As a native Michigander, I’m well aware that our state offers so many fascinating places, interesting things to do, and beautiful areas to explore. I still eagerly delve into new books about our beloved state – there’s so much MORE to see!
I’m so excited to share Small Town Michigan: Legends, Lore, and Attractions in the Wolverine State, a new book by author Amy Piper (we LOVE interviews with us about two of her books, Read This: 100 Things to Do in Lansing Before You Die and Secret Michigan: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure).
Small Town Michigan is filled with small towns both familiar to me and TOTALLY unknown. In each case, I learned so much about them!
Sections for each include
• Founding Story
• Legends
• Lore
• Attractions
• Events
• Vitals/Fun Facts
Even if a place is familiar, there is much to learn – and so much more to explore. For places both new and known to me, I was so intrigued that I fell down many rabbit holes, and created a slew of road trip plans.
For instance, did you know that Saugatuck, located along Michigan's sunset coast (and the location of Oval Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the US), operates the only remaining hand-cranked chain ferry in the United States, carrying passengers across the Kalamazoo River since 1838? It’s a short ferry ride, but OH, so memorable. Hop off, and hike up a zillion stairs to Mount Baldy, a high dune overlooking Lake Michigan.
Oval Beach, Saugatuck
Or that the Upper Peninsula's Copper Harbor, so named for the copper that has been extracted for thousands of years, is located at the very top of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula? There have been sightings of a cryptid named Pressie in the cold waters of Lake Superior! You can also explore miles of trails, take a ferry to Isle Royale National Park, go high and low at a lighthouse and in a deep mine tour, or stargaze at the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park.
Or that in Munising (also in the Upper Peninsula), you can see ancient geological formations at Pictured Rocks, Munising Falls, and plenty of beaches (note: it is truly cold to swim in Lake Superior, even in summer).
Pictured Rocks, Munising
From tall ships to quintessential small downtowns to food and art, this book illuminates the treasures that are unknown to most travelers – and inspires new travel plans!
Highly, highly recommended!
While Amy Piper is a lifelong Michigander, she’s had adventures worldwide. Bomb-sniffing dogs chased her in the middle of the night in Bogota, gate agents refused her boarding to Paraguay (wrong visa), and US Marshals announced her seat number on a plane while looking for a murder suspect (she’d traded seats). It’s always an adventure! She even finds adventure in her home state of Michigan, where she lives in Lansing with her husband, Ross Dingman, her daughter, Alexis, and two granddaughters. Discover her adventures at FollowthePiper.com
Her author titles include:
• Small Town Michigan
• Secret Michigan: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
• 100 Things to Do in Lansing Before You Die
• Midwest Road Trip Adventures (Michigan Chapter)
• Ann Arbor and Southern Michigan Chapter of the Fodor's Travel Michigan Guidebook (Released June 30, 2026)
We interviewed Amy about her new book, inspiration, the joys and challenges of research and writing, and more. Here’s what she had to say…
What inspired you to write this book?
It really wasn’t a single thing that inspired me, but a mix of factors. I noticed a growing desire to get away from social media and big cities and reconnect with nature. Then, throughout the years, I’ve found and explored the small towns where Michigan’s stories are often found. The pandemic pushed me to “double down” on learning more about my home state after years of world travel. I became curious, which led me to start digging into unusual places and local history across Michigan.
While the big-city vibe was popular in previous years, in 2026, more of Michigan’s 130 million annual visitors are choosing smaller lake towns and Up North communities. Reports of overtourism and busy schedules have many seeking a relaxing escape. Rural counties now account for a large share of the state's tourism.
Michigan is one of the best places in the country to experience this small-town trend because its charming communities dot some of the world's most beautiful freshwater shorelines. You can string together harbor villages, historic resort towns, and tiny beach communities in an easy road trip. In each town, you can park once, walk a few blocks, recognize the barista by the second day, and hear the birds sing instead of traffic. Small towns offer a “Hallmark movie” vibe with walkable downtowns, family-friendly cafés, quirky festivals, and peaceful sunsets.
East Tawas
What were the joys and challenges of researching and writing this book? And how did you decide which to include (and leave out)?
