My face must have shown my confusion when my new neighbor in suburban Detroit gave me a cooking mitt. I was grateful, of course, but a bit bewildered at what seemed like an unusual housewarming gift.
 
“It’s Michigan,” she smiled. “We’re the glove state.” Enthusiastically, she held her hand up to show that the state of Michigan has an uncanny resemblance to a gloved hand. Then she put up her other hand. “And this is the UP. You know, the Upper Peninsula. Up north?”
 
I didn’t know.
 

Pure Michigan ads, campaigned by fellow Michigander and actor Tim Allen, don't cover all the greatness that Michigan has to offer.

I'm always inspired whenever I look at Instagram, but some photographers seem to have that extra SOMETHING that makes their photos stand out from the 737 photos that are uploaded every second (!!). One such photographer is our Photographer of the Month, Greg Viau, a Michigan photographer that truly shares the beauty in this world, photo by photo.

“Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now.” – Airplanes B.O.B featuring Hayley Williams

Everyone on the boat – Check. Enough life jackets – After a minor delay, Check. Gas – Check. Already completed half the trip – Check.

This fall, I’m happy to share some incredible fall color getaways.

There isn't much that I like more than visiting lighthouses during the summer. The sun, the sand, and sunny skies lend themselves to long lazy days walking along the beach, sun bathing, boating, and building sand castles.

We're lucky here in Michigan, where more than 110 lighthouses dot the coasts of the Great Lakes that surround our state's Lower and Upper Peninsulas, and I'm especially fortunate to have visited many of these historic beauties over the years.