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!

Picture the whole crew under one roof. Grandparents, parents, a couple of teenagers, and a toddler who will be up at 5am (bless her, every single day!). Coffee’s going in a real kitchen, someone’s reading on the porch, the little one is stacking blocks on the rug, and nobody had to text three hotel rooms to find out where breakfast is happening. THAT is the promise of a group vacation rental done well. It’s also the thing that can go sideways FAST if you pick the wrong house (ask me how I know!).

A tiny bakery at the northern tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula makes the best doughnuts in the state. That is our opinion, and after one bite of a thimbleberry-frosted doughnut from Jamsen’s Bakery, it will be yours too. Still don’t believe us? Gordon Ramsay stopped by for a taste himself in September 2020. He said, “This is wonderful.”

International travel has largely returned to normal for Australians in 2026, but questions remain about whether a COVID-19 vaccine is still required or recommended before heading overseas. The short answer is: it depends on where you are going and your personal health circumstances. This guide breaks down what you need to know before you pack your bags.

Cornish miners brought pasties to the Keweenaw, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, during the 1800s. The hearty, handheld meal was easy to carry underground and filling enough for a long day’s work. Long after the mines closed, the pasty remained — and today, it is one of the Keweenaw’s most beloved traditions.

Here's a scene you might be quite familiar with (alas). You've flown across an ocean, hungrily standing in a restaurant that smells like heaven, the menu is a doorway into a whole culture (where to start? SO MANY amazing options!), and your kid wants plain noodles. No sauce. Maybe some bread. Is there ketchup?

Thoughtful travel begins long before tickets are booked, because every place has social patterns that shape daily life. Maps can show streets, trains, museums, and hotels, but they cannot show how people greet one another, share space, use silence, or define respect. For educators, students, families, and lifelong learners, preparation should include social context and humility.

Travel teaches us far more than geography, history, or language. Every destination introduces visitors to different traditions, customs, and ways of spending free time, offering valuable insights into the culture of a place. While museums, historical landmarks, and famous monuments often receive most of the attention, entertainment districts can be equally educational. They reveal how communities gather, celebrate, socialise, and express their local identity.

Across from the Massachusetts State House, at the edge of Boston Common, stands a bronze memorial that stops people mid-stride. It honors Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, one of the first Black regiments recruited in the North during the Civil War (if you've seen the film Glory, this is that regiment). Above all, look at their faces. Artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens spent fourteen years getting them right, and every soldier is an individual, a particular man with a particular face.