Souvenirs and memories define the success of any vacation, and my family came away from a trip to Michigan with a minivan-load of them.
Long after he has outgrown the T-shirt listing 10 reasons why it's neat to be a nuclear engineer, my 14-year-old son Michael will remember our guided tour of a reactor. When 10-year-old Ryan's crush on Dominique Moceanu has evaporated, he will still have the aluminum coin he made that linked their names.
And with nothing more than a couple of glossy magazines and some creased floor-plan maps, the boys—and their Mom and I—will recall the thrill of gazing at the long tables of beakers and mechanical gadgets in Thomas Edison's lab, of staring at a moon rock and imagining its secrets, of learning the human side of the Great Depression and World War II's homefront.
The boys might even reflect on the curious diversity that Michigan presents: From the skyscrapers and historic major league baseball stadium of downtown Detroit, to the blocks-long auto factories, to mile upon mile of cornfields and forests, the way to see Michigan is to drive it. Time, not the horizon beyond our windshield, was the real limit on our trip.
My family spent 12 days circling the southern half of the state starting in Lansing and ending in Holland; the journey could be completed in less time without the stop in Holland. We began our family trip to Michigan by flying to Detroit, where we rented a minivan. For the most part we stayed in East Lansing and generally made day trips out and back. A good place to stay is the Kellogg Center (517-432-4000), located on the Michigan State University campus. Athletic facilities, classroom buildings and dormitories are only a short walk away. A deluxe room, which provided a sitting area and beds for everyone, costs $126 per night. Also close to the campus, in the town of Okemos, is a Holiday Inn Express (517-347-6690). Rates are about $89 a night for a two-bed room.
Robert N. Jenkins is the travel editor of the ST. PETERSBURG TIMES in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated August 2005.
