Eight Things Michiganders are Thankful for this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is less than four weeks away. Those of us who are lucky enough to call ourselves Michiganders have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to this great state we get to call home.

1. Good Beer – With close to 200 craft breweries, no matter where we live in The Mitten State, we can find a quality local brew to kick back and enjoy.
2. Water – It’s everywhere! We’re never more than six miles away from a lake, river or stream and almost all of us live two hours or less from a Great Lake. That’s a whole lot of fishing, boating, swimming and beach-going to do.
3. No salt or sharks -Speaking of those Great Lakes, Jaws won’t come after you while you’re swimming, and our unsalted water is fresh and clean. But even though that fresh water designates them as lakes, they’re so big they behave more like seas. The lakes handle huge boats and freighters. The waves can kick up big enough for you to surf. The lakes even create their own weather, like big piles of lake effect snow.
4. Four unique seasons – If you’re used to warm weather, that snow might not sound so good. But here in Michigan we’re thankful for four unique seasons. Winter’s cold and ice let’s us go ice skating, ice fishing, skiing, sledding and snowmobiling. Didn’t know winter could be so fun did you? When the snow melts in the spring, all the flowers and trees come back to life. Of course summer is incredible here with all our water and beaches. Then fall comes and all those trees turn the most amazing shades of red, orange and yellow against the backdrop of blue water.
5. Farmers – Agriculture is a big part of our economy, and that means there are orchards, vineyards and fields bursting with fresh food all over Michigan in the summer and fall. We can pick our apples and cherries right off the tree and drive down almost any country road and find a market selling produce fresh from the farm.
6. Wilderness – When you combine unsettled land protected at the national and state level, Michigan has close to 10 million acres of wilderness. And that’s not even counting land protected by local governments, private organizations and individuals. If you want to get lost in the woods, come to Michigan. Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are favorite places to go in search of pristine forests and crystal clear water.
7. Cities – We’re not all fields and woods here. We have some incredible cities in Michigan too. Detroit and Grand Rapids are the biggest, but smaller cities like Lansing, Ann Arbor, Traverse City and Marquette have a lot to offer too. Museums, restaurants, artists and musicians and innovative businesses are a just a few of the things that make Michigan’s cities exciting places to visit.
8. Storied sports teams – Michiganders love their sports, and it’s no wonder with such legendary teams to cheer on. With the Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons all playing in Detroit, we’re home to some of the most famous professional sports franchises. Our college teams are nationally recognized too, and The University of Michigan and Michigan State have one of the biggest rivalries in the country.