1. We may be the only place in the world where you can find cities named both Paradise and Hell.
To be clear, the one on the left is Paradise, Michigan.
2. Michigan pretty much invented the modern weekend.
3. We brew beers like nobody's business.
4. Michiganders have a portable, always-available map that they have attached to their arms.
5. The Sleeping Bear Dunes have been named the Most Beautiful Place in America.
6. The world's favorite cereals were nearly all born in Battle Creek, "Cereal City," Michigan.
7. You can get the best pastrami of your life at New York Times-acclaimed Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor.
8. Michigan also has some of the best universities in the world.
9. The Upper Peninsula is like a whole other state, packed to the brim with natural beauty.
10. The amount of musical talent and influence our state has produced is insane. We've got Iggy Pop, papa of proto-punk from Muskegon...
11. ...musical magician Stevie Wonder, who reps Saginaw...
12. ...rapper Eminem, who also starred in Detroit-based film 8 Mile...
13. ...Madonna, who was born in Bay City and briefly attended the University of Michigan...
15. Motown Records in Detroit was home to some of the most influential musicians ever: Diana Ross, the Temptations, Smoky Robinson, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, and countless others.
16. Saginaw is also the birthplace of legendary tennis star Serena Williams.
17. Taylor Lautner was born in Grand Rapids and trained in martial arts in Holland, Michigan. So, ya know, you're welcome.
18. Detroit workwear style is appreciated worldwide, with Dearborn-based Carhartt leading the charge.
19. Eastern Market has been serving fresh produce and food to the citizens of Detroit for over 170 years, making it the "largest and oldest market of its kind."
20. As the home of Ford, GM, and Chrysler, there are car shows out the wazoo.
21. For a different pace, Michiganders vacation in auto-less Mackinac Island, where bikes and fresh fudge reign supreme.
22. The beautiful Islamic Center of America in Dearborn is one of the largest mosques in the United States.
23. Our sports teams have amazing legacies and fans.
24. The Red Wings have "the longest active streak in any major sport" with a playoff streak "older than goalie Jared Coreau."
25. Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin "Megatron" Johnson has the catching radius of a TWO-CAR GARAGE.
26. Even Beyonce is a Michigan fan.
28. Our two local pop brands beat ANY out-of-state competitors: Faygo...
29. ...and Vernor's, which is the oldest ginger ale in the United States.
30. The arrival of Lent is celebrated in the most glorious way possible: Paczki Day.
31. Michigan produces 70 to 75% of the tart cherries grown in the United States.
32. Shatila in Dearborn has some of the best baklava in the United States and will ship massive trays of gooey, pistachio-laced goodness pretty much anywhere.
33. The Detroit Institute of Art includes pieces by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Matisse...
34. ...but there's also great public art, like the beautiful, eccentric thing that is Hamtramck Disneyland:
35. In Saginaw County, you can find two of the most zany tourists locations in the United States: Frankenmuth, a small town whisked straight out of Bavaria...
36. ...and Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, which, at a length of 1.5 football fields, is the world's largest Christmas store.
37. And let's face it, MIchigan basically owns the Great Lakes.
