10 Things to do in West Michigan

Trust me. I myself have googled "Things to Do in West Michigan" and have not come up with very much. I know that to the rest of the world, this area probably doesn't sound very interesting. (Have you ever heard, "Dude, I'm going to West Michigan for Spring break" ? Neither have I.) So, I thought I'd make my own little list of what's good here, accompanied by photos that prove that I have actually been to all of the places I'm suggesting:

In Michigan, we wear winter coats at the beach.

 

1. The beach. Holland and Grand Haven have parks for access to public beaches. Angel prefers to go when there's a storm and no one else is out there.

In Michigan, we use the term "art" loosely, and I love it.

 

2. ArtPrize. A yearly art festival that takes over downtown Grand Rapids for 2 weeks during late September and early October. Seriously, ya'll, there's art everywhere, from the tops of buildings to inside restaurants to street corners to bridges.

In Michigan, we ring in the New Year with line dancing.

 

3. Grand Rapids Original Swing Society. For a $5 entry fee, you can dance every Tuesday night all year-round, sometimes at indoor venues, sometimes outdoor.

In Michigan, we have cacti--shocker!

 

4. Frederick Meijer Gardens. Expensive, but beautiful, with indoor and outdoor gardens, sculpture, and traveling art exhibits, and concerts in the summer.

In Michigan, Rachel wears a swimsuit. Scandal alert!

 

5. Michigan's Adventure. Waterpark/Amusement Park. Doesn't compare to an amusement park on the scale of Cedar Point, but then, it's significantly cheaper too.

In Michigan, we make out in playgrounds. This just keeps getting worse and worse.

 

6. Hager Park. I've been to plenty of public parks in my day, and thus far, none have been as awe-inspiring as Hager Park, with it's hide-and-seek friendly gigantic wooden castle. There's also a lawn that has been turned into a map of the U.S.A. which is fairly impressive.

In Michigan, we consider flowers a reason to party.

 

7. Tulip Time in May, in Holland. A festival celebrating Dutch culture and pretty flowers. There's usually plenty of food, a craft show, and performances including traditional dances and concerts.

In Michigan, we love our cars.

 

8. Gilmore Car Museum in Kalamazoo. When we went there, I was rather angry because they neglected to tell us that the two exhibits Angel and I most wanted to see were closed for the winter, yet they still charged full admission. In spite of my bitterness, I admit that they have some really awesome cars. But go in the summer.

And our green and yellow tractors. My shirt says "I make dirt look good."

 

9. Riverbend Steam and Gas Show. Every year in mid- to late-July, folks get together to show off their antique tractors and steam engines and other farm-related paraphernalia. It's a culture all it's own, but it can be fun, with traditions like pie and ice cream always available, and threshing and sawmill demonstrations, a tractor pull, miniature airplane show, and a blacksmith at work (who makes the most gorgeous iron roses--I wish I owned one).

In Michigan, grown men have tea parties at the Public Museum. Limited time exhibit.

 

10. Grand Rapids Museums. There's a bunch to choose from: Public Museum, Art Museum, Children's Museum, Gerald R. Ford Museum. During ArtPrize, some of these offer free admission, which makes them even more enticing.

*Clearly, by "West Michigan" I mean more specifically "Southwest Michigan"...but we all seem to refer to ourselves as West Michigan...

Locals, anything I missed? Anything I haven't done yet? Because if there is, I ought to do it soon! How many readers have been here or plan to go one day?