How Michigan Will Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
Every year millions of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions in an effort to better themselves and their lives. Those resolutions can be hard to keep. Sometimes you need a little help and motivation, especially by February when the excitement of new year wears off. Well, look no farther than the Great State of Michigan. Here’s a list of America’s Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions and all the ways Michigan can help you meet your goals for this year.
1. Stay fit and healthy. This is Americas’ top New Year’s Resolution, and Michigan offers plenty of opportunities for people who want to get active. Hit Northern Michigan’s ski slopes this winter at Nub’s Nob or Boyne Resorts, both just minutes from Petoskey. In the spring, hike the Shore-to-Shore Trail, two-hundred miles of trail, crossing the state from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. In the summer, it’s time to take the kayak out on the Big Lake or down one of our many rivers. Fall is another great time for hiking when all trees are on fire with autumn color.
2. Lose Weight. This one goes along with number one. Doctor’s say cardio is the best exercise for weight loss. Make it fun by participating in active events like the Mackinac Bridge Walk. Participates get to walk the 5-mile length of the bridge each Memorial Day. If running is more your thing, join in on the Detroit Free Press Talmer Bank Marathon. Runners will see the sites in Motor City and even take a brief detour into Canada, traveling over the Ambassador Bridge and returning through the Windsor Tunnel.
3. Enjoy life to the fullest. How you enjoy life to the fullest is different for everyone. Most Michiganders would probably say it involves a bottle of local craft beer, a sunset and a beach. Founders in Grand Rapids is one of Michigan’s most well-known local breweries with Breakfast Stout making the top ten list of best beers in the U.S. You can catch a great sunset at just about any beach along Lake Michigan. We happen to be partial to Petoskey State Park.
4. Spend less, save more. Michigan can even help you do this. Plan your summer beach vacation along Lake Michigan where you’ll find world-class, white sand beaches for swimming, sailing and sunning. You’ll also find quality accommodations and gourmet restaurants at more affordable prices than other prime vacation spots. Your hard earned cash goes farther in The Mitten State.
5. Spend more time with family and friends. If quality time is was you want, reserve one of the thousands of campsites in Michigan. A night in the woods around the campfire is the perfect way to reconnect with loved ones.
6. Get Organized. Lots of folks are looking to get their houses in order for the new year. That usually means getting rid of clutter, but sometimes you need to make a few purchases, like storage containers to help you out. Hide your mess in style with unique, handmade containers from local art galleries. Saugatuck and Traverse City are just a couple of Michigan’s lakeshore towns known for their rows of art galleries.
7. Resolve not to make any resolutions. That’s right! The seventh most popular New Year’s Resolution is not to make any resolutions. If that’s you, you’re likely the laid back type who doesn’t get stressed out easily. We’ve got you covered. There are plenty of ways to relax in Michigan, from spending the day fishing on the lake to shopping the one-of-a-kind stores and boutiques in our lakeshore communities, like Petoskey and Harbor Springs.
8. Learn a new hobby. Where do we even start with this one? We’ve mentioned a few hobbies already you can take up here, like skiing, fishing and boating. If you want something a little more unusual, try Fat Tire biking in the snow or on a sandy beach.
9. Travel more. It’s a 10 ½ hour drive from Michigan’s southernmost town of Camden to its northernmost village, Copper Harbor, in the Upper Peninsula. There’s so much to see in between: waterfalls, Great Lakes, lighthouses, Motown, the North Country Trail, the Tunnel of Trees, Mackinac Island, Sleeping Bear Dunes. We can’t name everything, but we will never run out of places to go and things to do here. This is one resolution that will be easy to keep!
10. Read more. Well, the beach is the perfect place to read a book, and there are plenty of Michigan authors with good reads to put in your beach bag. Make a stop at the library on the way to the lake.
