Michigan is the 10th largest state in the US by population, and there’s quite a bit you should know about it. For the sake of this intro, these are some must-know things about Michigan.
Michigan is located up in the Midwest, near Canada, and it has two main parts: The Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula. Most people recognize the shape of the Lower Peninsula, it looks like a mitten. That’s why Michigan is sometimes referred to as "The Mitten State."
College life in Michigan is a big thing, and like most states in the Midwest and South, they’re crazy about American football.
The state is also home to the automobile industry with General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Chrysler headquartered there.
Have you heard of Henry Ford? He was an industrialist and businessman who built Ford Motor Company in Detroit back in the early 1900s. By creating an assembly line in mass production, Ford made cars affordable for the average American, and therefore he had a profound impact on American society. Today, there are museums all across Michigan to celebrate its automotive history.
Some other famous names from Michigan include: Madonna (the singer), Francis Ford Coppola (the director and screenwriter of "The Godfather"), and William Boeing, a pioneer in aviation and creator of the Boeing Company. Yep, they’re all Michiganders.
If you like fishing, hiking and greenery, Michigan is where it’s at. 50% of the state is covered in forest, so it’s lush and green. It’s also home to over 10,000 lakes and 40,000 miles of rivers. Did I mention it touches all five of the Great Lakes? That’s a lot of water, a lot of shore and a lot of trees.
As a tourist, you might want to try the world-famous cherries from there, try a pasty – not a pastie – and a beer from one of the many local breweries. Your senses will be overwhelmed!
Take a listen to today’s episode to hear what it’s like growing up in the state of Michigan.
Hi, everybody. We’re back again with another discover a new state episode and we’re here with Camille Hanson, who is an ESL teacher, YouTuber and social media content creator who you can find all over the Internet. And she’s originally from Michigan.
Today, we’re going to discover a little bit about her experience in the state of Michigan — maybe I can tap into some stories about her childhood there — in hopes of shedding light on the culture of the state and also to get to know someone from this state.
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Shana: Hi, Camille.
Camille: Hi!
Shana: How are you doing today?
Camille: Very well. How are you?
Shana: Very well. All right. So let’s jump into your past. You’re from Michigan, right, originally? Were you born and raised in the state of Michigan?
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Camille Hanson is a TEFL-Certified English content creator, author and language lover who speaks 5 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French. She is a mom, wife and avid traveler. Learn English With Camille.
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Camille’s Recommendations
Pictured Rocks – Beautiful views of Lake Superior and numerous hiking trails to take advantage of Michigan’s nature.
Mackinac Island – Get your cameras ready, Mackinac Island was voted the Best Island in the Continental U.S. by Travel and Leisure Magazine. Take a horse-drawn carriage through charming streets, have a scenic picnic with some famous Mackinac fudge or go immerse on a culinary adventure to the numerous acclaimed restaurants and bars. Did I mention you can take a bike OR kayak around the whole island? Pretty cool.
Copper Harbor – You may be able to get a glimpse of the North Lights (the aurora borealis) from Copper Harbor, if you don’t, no worries; the landscape, artisanal shops and trails makes it worth a visit.
