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Things to see and do in Michigan

Dearborn

Drive through the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, the birthplace of Henry Ford and the automobile. Visit the Henry Ford Museum (www.hfmgv.org) and Greenfield Village, and step back through 300 years of history.

Detroit's Cultural Center

Spend a day at the Cultural Center featuring the Detroit Historical Museum (www.detroithistorical.org), the Detroit Institute of Arts (the fifth largest art museum in the USA) and the Charles H Wright Museum of African-American History (www.maah-detroit.org), the largest museum of its kind.

Explore the Renaissance Center

Dine at one of dozens of restaurants while visiting the Renaissance Center. The centre also houses a 1,300-room hotel and a variety of shops, as well as being General Motors' world headquarters.

Ford and General Motors

Tour the Automotive Hall of Fame (www.automotivehalloffame.org), Spirit of Ford and Henry Ford's Fair Lane Estate (www.henryfordestate.org) in Dearborn. Or tour the General Motors plant in Lansing and watch cars come off the assembly line.

Hitsville USA

Listen to the music of Motown at Detroit's Hitsville USA, now home to Motown Historical Museum (www.motownmuseum.com), where the sounds of Diana Ross, The Temptations and The Four Tops are immortalised.

Isle Royale National Park

Backpack the Isle Royale National Park (www.nps.gov/isro), a wild, rocky wilderness island in the northern reaches of Lake Superior.

Let loose in Traverse City

Head for the recreational haven of Traverse City, which features sand dunes, resorts, golf and skiing.

Mackinac Island

Escape to Mackinac Island (www.mackinacisland.org), a well-known summer resort in Michigan. Cars are not allowed and visitors must walk, cycle or use horse-drawn carriages. Visit the impressive Grand Hotel (www.grandhotel.com) and Fort Mackinac (www.mackinacparks.com), a restored 18th-century military outpost.

Ride a bike at Belle Isle

The nation's largest urban island park also offers canoeing, an aquarium and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum.

Shop and eat in Detroit's Greektown

Enjoy Greek food, entertainment and speciality shops in Detroit's Greektown.

Take a family trip to

Detroit Zoological ParkFamilies will love to explore the Detroit Zoological Park (www.detroitzoo.org), containing more than 5,000 animals in natural settings. Visitors can walk or tour by tractor-train.

Travel along Michigan's Great Lakes coastline

Get your feet wet travelling along the Great Lakes coastline. The 60,000km (36,000 miles) of rivers and 11,000 inland lakes offer great boating, canoeing, fishing and watersports opportunities.

Visit Ann Arbor

The home of the University of Michigan (www.umich.edu) offers a multitude of bookstores and cosy cafés perfect to stop and relax.

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