Michigan is home to nearly 700 named communities, and hundreds of them are the kind of small towns travelers dream about discovering. I started with a population limit of 15,000 people. Then, it came down to content. There are so many other towns in Michigan that aren’t listed that have wonderful attractions, but I could only choose 50. I selected those that would offer the most information for the featured content. That ultimately became the selection factor. This is a guide, and I hope it inspires readers to look around for additional small towns to explore. I’ll be featuring additional ones on my blog and social media in the coming months.
Selecting was a difficult task because we have so many great towns in Michigan. I’m sure many will wonder why their town wasn’t selected. For many towns that weren’t selected, I’ll write a blog post and post on social media. If there’s a town that needs some attention, feel free to reach out.
Also, I saw things that raised questions, like why would a town name itself "Germfask"? Including the word “germ” seemed a bit off-putting to me. Answering those questions made the selection process more interesting.
Art in Germfask
Without realizing it, it began in 2023, while I was writing my previous book, Secret Michigan: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. As I was traveling around Michigan researching that book, I took a lot of pictures of interesting places that didn’t fit into it. So, I’d been photographing long before I started writing. Some of the secrets in my Secret book were in small towns that had a lot more to offer than just a single attraction.
The actual research and writing for this book took about a year. I searched online first, decided where I wanted to visit, and then grouped them into trips. It’s important to note that I’ve been to each of these small towns. I talked to the people and explored. In some cases, I still plan to go back because so much of my exploring remains unfinished.
What might people be surprised to learn about these small towns in Michigan?
What tends to surprise people is how distinctive Michigan’s small towns are — many have unusual histories, quirky landmarks, and stories that feel more memorable than the “sleepy town” stereotype. They’re also more numerous and more varied than people expect; one source notes Michigan has hundreds of very small places, including towns so small that many residents of the state have never heard of them.
Williamston
Which one was the most fun to share?
Each town has something special, so this is a difficult question. I was mayor of Hell, Michigan for the day, and that was fun. Lots of jokes and wordplay. So, from a research perspective, that was fun.
Hell
What’s up next for you?
I’m working on my next book, Unique Eats and Eateries of Michigan. So, I’m out exploring Michigan’s food stories. Send me an email at piper [at] followthepiper.com if you have a suggestion.
How can people find your work?
Local bookstores carry the book. If they don’t have it in stock, they can order it through their distribution channels. You can also order directly from the publisher, ReedyPress.com.
How should readers use this book?
This book is meant for travelers and locals alike. A tourist could use this book to find their next weekend adventure. A Michigander could pick up this book, see their town’s story told, and feel a sense of pride. I hope they’ll dog-ear pages, add some sticky notes, choose a town they’ve never visited, and go. Whether for a day trip, a long weekend, or even a longer road trip. I hope they’ll become curious, take time to talk with locals, and spend their money at the independent spots that keep these towns vibrant.
When you visit a town, how do you know where to visit in that community?
I do a lot of research prior to visiting. If the town has a Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), I’ll check out their website, email them, or give them a call. They’re usually locals who promote the town. I’m continually checking Facebook groups, looking for interesting suggestions. I usually go with a couple of restaurants and a few attractions in mind. When I get there, I ask servers, storekeepers, and random strangers for their suggestions.
Sault Ste Marie
What were some of the biggest things that residents of the state of Michigan should realize about our state?
We have our favorite places that we keep going back to, without discovering all the other places out there. Residents often forget that Michigan is both geographically large and psychologically local. You can live here your whole life and still not know the next county over, a peninsula shoreline, or a small town with a better park, beach, bakery, or sunset than the one you already know. This was brought home to me when I took my 5-year-old granddaughter to the library in my hometown of Holt. She asked me to go to the pavilion behind the library. She was very familiar with that park from pre-school, yet I’d never been. It took her to help me discover it. We sometimes have inertia about getting out and discovering what’s nearby. I know that many Michigan residents living in towns other than Williamston would be surprised to learn all that it has to offer.
For visitors, I think it is important to realize that Michigan isn’t a one-and-done destination. Planning a Michigan vacation means discovering a state you’ll come back to often because the last trip left a few things unfinished. From Great Lakes shorelines and small towns to food-forward regions and seasonal traditions, Michigan rewards travelers who slow down and explore a little deeper each time.
Michigan has a hidden-gems culture: ferry towns, ghost towns, quirky roadside landmarks, lighthouse beaches, and inland-waterway trips.
All photos courtesy and copyright Amy Piper, published with permission.