable exhibits in the museum is Harry Houdini’s Milk Can Escape, one of the most complicated escape apparatuses used by the famous magician.
What is even more magical than all the exhibits is that the entire museum was put together by only one person: Robert Lund. He was a writer from Detroit, absolutely passionate about magic, but without the abilities to become a performer. Instead, he collected as many items related to this industry as he could – and he put all these items in a museum.
- The Fairy Doors of Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor may be known as the home of the University of Michigan, but it has one particular characteristic that makes it worth visiting for fun, not just for academic purposes. The town is full of fairy doors, opening to whimsical and magic worlds.
It all started with one man, Jonathan B. Wright, who was renovating his 100-year old home in 1993. He decided to make it a fun home for his young daughters by installing tiny doors opening to small spaces decorated like in fairy tales. His project was such a success, that he was commissioned to install such doors to other buildings all over the town – including at the Ann Arbor District Library and the Michigan Theater.
- The Lavender Labyrinth at Cherry Point Farm and Market
Cherry Point Farm and Market is located in Shelby, Michigan and features one of the most unusual and fragrant attractions: a lavender labyrinth. Designed by landscape architect Conrad Heiderer, the labyrinth has a circular shape and, unlike a maze, does not allow you to get lost.
The best time to explore it is between mid-July and early August, when the lavender plants are in full bloom.